Our Weekend Word

Tariffs

Arguably the biggest economic topic in the news right now is tariffs.  Over the last few months we have touched base on trade wars, but we thought it would be interesting to look back at the history of tariffs.

The Basics of Credit Scores and Credit Reports

As consumers, we know that having a good credit score is important. Whether you are applying for a loan or signing up for a credit card, your credit score plays a major role in determining if you will be approved. Your credit score can also have a significant impact on loan terms and borrowing costs.

Market Pulse

Mike spent a whole day in Federated Tower on the 24th meeting with 9 of Federated Investor’s portfolio managers to get a pulse on the markets and how or if that’s effecting their strategies.

Interesting Interest

In our industry people spend a lot of time fixated on interest rates.  More often than not it’s because we’ve been in an environment with historically low rates, and now they are starting to rise.  We predominantly talk about how rates affect portfolios and retirement plans, but there is something we tend not to talk about enough, and that is debt.

Caring for an Aging Parent

Caring for aging parents can be a difficult planning aspect to balance. If you are among the “Sandwich Generation,” you may be trying to support your aging parents as well as your own children. Today, individuals are living longer than before, so it is better to be prepared.

RICP®

We are pleased to inform our readers that our Associate Advisor, Michael Allen has earned his Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®) professional designation from The American College of Financial Services, Bryn Mawr, PA.

Postpone

The Fourth of July was this week and we hope you all had a great time with family and friends.  Nothing is more enjoyable than having your relatives over and hearing that one story you’ve heard 400 times for the 401 time.  My personal favorite is how someone had to walk up hill both ways, in either 3’ of snow or 110° weather. Unfortunately planning for retirement carries those same tales we’ve heard, again and again and at least one more time.  Now if you’ve been with us for a while there is no doubt you’ve heard us talk about “The Power of Investing Early!” or “The Power of Compounding!”. 

Buy or Lease

Ah, the age-old question. For years I’ve gone back and forth over this and, finally, having done both now, feel like I have a decent sense of when each option is appropriate.

Financial Aid Myths Debunked

Since we’re in college visit season, lets take some time to give some info on what can be a confusing and mysterious process: starting to pay for school.

 

The purpose of financial aid is to help bridge the gap between the cost of attending college and the amount that students and their parents can afford to pay. Unfortunately, many students forgo applying for financial aid because they mistakenly assume they won’t qualify. Don’t let these common myths dissuade you from applying for financial assistance or lead you astray during the application process.

Ready, Aim, FIRE!

The Millennials are at it again, they’re off trying to change the whole world at once and this time they’ve figured out a better way to do retirement. Figures…

There’s a growing movement amongst the young’uns called FIRE which stands for Financial Independence and Retire Early. And it’s basically the idea that you can retire somewhere around age 30 to 40 rather than the traditional 55 to 65 with some lifestyle changes. As a retirement planner the first time I read this I was extremely skeptical of this approach. Turns out, from a planning perspective, FIRE does have some good ideas baked in, but ignores some key concepts of retirement planning that could have these retirements burn out earlier than expected