I am grateful every day that I work in a firm culture that both encourages and supports continuing education at every level. As a financial planning professional, I have specific requirements for continuing education that must be met to maintain my CFP® designation, and there are certainly many ways to get those credits. APC’s culture…
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You’ve been busy raising your children and saving for college and now you are helping your aging parents! It may be difficult to set aside money for your own future — planning for retirement is tough but figuring out how much money you’ll need for health care is even tougher. BABY BOOMERS SAY THEY…
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On a typical Easter weekend, we travel to the Tri-Cities to visit relatives. One particularly sweet soul that we enjoy seeing is Aunt Naomi. She is almost 90 years old and living independently. “All I do is pay bills and check stuff,” she said last weekend: Is the door locked? Did I leave the water…
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President Trump has introduced his tax reform plan and it appears that it will benefit most U.S. households but how will it affect YOUR money? Paul was recently interviewed by NBC’s Knoxville affiliate, WBIR: VIDEO BELOW PAUL, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MAIN PROVISIONS OF THE TRUMP TAX PROPOSAL? Doubles the Standard Deduction. Reduces or…
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Earth Day aims to raise awareness of ways to lessen our impact on the environment. But what about your wallet? Here are some ways to raise some green from going green. WHAT ARE SOME EASY WAYS THAT GOING GREEN CAN HELP SAVE SOME MONEY? Unplug: Phantom power – the electricity your electronics draw costs…
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Tax refunds are in the mail! With the average taxpayer expecting to rake in a refund of more than $3,000, what should you do with the windfall? IF YOU ARE EXPECTING A REFUND, WHAT IS THE SOLID “EAT YOUR VEGETABLES” ADVICE? 1. Pay down high-interest debt: this is how 40% of Americans will use…
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How to Select a Financial Planner “Yippee-Ki-Yay” Welcome to the Wild Wild West also known as the U.S. financial advice industry. There are approximately 300,000 financial advisors in the U.S. according to Cerulli Associates. And arguably, the number of people who hold themselves out as comprehensive financial advisors and wealth managers is even greater, given…
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Are you on track to achieve your goals? In other words, have you saved enough? And, how do you know how much is enough? Use the following guidelines to give yourself a Savings Check-up. Even though the economy has been doing better, many people are still financially vulnerable, i.e., living paycheck to paycheck. According…
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Have you ever wondered if a chef eats his own cooking? Does a doctor take her own medicine? Or, do financial planners invest in the same strategies they recommend to investors? Recently, a vice president at Morningstar, an investment research firm, wrote about his personal investment portfolio. His asset allocation is basically 93 percent stock, 4 percent cash,…
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