Blogs

Credit card debt is a huge challenge for many people. According to Debt.org, Americans owe $986 billion on credit cards, surpassing the prepandemic high of $927 billion. While credit card debt is considered “bad debt,” it’s important to understand other types of debt and the important role it can play in your financial plan. Good Debt: A Building Block for Growing Your Wealth Good debt refers to borrowing money for investments that have the potential to grow in value or provide future benefits. It focuses on investments that enhance your financial position in the long run. For example: Taking...

Experts across the United States are increasingly worried that people’s savings and investments won’t be enough to last through retirement. Financial wellness holds the keys to a long and prosperous retirement, but you must know how to achieve it. But what is financial wellness? How easily can you attain it, and how might best practices differ depending on your age? Understanding the Potential Retirement Crisis Americans are facing a multi-faceted retirement and savings crisis that has many experts worried. Those on the verge of retirement may not have enough between their savings and Social...

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...

Tips and resources that everyone can use Knowledge is Retirement Power Although everyone has experienced a few tough years of higher inflation, it’s important to keep things in perspective. According to the Bureau of Labor, inflation has averaged just 2.41% from 2000 to 2023. Conventional wisdom says you should consider keeping an appropriate amount of your retirement savings allocated to stock and bond mutual funds to help offset inflation risk. Although past performance is no guarantee of future results, historical average stock and bond returns have stayed ahead of inflation over the long...

Looking To Teach a Child Some Important Money Lessons? Consider a Roth custodial IRA. You started early and have saved hard in your 401(k). You’ve also paid close attention to your investing strategy over the years. And you definitely understand the benefits of tax-deferred compounding over the long term and the potential for growth. Heck, you’ve even remembered to change your account password every 90 days. Maybe now it’s time to pay it forward and pass along some of your retirement savings wisdom! How a Roth Custodial IRA Works A Roth individual retirement account (IRA) may be a great way to...