The economy grew 2.8% in Q4, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Our economy is reasonably healthy… or is it? By the initial estimate of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, America’s fourth-quarter GDP was +2.8%, not bad, but not what economists anticipated.1 How could the best...
WEEKLY QUOTE“A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her.” - David Brinkley WEEKLY TIP When it comes to couples and money, a plan is better than an assumption. Discuss your financial goals together and stick to the...
A noted economist disputes that generalization. True or false? You may have heard this claim before (or something like it): “Many Americans are being forced to retire later because their savings and investments took a hit in the Great Recession.” Recently a big-name economist disputed that belief....
WEEKLY QUOTE“If you would be loved, love and be lovable.”- Benjamin Franklin WEEKLY TIP As your retirement progresses, your retirement strategy should be reviewed in light of budgeting and inflation concerns and the current financial climate. WEEKLY RIDDLE A lone pine tree stands on a cliff. The wind is blowing from the...
WEEKLY QUOTE“Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.” - Robert Louis Stevenson WEEKLY TIP Spending and value should go hand in hand. Reduce or forego spending money on things that don’t bring you much value. WEEKLY RIDDLE It has no crown, yet when the chips...
Two-thirds of us have no financial plan. 64% of Americans have no financial strategy at all. That’s right – no plan whatsoever to build wealth or keep it. That finding comes from the 2009 National Consumer Survey on Personal Finance conducted by the Certified Financial Planner...
While the idea of retirement has changed, certain financial assumptions haven’t. We’ve all heard about the “new retirement”, the mix of work and play that many of us assume we will have in our lives one day. We do not expect “retirement” to be all leisure....
A look at some financial changes & the opportunities they may present. Every year brings some financial change, so here are some relevant changes relating to investment, tax and estate planning for 2012. Retirement plans. 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plan annual contribution limits rise slightly to $17,000,...
WEEKLY QUOTE“Being brilliant is no great feat if you respect nothing.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe WEEKLY TIP If you’re thinking about selling a business, consider contacting a business broker, one that represents companies similar to yours. It may make finding an appropriate buyer easier. WEEKLY RIDDLE What is worn by the foot...
WEEKLY QUOTE“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”– Eleanor Roosevelt WEEKLY TIP It may be a good idea to make your 2012 IRA contribution at the start of the year, rather than waiting until the tax filing deadline of the following year. That way the contributed...