Is the 60/40 Portfolio Allocation too Risky Now?
For over seven decades, the 60/40 portfolio allocation has been the stalwart strategy of retirement planners with a high degree of success until recently. More recently, the tried and true portfolio mix has come under pressure, mounting uncharacteristic losses that may indicate it has lost its luster. What has changed for the 60/40 allocation, and has […]
How Rising Interest Rates Could Impact Your Finances
As expected, the Federal Reserve is holding firm to its policy of hiking short-term rates in an effort to cool inflationary pressures. Generally, these small, incremental rate increases don’t immediately impact consumers. The fed rate is the rate the Treasury charges banks for the use of money overnight. When the Fed raises its short-term rate, […]
Protect Your Inheritance. Enhance Your Life.
Whether it is expected or unforeseen, receiving an inheritance can be life-changing. Regrettably, it’s not always in a good way. That’s because the reality is that many folks struggle to preserve what they’ve inherited in such a way that enhances their life over both the near and long term. In fact, the track record […]
The True Cost of Scaling Your Business
Growth is essential for a business. Not only is it a critical measure of success, but it’s also vital to a business’s survival. Businesses that are not constantly striving for growth risk being overrun by competition or becoming irrelevant in the face of changing trends. However, without a well-conceived strategy and proper preparation, trying to […]
Be Empowered: Why Women Should Learn About Finances
Consider this scenario of a couple. Jane is a successful surgeon who makes good money. Her husband, John, comes from an affluent family and has considerable wealth to his name, but all of it is held in a trust. The couple, for many years, lives off Jane’s salary because it’s plenty to cover their living […]
Kids Need to Understand Taxes
Raising children who understand the value of money gives them an advantage. So, that means your kids need to know about taxes. Of course, receiving a check at their first job for much less than the $15 per hour stated on the employment agreement is one way to find out. Instead of believing that […]
Everything You Need to Know About RMD’s
As Ben Franklin said, “… [n]othing is certain but death and taxes.” Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) are the method the IRS uses to ensure that you pay some taxes on your pretax retirement savings. They’re pretty straightforward, but there is a catch here and there. What accounts are subject to RMDs? To paraphrase George […]
Financial Independence for Women
Your road map to financial security. Women face many unique challenges when it comes to personal finance and investing. Physical and emotional – longevity, more subject to elder abuse, more likely to struggle after divorce or death of partner. Workplace – lower salary over fewer earning years, out of workforce caring for family. Behavioral […]
Smart Credit for Smart People
In the consumer economy, credit is pretty easy to obtain. That often leads to problems for those who don’t know how to use it wisely. At the other end of the spectrum, some people avoid using credit altogether. Smart people use smart credit strategies to maximize their financial position. Credit provides leverage to help consumers […]
Financial Planning and Investing for Women
We’ve put together some ideas for women to get comfortable talking about financial planning and investing. Women face many unique challenges when it comes to personal finance and investing. One big challenge is that money is a taboo topic for women. By one estimate, 90% of women will be solely in charge of their money […]