So far in 2018, we have seen a lot of market volatility. There are various reasons for the volatility: trade wars, tweets, interest rates, and more. In fact, 2018 has been the most volatile year in the markets since 2008. While this year has brought on more volatility than normal, this type of volatility isn’t unique. In fact, volatility is a normal part of investing and something you will experience quite often if you’re going to be invested for multiple…
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Your Credit Score Is Overrated. Focus On This Instead.
We hear so much commentary about our credit scores. Hacks to get a perfect credit score. Why your credit score is oh so important. Why your credit score will make you a happier person. After a while, it’s easy to fall into the hype and start obsessing over your credit score. Now, there is some merit in the importance of your credit score. It helps you secure better borrowing terms for loans, lowers your insurance premiums and opens up opportunities…
Don’t Mix Politics And Money
Let’s face it: we live in a hyper-political world. Everything and everyone seemingly wants to bring up the latest political news. So it’s easy to think that politics is all-encompassing. It’s in the news, of course. But it’s also in sporting events, talk shows, and even comedy shows. It’s everywhere. But even if politics is everywhere, there’s one part of your life where it should be avoided at all costs: Your Money. Mixing your money and your politics is one of…
Why You Should Work With A Certified Financial Planner
The decision to work with a Financial Planner is a big one. You’ve made a decision that you need a competent professional to help figure something (or a lot of things) out. You’ve decided that you’re going to open up about your finances and share everything with someone you’re just getting to know. And trust that they can help you. So it’s understandable that once you make that big step, you don’t want to screw it up. You want to…
Three Benefits of Health Savings Accounts
Are you looking for ways to decrease the taxes you owe? Or have some of your investments grow tax free? If so, read on as I describe three benefits of Health Savings Accounts (HSA). But before we get to the benefits, we have to detail who these plans are suitable for, and the one big disadvantage to them. The big disadvantage to an HSA is that you must have a high deductible health insurance plan. Which means that while your…
Options For An Old 401(k)
If you’ve moved jobs a few times, there’s a good chance that you might have some money in one of your old company’s retirement plans. Since changing jobs and keeping up with life is hectic and busy enough as it is, you might not have had time to figure out what exactly to do with that old account. But just leaving the money there may not be best for you, depending on your situation. So here are some things to…
Treat Debt Like An Emergency
Why You Should Treat Debt Like An Emergency Whenever most people talk about their finances, they’re interested in investing in the stock market or real estate. It’s fun and exciting to be an investor. After all, who doesn’t want to have their money making them more money? But as the legendary college football broadcaster Lee Corso says, “Not so fast, my friend” The reason to slow down is that when I get to know more about someone’s financial situation, I…
3 Non-Financial Retirement Tips
Whenever we think about retirement, it’s easy to get caught up in the numbers. Have I saved enough? How much income can I take from my portfolio without running out of money? How do I maximize my social security benefits? Those are all good questions to ask, and one that a good financial advisor can help you answer. But what about the non-financial part of retirement? You can have all the money in the world, but money can only…
Decrease Expenses or Increase Income?
Throughout most of my 20’s, I was a massive cheapskate. I would do (almost) anything to save a buck. It was almost like a game to me, and I was committed to always finding ways to decrease expenses. Even if that meant a lesser product or quality of life for myself. There’s a quote by personal finance guru Clark Howard that pretty much described my thinking: “I will always take a lower quality product for a much lower price.” …
Not Making Financial Progress? Try This
Are you not making financial progress? If you’re like most people, you’ve got numerous things that you want to achieve with your finances. Maybe it’s buying a house, starting a business, saving up for a honeymoon or wedding, or something else. With all that you’re trying to achieve, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. So how do you do it all? With Two Simple Steps: Prioritizing Your Goals Focus On One Thing At A Time I know some people might be…