The subject of inflation has dominated the recent economic news. After a decade of low inflation rates averaging around 2%, the core inflation rate has soared in recent months. Inflation jumped from 2.6% in March… Read More
How to Send Your Kids to College Debt-Free
Students and families in the U.S. now owe more than $1.7 trillion in student loan debt, making this the second highest consumer debt category, trailing only mortgage debt. Student loan debt is now higher than… Read More
How the IRMAA Could Increase Your Medicare Premiums — and What You Can Do to Avoid This
One assumption some people have about retiree healthcare expenses is that when they turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare, their health insurance will be a low rate that doesn’t change. While it’s true that… Read More
Should I Make a Roth contribution or a Traditional IRA Contribution?
IRAs remain a great way to set aside funds for retirement, even though most people nowadays have access to a 401(k) or 403(b) retirement savings plan at work. One of the most common questions people… Read More
How Should You Invest Extra Cash?
If you find yourself with extra money at the end of the month or quarter after all of your expenses have been paid and you’ve made your regular retirement account contributions, congratulations! Now for the… Read More
FERS Supplement for Special Provisions
If you are a FERS Special Provision employee, FERS rules are slightly different for you. This is only fair since a mandatory retirement age runs counter to a pension system with age-based and length-of-service based… Read More
Rainy Days and an Emergency Reserve – Funding for the Unexpected
One of the most common questions we get from clients is how to handle an emergency reserve. If clients have an emergency reserve, questions typically center around how much they need and how it should… Read More
Plan for a Bear Market – How to Stay on Track (and Sleep Well)
Bear markets are part of investing, so you should plan for them. Here are a few things you should do.
A Financial Planning Checklist to Start the New Year
The New Year offers an opportunity to take care of financial housekeeping and making slight adjustments can be necessary given IRS-driven changes. Here is a financial planning checklist to walk through at the beginning of… Read More
What Investment Diversification Really Means
In my experience, nearly every investor knows that having a diversified portfolio is something they should do. Diversification, investors understand, helps reduce risk. But there is less knowledge around what diversification actually means. I’ve heard… Read More