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The Ultimate Downsizing Checklist Before Retiring
By focusing on goals and priorities, you can create a new, simplified lifestyleAs retirement approaches, many older adults consider downsizing their home as a way to simplify their lives, reduce expenses, and focus on what truly...
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Why Life Insurance Is Important at Any Age
Many people know that life insurance is important to have, and yet not enough actually get it. Some decide they’ll get it later in life while others feel it’s a waste of money because they don’t have any health issues...
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3 Ways Planning For Retirement is Like Planning For Summer Break
For kids, teens, and college students, summer break often represents freedom from schedules, responsibilities, and all those other drains on your time. Retirement actually can provide a similar level of freedom, but only if you've...
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Let’s Talk Investing
Have you ever noticed the topic of investing rarely comes up in casual conversation among peers? In this age of emotional intelligence, vulnerability is encouraged when discussing personal feelings, but vulnerability about finances...
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Investor Sentiment Tested
Spring is often thought of as an uplifting time, marked by growth and renewed hope as we emerge from the long months of winter and look ahead to the rest of year. Investors saw signs of such renewed hope in recent weeks, especially on...
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Setting and Targeting Investment Goals
Go out into your yard and dig a big hole. Every month, throw $50 into it, but don't take any money out until you're ready to buy a house, send your child to college, or retire. It sounds a little crazy, doesn't it? But that's what...
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Utilizing a 529 Plan as a Wealth Transfer Tool
529 plans are designed for saving for education and are beneficial since contributions accumulate and grow tax-free as long as withdrawals are used for qualified education expenses. But 529 plans may also be part of a wealth transfer...
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Small Business Owners: Are You Retirement Ready (or Not)?
Whether you are an employee in corporate America or a small business owner, retirement is a part of life. For many, the thought of retiring and whether or not you are ready to take those first steps might be overwhelming or...
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Life Insurance: Back to the Basics
As you consider the wide range of life insurance coverage available, you may wonder what type really fits your needs now, and what will suit your needs in the future. A good, first step is to ask yourself why you are buying insurance,...
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A March Resilient
The financial markets’ resilient performance during March was striking, despite pockets of uncertainty surrounding the strength of the economy—and not to mention concerns over the durability of the banking system. The...
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6 Money Myths That Are Limiting Your Wealth
When people think of “myths,” they often think of such stories as Pandora’s Box (the woman who took the lid off of a jar releasing all of the world’s ills upon the world, were taxes one of them?), or the Tale of...
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Using SRI and ESG to Balance Investment and Ideals
When you invest funds, you are preparing for your retirement and your future. But at the same time, you may also want to consider the impact your money has on the world. Ethical investment strategies seek to balance these two concepts....
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4 Tips for Building a Strong Professional Relationship With Your Financial Professional
Choosing a financial professional is a major decision. Finding someone you trust enough to manage your money and your future may feel like a nerve-wracking choice. Fortunately, by doing some preliminary research and asking tough...
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Understanding Social Security Strategies
As you age, the question of when to collect Social Security (SS) retirement benefits will likely come to mind. There is no one size fits all age; your unique circumstances and goals will dictate the appropriate time for you to take...
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Waiting for New Heights
Financial markets have experienced quite a bit of change this year in just two short months. We started the year hopeful that stocks would benefit from a better economic and monetary policy environment by the spring. . .
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Buyer Beware: 4 Educational Tips For National Consumer Protection
This year's National Consumer Protection Week is March 5th through March 11th. It's a time to educate people about their rights as consumers and how to make informed decisions about their money.
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Women's History Month: Retirement Focus
Like so many women, are you constantly juggling family, professional, and personal responsibilities? No wonder retirement planning seems to always get shuffled to the bottom of your “to do” list. But, procrastination is not the answer.
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Spring Has Sprung: Time to Refresh Your Retirement Plan
Spring can be a fantastic time to refresh your retirement plan and savings habits. With 2023 bringing increased limits for 401(k)s, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and other tax-advantaged accounts. .
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Planning for Earned Income in Retirement
If you're like a lot of people, retirement won't be the world of gardening, golfing, traveling, and tennis you once envisioned. Rather, retirement will mean . . .
