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Articles from our nationally recognized, weekly blog.
Emergency Savings During Covid: Have The Rules of Financial Planning Changed Forever?
For the more thought-provoking topic I’ve been thinking about these days: have the fundamental rules of financial planning changed? I’m specifically referring to how we approach emergency savings. What do I mean? Well, glad you asked.
Positive Side of Covid-19: 5 Positives to Covid
During times like these, I can hear my dad playing Johnny Nash’s I Can See Clearly Now. He always looked at the bright side of things. I figured I’d share with you all the positives that have come into my life during this time of quarantine. I say this not to downplay the tragedies that have emerged, but rather to focus on that “bright, sunshiny day.”
Unprecedented Times: This is Unprecedented!
These times are unprecedented. Whenever I speak to clients, I consistently hear them say something like this: Never in the country’s history have we seen something like this. The country is literally shut down. These are unprecedented times.
Did You Miss It?
First, markets move quickly. Like, really quickly. They shot down at historic rates and then shot back up. Volatility is everywhere and will likely persist for the short term.
Coronavirus: The Latest Market Scare
The irony is that just last week I put out a blog on what war does to the markets. When I wrote it, concerns about Iran were elevated. When it posted a few weeks later, it almost felt like dated news. Today no one’s talking about a potential war, rather we have a new headline soaking up our news bandwidth—the Coronavirus.
How War Affects Stock Markets
Over the past month, there’s been some increased risk of an actual war taking place with Iran. I’m not going to opine on the likelihood of that happening or not, but I do think understanding what this could mean for your portfolios is a warranted case study.
Some Big Changes Coming! Key Points to The SECURE ACT
While you were celebrating the turn of a new year, there have been some very quiet changes brewing on Capitol Hill–probably the largest changes to retirement and college savings in a decade. Effective January 1st, 2020, Congress has passed the Setting Every Community Up For Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (The SECURE ACT).
Top 10 Blogs of the Year! {Which was your Favorite?}
It’s been another year (and a labor of love) of successfully writing 52 unique blogs. Since I know you’ve read them all, you can attest that some certainly were better than others. In the spirit of reflecting, I thought I’d summarize my top 10. Maybe it’ll give you an opportunity to catch some of the ones you’ve missed as you curl up around the fireplace during these cold months ahead.
10 End of Year Planning Tips
I feel like Oprah Winfrey doing her big annual holiday show. However, instead of giving away this year’s hot new toy (which, I’m told is the Little Live Scruff-a-Luvs), I’m giving end of year financial planning advice. There still may be time for you to make some last minute adjustments in order to keep your finances in tip-top shape!
Is it Time to Refinance?
In the past couple of months, mortgage rates have been declining yet again. Today, you can find 30 year mortgages in the mid 3%, and 15 year ones in the low 3% range. This is great news if you’re buying in this low interest rate environment. However, the vast majority of us aren’t currently buying. More people than not have a mortgage outstanding. Given today’s rates, one must consider if refinancing is the right move.
Emergency Savings During Covid: Have The Rules of Financial Planning Changed Forever?
For the more thought-provoking topic I’ve been thinking about these days: have the fundamental rules of financial planning changed? I’m specifically referring to how we approach emergency savings. What do I mean? Well, glad you asked.
Positive Side of Covid-19: 5 Positives to Covid
During times like these, I can hear my dad playing Johnny Nash’s I Can See Clearly Now. He always looked at the bright side of things. I figured I’d share with you all the positives that have come into my life during this time of quarantine. I say this not to downplay the tragedies that have emerged, but rather to focus on that “bright, sunshiny day.”
Unprecedented Times: This is Unprecedented!
These times are unprecedented. Whenever I speak to clients, I consistently hear them say something like this: Never in the country’s history have we seen something like this. The country is literally shut down. These are unprecedented times.
Did You Miss It?
First, markets move quickly. Like, really quickly. They shot down at historic rates and then shot back up. Volatility is everywhere and will likely persist for the short term.
Coronavirus: The Latest Market Scare
The irony is that just last week I put out a blog on what war does to the markets. When I wrote it, concerns about Iran were elevated. When it posted a few weeks later, it almost felt like dated news. Today no one’s talking about a potential war, rather we have a new headline soaking up our news bandwidth—the Coronavirus.
How War Affects Stock Markets
Over the past month, there’s been some increased risk of an actual war taking place with Iran. I’m not going to opine on the likelihood of that happening or not, but I do think understanding what this could mean for your portfolios is a warranted case study.
Some Big Changes Coming! Key Points to The SECURE ACT
While you were celebrating the turn of a new year, there have been some very quiet changes brewing on Capitol Hill–probably the largest changes to retirement and college savings in a decade. Effective January 1st, 2020, Congress has passed the Setting Every Community Up For Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (The SECURE ACT).
Top 10 Blogs of the Year! {Which was your Favorite?}
It’s been another year (and a labor of love) of successfully writing 52 unique blogs. Since I know you’ve read them all, you can attest that some certainly were better than others. In the spirit of reflecting, I thought I’d summarize my top 10. Maybe it’ll give you an opportunity to catch some of the ones you’ve missed as you curl up around the fireplace during these cold months ahead.
10 End of Year Planning Tips
I feel like Oprah Winfrey doing her big annual holiday show. However, instead of giving away this year’s hot new toy (which, I’m told is the Little Live Scruff-a-Luvs), I’m giving end of year financial planning advice. There still may be time for you to make some last minute adjustments in order to keep your finances in tip-top shape!
Is it Time to Refinance?
In the past couple of months, mortgage rates have been declining yet again. Today, you can find 30 year mortgages in the mid 3%, and 15 year ones in the low 3% range. This is great news if you’re buying in this low interest rate environment. However, the vast majority of us aren’t currently buying. More people than not have a mortgage outstanding. Given today’s rates, one must consider if refinancing is the right move.