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Investing in Bonds: What does that mean?
Investing in bonds is different from investing in stocks. Stocks represent ownership in a company. But bonds represent loanership. In other words, bondholders are loaning the company or government entity money for a fixed period of time. And in return, bondholders…
Stock Compensation: A Primer
There are several types of stock-based compensation offered by companies to attract and retain employees. But the three most common types of stock compensations that I run into are restricted stock units (RSUs), incentive stock options (ISOs), and non-qualified stock options…
Smart money moves in bear market
On September 30th, the S&P 500 closed at 3585.62 – down 23% year to date. The bears are here, and we have no idea how long it will be before the bulls return. While looking at retirement or brokerage account statements…
Student Loan Forgiveness: A Primer
According to the statistics found on educationdata.org, by the end of 2021, approximately 43 million Americans owed more than $1.62 trillion in total federal student loan debt. This equates to an average federal student loan balance of $37K per student and…
What You Need to Know About the Great Resignation of 2021
Millions of American workers have said “I quit” this year, with 4 million quitting in April 2021 (the highest rate in decades), 3.6 million quitting in May, and another million quitting in June. Unsurprisingly, this employee exodus—dubbed the “Great Resignation”—has reflected…
Should You Pay Off Your Debt or Invest?
Have you cut back expenses, earned a raise, or found some cash in between the couch cushions? If you find yourself with a little extra money in your pocket you may be wondering whether you should pay off your debt or…
Five ways to prepare for your next Tax Season
Pat yourself on the back. You have completed your taxes and filed away your return, never to be seen again. But before this tax season becomes a distant memory, why not make plans for next year? We’ve all heard the importance…
Did you know April was Financial Literacy Month?
COVID-19 has presented everyone with incredible challenges as it has wreaked havoc on our country and the world. While most of us were scrambling to figure out what just hit us, April came and went, along with the Financial Literacy Month.…
Benefits of the CARES Act for Businesses (Part II)
In our last article, we introduced the details of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security act (aka the CARES Act) benefiting individuals and families. This time we’ll be highlighting a few benefits for business owners. However, it’s important to remember…
Benefits of the CARES Act for Individuals (Part I)
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security act – the CARES Act – is the largest economic bill in U.S. history and was designed to “provide emergency assistance and health care response for individuals, families, and businesses affected by the 2020…
Estimating the future cost of a college education
Lately, I’ve been fielding quite a few calls from parents with either a newborn or a toddler looking for college education planning. Two of the most frequently asked questions are – “How much will it cost?” and “How much do we…
Understanding interest rates and what you need to know
Last week, the Federal Reserve raised short-term interest rates by 25 basis points (0.25%) – the first time since a rate cut almost a full decade ago. Since 2015, interest rates have been raised nine times. What happened and why now?…
Sell in May, Go Away (10 year look back)
“Sell in May and go away” is an old Wall Street saying that suggests investors sell their stocks during the summer to avoid a seasonal decline in the stock market. An investor selling their stocks in May would then buy stocks…
10 planning tips you should work on now
The amount of money you make or save will not guarantee wealth and prosperity. However, if you can manage to adjust, adapt and most importantly, plan, you’ll have a better chance. 1. Build an emergency account There is no denying life…
What do you really know about bear markets?
There’s been much hoopla surrounding the longest bull market run since World War II. And rightfully so. However, typical investors need to give equal amount of attention to its counterpart: the bear market. What is a Bear Market? A “bear market”…
How to choose a financial professional
I had a prospective client walk into my office today to do his due diligence before hiring me as his financial planner. Now that isn’t the crux of the story. What is central to his story and both dismayed and concerned…
The cost of raising a child…year one
Kids Are Expensive Last year, the US Department of Agriculture released the 2015 Expenditures on Children by Families Report with the scary title: “The Cost of Raising a Child.” The Report, first issued in 1960, was developed by economists at USDA’s…
The end of Social Security claiming strategies as we know it?
It’s been a few years since Title 8, Section 831 of the House Budget Bill (aka Bipartisan Budget Act, aka Loophole killer) was passed in November 2015. However, I still find myself fielding questions at my annual Social Security benefit maximization…
Less is more: A primer to financial minimalism
A prospect called into the office the other day and asked me an important question I wished all prospects would ask...
What stock market anomaly is the September Effect?
There exist multiple stock market anomalies that are discussed and debated by stock brokers and investors alike...