April is Financial Literacy Month. It needs to be a big deal. A lack of financial preparedness has significant consequences, not the least of which is you and your family’s current or future quality of life. Rising healthcare costs alone can be financially devastating. Also, many Americans don’t understand the commitment of a mostly self-financed…
Paul Fain of Asset Planning Corporation will be the keynote speaker at the Financial Planning Association’s Annual Retreat (https://fparetreat.org/) to be held April 23-26 at The Wigwam in Litchfield Park, Arizona. With his talk billed as “A Pioneer, A Profession, A Practice and A Planner,” Paul plans to share the highs and the lows, the…
One of the most common financial planning goals is retirement. “When can I retire?”, “How much can I spend in retirement?”, etc. It is easy to forget that the entire concept of “retirement” is a modern invention, created by industrialization. Before the 20th century, the average person simply did what they did until the end…
In March, many employers, banks, and organizations promoted “America Saves Week.” The message was simple: Making an effort to save is vital to your financial health. Whether it is putting change in a piggy bank or contributing to a 401k plan at work it can mean big money down the road. WHY IS IT…
My family has Appalachian kinfolk who will predict your future by reading coffee grounds. Of course, you could just visit a fortune teller in Pigeon Forge. While I don’t know the track records of mountain folk divinations or palm readers, I do enjoy keeping an annual “Forecasting” folder to review the predictive powers of the…
The recent spike in market volatility has left many investors concerned about their portfolios and uncertain as to how a rise in interest rates impacts their bond investments. LET’S START WITH BONDS 101, HOW DO BONDS WORK AND WHY DO WE BUY THEM? Bonds are generally conservative investments and they produce income –…
The U.S. stock market recently entered correction territory – dropping about 10% – for the first time in two years. The increased market volatility continues to rattle investors. What is causing the market decline and what should you do about it? Here are 8 tips for your investment strategy. WHAT IS CAUSING RECENT MARKET…
Let’s forget the stock market for a moment. The events of our daily lives, not Wall Street, may determine our financial security or ruin. Let’s just suppose, your teenage student has a grudge against a high school teacher and begins a smear campaign on social media. Due to the false statements and following public humiliation and…
The start of a New Year is a great opportunity to do some financial housekeeping! Which documents and records should you keep and which ones can you throw away? WHAT IS THE STARTING POINT FOR KEEPING GOOD FINANCIAL RECORDS? Develop a filing system. Set up a file for: Bills Due: Immediately after opening mail,…
What a year 2017 was! After a lingering slump for worldwide economies and markets (2014 through late 2016), the past 12 months have been crazy, chaotic, and chart-topping in ways both good and bad. Hurricanes Harvey and Irma brought destruction. The Equifax cyber-hack created its own tidal wave of financial security concerns. A reality TV…