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Opportunities in 2023
Whether you’re one to set ambitious New Year’s resolutions or simply use the beginning of the year to reset on a few habits, there’s almost always some value in reflecting on the past year before looking ahead. The...
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The Spending Plan with Built-In Rewards
When it comes to personal finances, one way to increase your savings in the long run is to spend less than you earn, or if that is too difficult, increase your income to exceed your expenses—easier said than done.
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An Engineer's Guide to Financial Planning
As an engineer, you already likely know the importance of accurate input when it comes to the final equation, which may put you ahead of the game when it comes to managing your finances.
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Entrepreneurship and Financial Risk: What You Need to Know
A wise entrepreneur considers their potential exposure before leaping into a new business venture, moving forward only on those opportunities that present enough potential upside to make the risks worthwhile.
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The Best Items to Help You Organize Your Finances and Important Documents
The first step to improving your finances is to get organized.These top Amazon finds can help you create a monthly budget, plan your spending, and safely store your important insurance or personal documents for easy access when...
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Reasons for Optimism
I want to wish you a happy New Year and hope you were able to close out 2022 with friends and family.The beginning of a calendar year is often the time when the previous year’s reflections transition to a new year’s hopes....
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True or False -You Are a Retirement Savings Plan Expert
All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal, and there can be no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful.How much do you really know about your employer-sponsored retirement savings plan? If...
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Protecting Your Tax Identity Doesn't Have to Be Taxing
When you think of identity theft, you may think of unauthorized credit card payments or new lines of credit. However, tax identity theft is one of the most common types of identity theft — and it’s also the most common...
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Tax Planning and Financial Planning Go Hand in Hand
With tax season coming to an end, it’s the ideal time to use this year's tax return to help update your financial plan. If you’re in the group of one in four Americans who do not already have a financial plan, it may be...
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Reach Your Resolutions with These Apps
We all know the saying “new year, new you,” but let’s face it: there’s a big difference between saying and doing. Regardless of your resolutions, these five apps will help you make promises that you’re...
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Outlook 2023: Finding Balance
Through all the challenges, newfound opportunities, and every high and low we’ve experienced during the last couple of years, it’s no surprise why we might be striving for more balance. Whether it’s about the markets...
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Countdown To Investing in the New Year: 10 Questions To Ask Yourself
If one of your New Year's resolutions involves enhancing and expanding your investment portfolio, look no further. In a true New Year's Eve countdown tradition, ask yourself these 10 questions to help review your investment plans...
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Considerations for Your Charitable Giving
Points to think about as you contemplate giving to others and causesAny endeavor worth undertaking, especially one that may affect others, deserves our careful consideration before we begin.When contemplating charitable giving, think...
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A Holiday Survival Guide for Your Finances
The average family spends an extra $1,000 or more during the holiday season. From gifts and travel to dinners, shows, and decorations, each purchase adds up.1 How might you take full advantage of holiday cheer while avoiding the...
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The 12 Days of Year-End Planning: Things to Consider Going into “The New Year"
At the end of the year, it is necessary to reflect on your financial picture, review the last 12 months, and plan for the future. With all that is involved, it can seem overwhelming. Consider breaking up the responsibilities over...
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Thanks and Giving: How You Make a Difference on Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday is a day to extend the goodwill that the holiday season may bring to help others. With so many in need, the holiday season is a reminder to help those less fortunate. Whether you want to donate your time or contribute...
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Appropriate Checklists for Year-End Tax Planning
What are appropriate checklists for year-end tax planning?Tax planners often develop checklists to guide taxpayers toward year-end strategies that might help reduce taxes. Typically, suggestions are grouped into several different...
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Looking Ahead
October is now behind us and it has delivered on its track record as a historically favorable month for stocks, offering some respite for investors as major equity indices rose for the month. The downside pressure on equities had...
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Four Ways to Help Lower Your Taxes Now
The financial decisions you make between now and the end of the year can significantly impact how much taxes you will have to pay once tax day arrives. If you take action by December 31st, you can reduce your tax burden and keep more...
