The holidays are upon us, and if Christmas tree displays in September didn’t remind you, it’s time to get started on whatever year-end shopping you do. I’m a big fan of starting holiday shopping early and with purpose. Before I got serious about making a list and checking it twice, invariably I’d end up with…
We’ve revisited some financial rules of thumb this month. Here are a few more bits of (maybe obvious) advice to achieve financial security. Simple portfolios work just fine. Investments don’t have to be complex or expensive to be good. A diversified portfolio can be achieved with 5 mutual funds or even one target date…
Did you know that there is such a thing as too much savings? It’s true! Some people over save in their emergency fund. Or even in retirement accounts. Not everyone is the chronic over-spender the media would have you believe. There should be a balance to saving for the future and enjoying your life today. …
Do you remember how when you started back to school, teachers would spend the first week or so reviewing things you learned last year? Probably to prime the pump for your brain to bring in the new information. In that spirit, September blogs are going to review some back-to-basic financial concepts. Some things you will…
The government just loves to roll out new investment tools and then spend the next 50 years tinkering with the rules. 529 college savings plans are no different. Lately there is good news and bad news on the legislative front. The good news, and this is HUGE, is that with the SECURE 2.0 Act, parents…
There are a lot of myths around 529 plan that keep people from opening an account. I’m not suggesting that everyone must use a 529 account to save for college (see next week’s blog for alternatives). However, it is a slick tool and I hate to see people NOT using it because of misinformation. So…
Writing blogs every week is hard work. Therefore, I love a nice series. Even better when it coincides with a season. August being back-to-school month seemed like a good time to share some college planning info from Michael Van Boening at College Invest. First up, FREE MONEY! Did you know you may be able…
What do Warren Buffett and Winston Churchill have in common? Other than being famous, portly white dudes who have looked old since they were 30? It’s their ability to put great life advice into a pithy quote. Here are three good ones from Warren Buffett (out of a list of 34 in this article)…
Picking up from last week, this blog is not about predicting the economy. Even the definition of a recession is subject to debate. It’s always good to be ready for a recession, since we don’t know when the next one will hit. For those of you still working, the biggest risk is losing your job…
Don’t hit the panic button; I’m not predicting a recession this month/summer/year/decade. I don’t know when the next recession will be any more than the talking heads on TV (trust me, they don’t know either). But, as the scouts say, it’s always good to be prepared. Prepared for a recession means different things at different…
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