America Saves Week is a national effort to set a savings goal, make a savings plan, and save automatically. It all starts when you make a commitment to yourself to save. Are you saving for the right things? Just like your car needs a tune-up, and just like you need...
financial planning
Monday Money: Tax Planning Success
It is Tax Season! From coast to coast, taxpayers are scurrying to gather tax documents and to file their 2016 tax returns. Good tax planning can avoid 7 common tax filing mistakes. WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF GOOD TAX PLANNING? Be organized (If you have savings and...
WBIR: Saving for Retirement
If you are thinking about saving for retirement, you probably know that an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is one of your options. But what exactly is an IRA, and is it right for you? Certified Financial Planner Paul Fain recently answered retirement account...
New Year Resolution: The 50/20/30 Budget
Paul Fain, president of Asset Planning Corporation recently joined Brittany Bade at WBIR television for a Q&A discussing your New Year’s Resolutions. Starting a budget consistently ranks near the top of New Year’s Resolutions. But we all know what happens...
WBIR: Federal Rate Hike
In his regular “Sunday Money” interview on WBIR, Knoxville’s NBC affiliate station, Paul addressed the Federal Reserve’s decision to raise key interest rates. What does this mean for your money as we rapidly approach year-end? Here is a recap of the Q&A: WHAT...
Knoxville News Sentinel: Money, Gratitude and Merle Haggard
Considering my family DNA, I have gratitude for every morning that I wake to a sunrise or an alarm clock. My father passed away at age 54. I’ve outlived him. But honestly, I take many mornings for granted. Modern life often presents a barrage of financial...
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...
Have a Plan for the Family Real Estate
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...
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...
Hedging What? A Guide to Alternative Investments
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...