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What New Tariffs Mean for You and Your Investments
In April 2025, President Trump announced sweeping new tariffs on goods entering the United States. While these headlines may seem like just another political move, the ripple effects could impact…April 18, 20252024 Tax Tips: What to Know Before Filing
Some things in life are certain: death, taxes … and annual adjustments due to inflation. The IRS has once again made incremental shifts to income thresholds for tax brackets. You…March 11, 2025Volatility: Magnitude vs Percentage
If you’ve ever listened to public radio’s “Marketplace” with Kai Ryssdal, you may have noticed the songs they play when they “do the numbers.” On days the market is up,…February 19, 20252024 Year-End Planning Guide
As the year winds down, the hustle and bustle of the season can leave little room for financial reflection. But taking some time to review your finances now can help…December 20, 2024Stay Ready: Preparing Yourself Before Disaster Strikes
Earlier this fall, Hurricane Helene moved inland from the Gulf of Mexico as a tropical storm, from Georgia to the mountains of North Carolina. In western North Carolina, the thousand-year…November 20, 2024I’ve got cash! Now what? Dollar-Cost Averaging vs. Lump Sum Investing
In a match-up against lump-sum investing vs. dollar-cost averaging, which is the better bet? Everyone from academics to financial practitioners, to the financial press have weighed in on the matter,…October 22, 2024Building a Financial Future as a Young Investor – Part 2: Investing for Your Goals
In the second part of this two-part series, we discuss three more investment concepts every young investor may want to embrace: In the first installment of our Young Investor’s Guide…September 12, 2024Building a Financial Future as a Young Investor – Part 1: Where Do You Start?
The future looks bright for younger investors. A 2024 analysis by the Investment Company Institute found that, adjusted for inflation, Gen Zers have nearly three times more retirement assets than…August 14, 2024Tax Planning 101 – Part 3: Tax-Wise Financial Planning
In our last two pieces, we covered some tools of the tax-planning trade (Part 1), as well as how to deploy them for tax-efficient investing (Part 2). The Big Picture…July 31, 2024Tax Planning 101 – Part 2: Tax-Wise Investment Techniques
In our last piece, we introduced some of the tools of the tax-planning trade. You can find that post here. These include tax-sheltered accounts for saving toward retirement, healthcare, and…July 16, 2024Tax Planning 101 – Part 1: The Tools of the Tax-Planning Trade
Whether you’re saving, investing, spending, bequeathing, or receiving wealth, there’s scarcely a move you can make without considering how taxes might influence the outcome. No wonder people get nervous when…July 3, 2024Fiduciary Investment Advice and Why It Is Important
How do you know when an investment recommendation is worth heeding? Red tape and legal jargon aside, it’s about finding an advisor who exemplifies a few simple ideals: Fiduciary advice…June 19, 2024Don’t Be Confused by Investment Costs Part 2: Custodian & Brokerage Costs
In our last piece, we covered fund management costs (You can find it here). Next, let’s take a step back from the mutual funds, ETFs, or other holdings you decide…June 6, 2024Don’t Be Confused by Investment Costs Part 1: Fund Management Fees
What are your investments really costing you? If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. It’s not like you’re handed a menu of charges to choose from when it’s time to…May 22, 202416 Things to Prepare You for The Next Recession
Why are people more afraid of flying than driving, even though car wrecks are far more frequent? As one academic suggests, “in a car, at least I know when to…May 9, 2024Bring Order to Your Investing Part 3: Time to Optimize
In Part 2 of our three-part series on bringing order to your investing, we looked at Transitions and Taxes, or how to balance sensible tax management with effective investment planning.…April 24, 2024Bring Order to Your Investing Part 2: Transitions and Taxes
As we touched on in The Beauty of Organization, when you sell an investment for more than you paid for it, there can be burdensome capital gain taxes realized in…April 10, 2024Bring Order to Your Investing Part 1: The Beauty of Organization
It stands to reason: The more wealth you accumulate, the more chaotic your assets and accounts can become. What begins as a manageable assortment (hopefully) grows. That’s a good “problem”…March 20, 2024When Should You Take Your Social Security?
Ever since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed off on the 1935 Social Security Act, most Americans have ended up pondering this critical question as they approach retirement: For Social Security…February 14, 2024Understanding Your Retirement Planning: Sequence-of-Returns Risk
Clearly, there is a lot to think about when planning for retirement. While we have a degree of control over many of the choices involved, there’s one big wild card…January 18, 2024Financial Quick Takes: Is Your Portfolio Underperforming… Compared to What?
Ah, we restless humans. Sometimes, it pays to strive for greener grass. But as an investor, second-guessing a stable strategy can leave you in the weeds. Trading in reaction to…January 3, 20244 Financial Best Practices for Year-End 2023
Scan the financial headlines these days, and you’ll see plenty of potential action items vying for your year-end attention. Some may be particular to 2023. Others are timeless traditions. If…December 20, 2023How is a Recession and a Bad Mood Similar?
There’s been a lot of talk about recessions lately: Whether one is near, far, or perhaps already here. Whether we can or should try to avoid it. What it even…November 29, 2023Should You Depend on Dividend Stocks? Part 2
In Part 1 of “What’s Wrong With Depending on Dividend Stocks?” we described why dividend investing—or, stocking up on stocks with a reputation for consistently paying out attractive dividends—may not be…November 15, 2023Should You Depend on Dividend Stocks? Part 1
There’s a popular perception that “dividend stocks”—i.e., stocks with a reputation for paying out consistent dividends—can deliver decent returns, while also creating a dependable income stream for spending in retirement…November 8, 20234 Ways to Apply the 80/20 Rule to Your Financial Pursuits
Ever heard of the 80/20 rule? It suggests 80% of an outcome is often the result of just 20% of the effort you put into it. This doesn’t always work.…October 18, 2023Making Investment Mistakes
Nobody wants to make investment mistakes. And yet, we’re human; mistakes happen. Here’s how to minimize the ones that matter the most, and make the most of the ones that…October 1, 2023
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