Blog
Mid-Year Stock Market Outlook
Blog“Mid-Year Stock Market Outlook" It’s hard to believe we are already at the halfway point of 2024! There are always a lot of question marks coming into a new year, however with numerous global elections already completed and a contentious US election in...
“Bearish is Easier than Bullish”
Blog“Bearish is Easier than Bullish" No matter what is happening in the markets or wider economy it seems you can always make a case for why the market is about to crash or why we are set for another bull run. 10 different advisors or economic “experts” can view the...
Setting Your Children up for Retirement
Blog “Setting Your Children up for Retirement" For many people, setting their child up for success in the future is one of their responsibilities as a parent or guardian. Setting them up for success comes in many different facets (think life skills, hard-work,...
The Coronavirus Housing Boom
Blog “The Coronavirus Housing Boom" If one thing is certain, we have all been spending more time in our homes over the past 6 months compared to the months and years prior. While many sectors of the economy have been negatively impacted from the pandemic,...
Why the Dow Jones is not a Great Benchmark
Blog “Why the Dow Jones is not a Great Benchmark" It’s nearly impossible to tune into mainstream media outlets like CNBC without the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) being the focal point amongst stock indices. I, myself, am guilty of quoting the Dow’s price...
Gifting Responsibly and Avoiding Taxes
Blog “Gifting Responsibly and Avoiding Taxes" Each year, the IRS sets a limit called the annual gift tax exclusion which determines how much you can “gift” to someone else and avoid paying any taxes. For 2020, that annual exclusion amount is $15,000 (this can change...
The Importance of a Health Savings Account
Blog “The Importance of a Health Savings Account" If the last few months are any indication, we can see that healthcare needs and associated expenses are truly an unknown quantity. Healthcare costs can be a major stumbling block for both the young and elderly and...
Trends in a Post-COVID World
Blog “Trends in a Post-COVID World" Where is the stock market going from here? Why has the market recovered so quickly? If we don’t find a vaccine for the virus soon, will we see a huge drop in the market? These are all common questions we are getting from clients...
Money Lessons to Teach in High School
Blog “4 Money Lessons They Should Teach in High School" Growing up in America we are taught many valuable things in high school, but an area that has historically been ignored is personal finance. While Chemistry is almost always on the curriculum (I haven’t had to...
Stock Markets and Presidential Elections
Blog “Stock Markets and Presidential Elections" While our post this week might not directly assist you in your quest towards financial independence, but it’s also fun to see how finances can play into so many aspects of our world. If 2020 hasn’t already been eventful...
When Should I Refinance My Mortgage?
Blog “When Should I Refinance My Mortgage?" This week’s post is a revamped version of a post from 2019. With mortgage rates now at historic lows, we feel it is valuable to revisit this idea. Everybody loves to save money, and since we are in a period of...
ETFs vs. Mutual Funds
Blog “ETFs vs. Mutual Funds" Exchange Traded Funds or ETF’s are fairly new on the investing scene, at least in relative terms. ETF’s first came on the scene in 1993 while Mutual Funds have been around since the 1920’s. Since ETF’s began, there is an ongoing debate...
Tips for Lowering Taxes in Retirement
Blog “Tips for Lowering Taxes in Retirement" So many financial articles talk about the importance of saving for retirement and how much money you should have saved to retire comfortably. While that is certainly an important topic, considering how these savings will...
FOMO with the Stock Market
Blog “FOMO with the Stock Market" “Fear of Missing Out” (AKA FOMO), has become very apparent as individuals try to make sense of the meteoric rise in the stock market over the past 60 days. We dive into why the stock market has been going up in a recent post which...
Paying with Cash vs. Affording Payments
Blog “Paying with Cash vs. Affording Payments" America has an all-consuming culture. Earning an income of $32,400 in the United States puts you in the top 1% of global earners, however, to earn in the top 1% in the United States you would need to pull in over...
Robo Advisor vs. Financial Advisor
Blog“Robo Advisor vs. Financial Advisor" There has been a lot of debate, especially over the last 10 years, about the “value” that a real-life financial advisor brings to a client. During this time, the massive growth of rob-advisors such as Betterment, Ally,...
A Checklist a Decade Away from Retirement
Blog“A Checklist a Decade Away from Retirement" For many individuals, saving for retirement is not high on their priority list until those years begin to come into focus. As you begin the count down to retirement, the pressure can mount, and nerves can start to set...
Why Is the Stock Market Going Up?
Blog“Why is the Stock Market Going Up?" Despite record unemployment levels and economic uncertainty that we haven’t seen since 2008, the stock market continues to rally from it’s lows in late March. From January 1st, 2020 to March 23rd, 2020 the S&P 500 index was...
Increasing Retirement Success with Small Tweaks
Blog“Increasing Retirement Success with Small Tweaks" The last couple of months have challenged individuals, families, businesses, and governments around the world. While certain health experts have always cautioned against pandemics, they tend to operate like...
Is Now the Time for Individual Stocks?
Blog“Is Now the Time for Individual Stocks?" As people across the globe are being told to stay put in their homes, it’s not surprising to see some companies suffering more than others. Our normal routines are turned upside down, and so are our normal consumer spending...
Consistency Revisited
Blog“Consistency Revisited" Almost a year ago, we put out a post titled, “Consistency is Attractive.” With everything going on right now, we felt it was a timely reminder that being consistent, not only with our finances, can be a great source of strength in times of...
The Necessity of an Emergency Fund
“The Necessity of an Emergency Fund" If the last couple of months has taught us anything it is that the often talked about, but rarely pursued emergency fund is the essential cornerstone of a financial plan. Whether this is for a single individual, married couple,...
Highlights from Coronavirus Stimulus Package
“Highlights from Coronavirus Stimulus Package" The recent $2.2 Trillion stimulus package approved by the federal government is the single largest package in our country’s history. It shows that the federal government is taking this virus very seriously, and...
What Could a Recovery Look Like?
“What Could a Recovery Look Like?" A recent article coming out of the Capital Group did a great job of outlining what a recovery from the Coronavirus could look like. The unbiased takeaways are that COVID-19 will certainly have (and already has) major impacts on the...
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