Social Security benefits are often confusing. You might say that “understanding Social Security” is an oxymoron! We recently received a client question regarding the complicated topic of a spouse’s Social Security claiming strategy before Full Retirement Age (FRA). The question was could his spouse start taking her own benefit early at age 62 and then switch…
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It is always good to know the financial commitment of owning a pet BEFORE you make the commitment. The old song asks, “How much is that doggie in the window?” Well, let’s ask Paul Fain, president of Asset Planning Corporation to weigh in on dog ownership and our household budgets. PAUL, THIS HITS HOME WITH…
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Last Friday, the S&P 500 index fell 2.4%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2.1%. This was the first 1% sell-off since June, and the press reports described it as a full-blown market panic. What’s going on? Efforts to trace the reason why quick-twitch traders scattered for the hills on Friday turned up two…
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Why do we invest? Why do we rack our brains over where to invest or when to invest? For one thing, we are trying to build wealth and financial independence but we are also trying to protect our standard of living. What is a dollar worth? As we know, the cost of living is higher…
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“The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley (oft go astray),” quoted from a Robert Burns poem, is often used to describe the futility of making detailed plans when our ability to execute said plans is uncertain. Market volatility can certainly trigger behavioral responses that are detrimental to our financial plans. Sometimes…
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A few weeks ago, we took a family vacation to Panama City Beach, Fla. The ocean was wondrous. Like many wide-eyed tourists, we picked up real estate magazines and day-dreamed about owning a second home near the beach. In spectacular East Tennessee, it is not uncommon to know a family who has a cabin in…
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In bygone days, the term “hot mess” referred to a soldier’s meal. My father-in-law would have coveted a hot mess as he crawled across Europe in the winter of 1944. On one cold night, he was hiding from a Panzer tank patrol in the bottom of an outhouse latrine, but that was a different hot…
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What is a “hedge fund?” Well, simply put, a hedge fund is an investment company that invests in alternative investments (debt, derivatives, options, commodities, etc.) to either beat the market or provide a hedge against unforeseen market changes. Generally, hedge funds are considered to be opportunities for the “smart money” and to sophisticated investors, such…
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“The only thing constant is change,” said the philosopher Heraclitus. Over the past year, I’ve learned his wisdom in spades. On a daily basis, just when I conclude that I’ve got things figured out or settled concerning people or situations, I’m quickly humbled to learn that I know nothing. This awareness has vast implications for…
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You may be wondering, is now a good time to be in the market? Watch the video below to hear a financial advisors perspective on market timing. Need investment advice? We would be glad to help! Contact us today.
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