Check out our Ultimate Health Savings Account Guide Infographic. We think it's pretty awesome and sums up the true power of an HSA. For more information, check out our Ultimate Guide to Health Savings Accounts.
Have you ever thought about what financial freedom looks like? Or, has it never even crossed your mind simply because you’re just trying to make it to the next day.
Regardless of whether you’ve actually thought about it or not, it’s something most people can’t even fathom but would love to achieve. However, the main issue lies in how to actually get there.
Once we graduate college and get our first job, it seems like our next unwritten goal in life is to buy a new home. Right or wrong, that seems to be how life goes. I’m by no means saying it’s the wrong choice to make – heck I did it and still own a home – but should it really still be called the “American Dream?”
In my humble and probably subjective opinion, the answer is no. While home ownership can be an incredible feeling and certainly a feeling of “growing up,” it’s definitely not for everyone. There are plenty of pros and cons to owning a home just as there are plenty of pros and cons to renting. It’s up to each individual to determine what’s right for them.
This has to be one of the most common questions I get asked on a daily basis. It doesn’t matter who I’m talking to, inevitably the question comes up. However, if you know me as a financial planner, I am by no means a market prognosticator nor do I profess to be some kind of stock market guru.
Nonetheless, managing my client’s investments is part of my job, so I expect to have these types of questions. Now, whether I answer it in a black and white way is yet to be determined. On the one hand, the stock market has always gone up looking at it long-term, however, over the short-term, the market experiences all kinds of ups and downs.
When I got into this industry over 16 years ago, I’ll be honest and admit I really didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I started the Monday after I graduated from college and was thrown into the “bullpen” and told to start studying for my exams that I was to take over the next 4 months—I won’t bore you with the details.
Once I passed those, I then went through some really terrible sales training. When I returned back to the office, I was basically told to start bringing in new clients and good luck. Seriously, that was it.
Ever thought somebody owed you something, but you just can’t remember what? Well, guess what, maybe someone does, and it might just be waiting for you in a state where you once lived. And, it’s actually not out of the ordinary to find your name on a state's unclaimed property list.
Believe it or not, states are holding onto BILLIONS of dollars in unclaimed property. And, because of unclaimed property laws, this money has to be returned to you if you ever come looking for it. In 2015 alone, over $3 billion was returned! Crazier than that, though, almost $8 billion was collected leaving another $5 billion uncollected. Trust me, there is a lot of it out there.
When it comes to investing, the hype seems to be around the next hot investment and the incredible returns it will surely produce. While that is all good and well (not really), no one ever seems to talk about what not to do when it comes to a good investment strategy.
I truly believe, if you can avoid making dumb decisions, then that will ensure you’re making the right decisions. Investing isn’t about finding the next Apple; it’s about not making those common mistakes so many people can’t seem to avoid.
The budget. To many, it is simply known as the “b” word. The budget has turned into this scary thing that few people dare to discuss.
I’m not sure if it’s just overwhelming to think about tracking or if people fear seeing where they’re spending their money. Regardless of the reason, the budget is the foundation to anyone’s personal financial situation.