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Healthy at 75 Should Be Your Retirement Mantra
Good health means you can both pursue wealth and enjoy it Too many people don’t realize that taking care of themselves physically can lead to more confident financial tomorrows.Planning for retirement should start in your early...
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5 Helpful Halloween Tricks to Navigating a Scary Stock Market
Investing can be a roller coaster—and, when the market starts dropping, it may even feel more like a haunted house. With recession fears mounting, what can investors do to stay the course and escape unscathed? Here we discuss...
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Could the Worst be Behind Us?
First, we want to acknowledge the tremendous damage and displacement caused by Hurricane Ian. Our thoughts are with those impacted by this devastating storm.This has clearly been a challenging year for households. Stocks and bonds are...
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5 Key Steps To Help Women Strengthen Their Business and Their Retirement
As a female entrepreneur, you may face different challenges than your male counterparts. For example, women were disproportionately affected by the COVID pandemic. 1 They also tend to earn less than their male peers—largely in...
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A Fall Financial Checklist
For many, autumn is the best time of year. The return of cool breezes, comforting foods, and pumpkins can be invigorating. It’s also a bookmark of sorts, especially for your finances—a perfect time to take stock of your...
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Maintaining Your Financial Records: The Importance of Being Organized
An important part of managing your personal finances is keeping your financial records organized. Whether it's a utility bill to show proof of residency or a Social Security card for wage reporting purposes, there may be times when you...
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The Best and Worst of Times
When it comes to stock market performance, August was “the best of times, and the worst of times.”
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Life Insurance at Various Life Stages
Your need for life insurance changes as your life changes. When you're young, you typically have less need for life insurance, but that changes as you take on more responsibility and your family grows. Then, as your responsibilities...
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Preparing for the Worst: Disaster Planning
Given the daily responsibilities of running a business, planning for an event that may or may not happen may not seem to be a priority. But by preparing for a major disaster, your company will be in a better position to cope with more...
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Figuring Out a 401(k) Strategy That Works for You
Matching your tolerance for risk with your investment objectives Everyone wants a comfortable retirement, but the road you take there will depend on your specific situation. When you invest, you assume a certain level of risk (but like...
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The Ultimate Juggling Act: 4 Ways to Save for College and Retirement
With the average price for private college tuition and fees hitting $43,750 for the 2021-2022 school year and public college attendees paying more than $28,000 per year, many parents are nervously anticipating what will happen after...
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How Financial Asset Management May Help Investors Stay the Course
Most people who decide to purchase stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or other investment vehicles do so understanding that there are risks associated with investing, but believing that the potential growth they may realize over time...
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Market and Investment Evaluation Methods
Doing your homeworkBefore investing in publicly traded securities, it would be wise to do some research--at least enough to understand just what you're investing in. An educated investment decision involves some knowledge of the stock...
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Active vs. Passive Portfolio Management
Proponents of active portfolio management believe that a skilled investment manager can generate returns that outperform a benchmark index. Advocates of passive investing argue that the best way to capture overall market returns is to...
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Back-To-School Shopping List: Why Not A Yearly Retirement List?
Labor Day is right around the corner. The weather is starting to turn a little cooler, college football returns and the kids are back in school. For me, it’s always been the kids going back to school that really marked the end of...
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Midyear Outlook 2022: Navigating Turbulence
Markets rarely give us clear skies, and there are always threats to watch for on the horizon, but the right preparation, context, and support can help us navigate anything that may lie ahead. So far, this year hasn’t seen a...
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Are You Retirement Ready? 5 Ways to Help Your Parents Prepare for Retirement
The sandwich generation is a term commonly used to describe those between the ages of 40 and 59 who are responsible for raising their family and are also often helping their aging parents manage their ongoing needs. Those members of...
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Securing Your Future with Life Cycle Planning
The need for regular saving and investing spans many life stages. Through the years, your goals will change and your strategies will shift, but don’t be alarmed. You’re just progressing through the normal stages of life,...
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Critical Ages on the Social Security Benefits Timeline
It's essential to know the critical ages regarding taking Social Security that may impact the amount of your benefits. Getting the most out of your Social Security retirement benefits can be the difference of thousands of dollars over...
