Value vs Growth: What is the Difference?
Value vs Growth is a common theme in the investing world. Commonly investors will bucket a stock into either growth or value. The problem with this practice is that value and growth are not mutually exclusive. Growth and valuation are two separate considerations in evaluating a company or a stock. If a company exhibits high […]
Maximizing the Savings Power of your 401(k)
If you contribute to a 401(k), it is likely that you are familiar with the benefits of saving to a workplace savings plan and are at least somewhat aware of your salary deferral limit. What most do not realize is that you may be able to sock away more, and even more strategically, than you […]
Financial To-Do’s When Starting A New Job
Starting a new job and/or switching careers can be a financial stressor in people’s lives. Outlined below are some of the most important financial to-do’s when starting a new job: Enroll in new employer sponsored retirement plans 1. Savings strategy Your first step in enrolling in a new retirement plan is to assess your […]
Common Investor Mistakes – Pt. 2: Risk Tolerance
This is Part 2 of my series on common investor mistakes. In Part 1, I went into detail about the common investor mistake of Emotional Trading. This blog expands on that topic by talking about risk tolerance and portfolio construction which can influence people making emotional trading decisions. First, let us start by defining […]
Importance of Beneficiary Designations
If you own a life insurance policy, annuity contract or individual retirement account, or are a participant in a company sponsored retirement plan (collectively “Accounts”), you are probably familiar with the term beneficiary designations. Beneficiary designations allow an individual to direct assets from an Account directly to a named beneficiary upon the death of the […]
Retirement Savings Strategy – Do I Need One?
I have so many competing financial needs and I don’t know how to prioritize them. Where should I allocate my discretionary funds – debt, college education, retirement savings? Help me! We hear this plea often. The answer to the above dilemma is best solved with the development and implementation of a holistic financial plan. While […]
No, Social Security Will Not Run Out
Dispelling the myth most Americans believe One of the key assumptions we account for in our clients’ financial plans is Social Security. 96% of the American workforce pays into Social Security and virtually 100% are familiar with the topic. However, there has been much doubt as to the reliability of receiving these benefits in the […]
3 Financial To-Do’s When Having Children
Five years ago, Allisha Curtis wrote a blog titled “Preparing Financially to Start a Family”. This was a great blog for couples thinking about having children. The intention with this piece is to keep this topic top of mind and highlight three of the more important things for young couples to do once they have […]
Common Investor Mistakes – Pt. 1: Emotional Trading
Are you making avoidable mistakes in your portfolio because of some behavior bias? If you answered no to this question, you might be suffering from having an overconfidence bias which will ultimately lead to making mistakes. Much of today’s academia concentrates on traditional finance. Traditional finance ignores how individuals actually behave and instead focuses on […]
Benefits of Investing Your HSA
A Health Savings Account (“HSA”) is an investment account used to save pre-tax funds that will grow tax-free to pay for medical expenses. There is no downside to saving into an HSA due to its triple tax-free nature and a number of benefits. The first benefit is that you are saving pre-tax dollars in an […]