Blog

Dear clients & friends,

Talks of a trade war are back in the headlines, though we can’t exactly say they ever left… just temporarily relegated to page 2. As has been the case all year, politics and international diplomacy continue to keep market participants on their toes. 

Health insurance used to be a fairly simple process. But today, whether obtaining health insurance privately or through an employer, we’re being offered a variety of insurance plans with varying benefit levels, making the choice more difficult.

Before you enroll in another health insurance plan, here are some common terms you need to know – and understand:

For years it was assumed that tax planning was reserved for the wealthy. While wealthy individuals will see the most benefit from tax planning, with big changes looming for the 2018 tax year, even middle-income earners can reap the benefits of tax planning.  

One of the building blocks of a strong Financial Plan is your Emergency Fund: Do you have one?  If not, do not think you are immune to the financial perils that lurk out there, waiting to drain small savings and threatening to run up your high rate credit cards.

In our last blog, we talked about methods for cleaning out unwanted items and turning them into cash. Craigslist and eBay are two of the most popular “middle men” for matching sellers and buyers, but each has its share of scammers. Here are a couple of the tactics they employ:

Craigslist

Whether we want to admit it or not, we all have a pile of items we don’t use anymore – an old dresser, a digital camera that has been replaced by your cell phone, or maybe a pair of bell-bottom pants that haven’t been in style for four decades. Whatever the items may be, you may not want them but there’s a good chance that someone out there does.

“The market will go up and it will go down, but not necessarily in that order.”

J.P. Morgan

We have all been told that disciplined saving is the key to financial success. While it sounds simple in concept, the reality is a little more complex. How much should you save? Should your savings plan be based on monthly income, annual income, or something else?

We’re all familiar with fitness fanatics, raving about life changing workouts guaranteed to get you into tip top shape. While there are always new fitness crazes in the air, this time it’s time to exercise your wallet. Financial Fitness is a set of goals or programs to help you identify your financial goals, and how to get in the best financial shape of your life.

It is no secret that we’re big on 529 plans as investment vehicles to assist with higher education costs, especially since it is possible that the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act may broaden usage of these plans.