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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
“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…
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…
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…
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…
Some Tips on Building Your Financial Resilience was originally featured in the Knoxville News Sentinel As I used to lace up my Converse Chuck Taylors in the high school locker room, I recall coach saying, “The best offense is a good defense.” So when we are getting knocked down or muscled around, how can we…