Blogs

Article | 3 min |
Consider working with a financial professional to help improve your financial health A financial professional can help you not only make key financial decisions, but also identify your priorities and guide you toward achieving your financial goals — including retirement. Here are three reasons why seeking professional advice about your financial future may be a smart move. Objectivity Sometimes your emotional biases can make it difficult to look at your own financial situation with clear eyes. A common example: people may know they need to save for retirement, but they often have difficulty...
Article | 3 min |
For anyone searching for a simple, easy-to-understand investment strategy, target-date funds may be worth a look. A target-date fund is a mutual fund that invests with the assumption that investors will need to start withdrawing money from the fund at a specified time in the future. A professional fund manager monitors the fund and makes adjustments to the underlying investments as needed for the time frame. A Focus on Long-Term Financial Goals The primary feature of a target-date fund is that the fund adjusts its risk level over time. When the target date is still far away (2035, for example)...
Article | 3 min |
Four tips for building an investment strategy Whether you’re fairly new to investing or a seasoned veteran, it’s always a good idea to make sure you’re leveraging solid investing fundamentals as part of your approach to investing. Here are some key ways you can help ensure you’re building a solid investment strategy. Determine your risk tolerance When it comes to investing, everyone is unique. Some people may prefer a more aggressive approach, especially if they are younger and have a lot of saving years ahead of them. Others may prefer a more conservative approach, especially if they are...
Article | 5 min |
If it feels like your dollar doesn’t go quite as far as it used to, you aren’t imagining it. The reason is inflation, which occurs when prices rise across the economy which decreases the purchasing power of your money over time. Over the past year, hopes inflation was starting to level off, the Labor Department reported the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a broad measure of everyday goods and services, in June soared even more than expected by its highest level since November 1981. The following are some general questions to help you better understand inflation, how it affects all aspects of the...
Article | 3 min |
In the world of investing, the stock market has always been ruled by two very intimidating and unpredictable animals prone to emotional outbursts and a distrust of people, especially those wearing a red cape or carrying a pot of honey. This is the awesome power of bulls and bears. But when it comes to investing, there’s no reason to fear them. They simply represent the two major twists and turns of the stock market over time. Understanding what they are and keeping history in perspective are keys to being a confident and successful investor. This is Bull A bull market is a period when the...