Schwab Market Commentary
Stay up to date on the financial market! In a recent Schwab Market Snapshot, Liz Ann Sonders, Schwab’s Chief Investment Strategist, talked about the amount of debt in the U.S. financial system.
National Estate Planning Awareness Week
The third week in October has been designated as National Estate Planning Awareness Week. Estate planning is a vital component of every financial plan, regardless of the size of the estate. Unfortunately, it’s also an area that is commonly overlooked. This often results in wasted dollars and emotional hardship that could otherwise be minimized with…
WBIR Sunday Money – Financial Difficulty
What do you say to someone who is experiencing financial difficulty? It is tough to see a dear friend or loved one in distress. Paul Fain, President of Asset Planning Corporation appeared Sunday on WBIR, Knoxville’s NBC affiliate to look at your money and your emotions. PAUL, AREN’T PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY FILINGS A GOOD INDICATOR OF…
College: Are We Still Getting Our Money’s Worth?
Freshmen are adjusting to their first months in college. I’ve talked to parents who were relieved that little Johnny was finally out of the nest and other moms and dads who had tears in their eyes as little Suzie packed her boxes and headed to the dormitory. What leaves everyone crying is the cost of…
The Financial Implications of Divorce
D-I-V-O-R-C-E, country legend Tammy Wynette sang about it, now sadly Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are living it. What are the financial implications of saying “I undo?” Certified Financial Planner™ Paul Fain was interviewed on WBIR, Knoxville’s NBC affiliate, to share a little about marriage, divorce and your money. WHAT KIND OF EFFECT DOES DIVORCE…
The Costs of Pet Ownership
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…
Reason to Panic?
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…
Invest to Combat Inflation
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…
Knoxville News Sentinel: Plans Sometimes Do Go Awry
“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…
Your Financial Hot Mess is Not Special
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…