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Four Tips for Gaining Financial Independence
The golden rule of financial planning: if you can plan it, you can pursue itOver the past July 4th, we celebrated our country’s history of declaring independence and guaranteeing basic human freedoms. But true freedom includes...
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A Bear Market is Officially Here
A bear market is officially here thanks largely to stubbornly high inflation. For many of us, it has probably felt like a bear market for a while now, but the S&P 500 Index didn’t close more than 20% below its January 3 record...
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Investor Summer School: 3 Investing Moves to Make Before Summer is Over
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Bull Market Hangs by a Thread
The bull market that began in March of 2020 came dangerously close to an end. From March 23, 2020 through January 3, 2022, the S&P 500 Index gained 114% (excluding dividends). From that January 3 closing high through the recent low on...
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ESG Investing: The New Frontier for Environmentally Conscious Investors
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Continuing to Work After Drawing Social Security? What Retirees Should Know
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Tax Prep Checklist: Everything You Need to Be Ready for Tax Season
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3 Financial Moves to Consider Before Ringing in the New Year
Although you don't have to wait until January to begin working on your financial goals, a new year may bring a much-needed fresh start on your spending and saving goals. Read on for three financial moves you may want to consider before...
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Celebrity Book Clubs to Get You Reading Again
Research shows that reading can help improve your mental health—particularly reading fiction. There’s no better time than fall to pick up a book, but if you don’t know where to start, here are a few celebrity book...
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Christmas Shopping Lessons for Investors
Is that investment an innovation or an improvement on an existing product? As Christmas sales loom, we face an endless array of sparkly, shiny and occasionally innovative items. As an investor, you run into a similar phenomenon that...
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Things to Consider When Writing a Business Plan
You may know that your small business needs a written business plan—but how do you get started? What elements should your plan address, and do you need different plans for different audiences? Below we discuss a few of the key...
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Thanks and Giving: How You Make a Difference on Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday is a day to extend the goodwill that the holiday season may bring to help others. With so many in need, the holiday season is a reminder to help those less fortunate. Whether you want to donate your time or contribute...
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Can You Spot the Scam? Common Financial Fraud Warning Signs
Many people are familiar with the scammers who promise to pay millions of dollars in exchange for briefly holding funds in your bank account or those who offer to enhance certain body parts risk-free. Today's scammers are clever at...
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Your 2021 Year-End Planning Checklist
It may be easy to forget we're nearing the end of the year. Even during the busy end of year rush, it's a good time to reevaluate your 2021 finances and turn an eye toward 2022. What can you do now to potentially improve and streamline...
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Staying Healthy for the Nine to Five
When it comes to excuses for failing to maintain a healthy lifestyle, working a full-time job is often at the top of the list. And it doesn’t stop at a forty-hour workweek. The majority of Americans are clocking more than forty...
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Thinking Pink: The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and You
The mission of the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) is to help women win their battle with breast cancer through early detection, education, and support services. Even though they are staffed with dedicated professionals, all...
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The ABC’s of Estate Planning
There is a common misconception that estate planning is something only the affluent need to do before they die. However, estate planning is important for everyone, regardless of income level or net worth. Planning for the disposition...
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Resources for Women-Owned Small Businesses
Small businesses face many problems related to their size, capital, and capability, and for women-owned small businesses, the challenge is sometimes even greater. The good news is there are many professional organizations out there...
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A Fall Financial Checklist
For many, autumn is the best time of year. The return of cool breezes, comforting foods, and pumpkins can be invigorating. It’s also a bookmark of sorts, especially for your finances—a perfect time to take stock of your...
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American Business Women's Day
September 22nd is American Business Women's Day, and it may be the perfect day to celebrate women who have surpassed the glass ceiling and gone on to be leaders and inspirations for businesswomen everywhere. In honor of American...
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How To Financially Prepare for a Disaster
Natural disasters like wildfires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, and long-term power outages don't discriminate—they may impact anyone at any time. However, you don't need to live your life under the constant stress of expecting...
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How to Celebrate International Day of Charity
Mother Teresa was one of the most well-known figures for her charitable service, officially recognized with an International Day of Charity[1]. September 5th marks the anniversary of her death and is a day where much of the world...
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Alternatives for College Funding
Although we all know that “time flies,” it seems to move particularly fast as we watch our children grow. Yet, in considering a college future for a newborn, it is understandable that parents might procrastinate, since...
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Women's Equality: Much Work is Still Needed
Women’s Equality Day is celebrated this year on August 26th. This event is a great time to reflect on the progress made and why women’s equality is so important. Progress is happening, but we still have much work to do to...
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Creating an Income Plan While in Retirement
Taking money out of retirement without a plan is a recipe for trouble You‘ve saved for years. Now that you are retired, did you create an income plan from your savings? The financial industry and media constantly talk about the...
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Back to School for College Kids
Many college students are looking forward to getting back to campus to continue their higher education and resume their normal life post-pandemic. Whether you're a first-year student or well-versed in college life, understanding proper...
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Ways to Support Your Local Libraries
Local libraries are an essential part of the community. They often provide literacy programs and support to children and adults alike, while bringing the joy of reading to anyone who wants to partake. Many libraries rely on...
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Investing for Major Financial Goals
Go out into your yard and dig a big hole. Every month, throw $50 into it, but don't take any money out until you're ready to buy a house, send your child to college, or retire. It sounds a little crazy, doesn't it? But that's what...
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What It's Like To Send a Child to College
Sending a child to college for the first time can be a stressful transition for any parent. Even though your child is legally an adult (or almost an adult) by the time they head out on their own, a parent's worries about health, safety...
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Revisit Your Investment Strategy at Each Age Milestone
As the saying goes, "50 is the new 40"—and with Americans living longer than ever before, it's not unusual for those in their 50s, 60s, or even 70s to be in their peak earning years.1 But for those who would prefer the option of...
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A Checklist for Your Retirement Planning
Remember, it is never too early to start planning for your future! The time to begin planning for your financial future is now. So, when it comes to preparing for retirement, the earlier you start, the better. Here are some steps to...
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Five Factors that Impact Your Retirement
Retirement can be a risky business if you don’t consider all the factors that can impact your retirement during your planning process. Although it’s hard to know what will happen in the future to you or your investments,...
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Women and Retirement: Closing the Gender Pay & Retirement Savings Gap
Today’s women are more educated and have more significant job opportunities compared to previous generations. Despite more women in the workforce than ever before, women still experience considerable pay disparity compared to...
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Social Justice and Impact Investing- Doing Good for Others
Social Justice investing is commonly linked to Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), which is investing to do good for others. Now, as COVID-19 continues to shape our societal values, clients are hoping that their investing addresses...
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Women: What You Should Know When Starting a Business
According to the Women's Business Enterprise National Council, as of 2018 there were 12.3 million women-owned businesses in the United States (representing 40% of all businesses), employing over 9 million people and generating $1.8...
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Could New Regulations Be Coming to ESG Investing?
The European Union (EU) has recently implemented some investment regulations that require significantly more transparency in funds that invest in stocks with an environmental, social, or governance (ESG) bent. Could these same...
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What to Know About Investing After Divorce
Divorce can deal both divorcing spouses one of the biggest financial blows of their lifetimes. In fact, experts estimate each spouse will need to increase their individual income by about 30 percent to maintain the same standard of...
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When’s the Right Time to Retire?
Retirement is inevitable, but knowing exactly when to do so is often unclear. No matter when you actually begin your retirement, you’ll benefit from planning your post-work life as early as possible. According to Gallup, the...
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What Should Women Entrepreneurs Do to Thrive in the COVID Era?
With COVID rocking the employment landscape for job-seekers, some women have taken this opportunity to reinvent themselves and take charge of their own financial futures by launching a business. Entrepreneurship is one of the most...
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Retirement Planning: To Roth or Not to Roth?
When saving for retirement, it often makes sense to contribute to employer-sponsored retirement plans to take advantage of any available employer match opportunities. However, not everyone has access to an employer-sponsored plan. Even...
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529 Plans vs. Other College Savings Options
529 plans can be a great way to save for college, but they're not the only way. When you're investing for a major goal like education, it makes sense to be familiar with all of your options. Mutual funds Mutual funds are an option to...
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