Financial Planning

It’s back to school for students all across the country, and whether it’s the first week in kindergarten, high school, or college, parents and students alike are excited yet probably nervous at the same time. What will the new school year bring—and can it live up to our hopeful expectations?

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.  

Smart-phones are less of an option these days and more of an extension of everyday life. Your phone is there for you when you need to know the weather, connect with your friends and colleagues, and when you just have to post that perfect Instagram of yesterday’s brunch.

You’re 25 and feeling alive. You’re settling into life after university, paying off your debts and slowly figuring how to “adult”. But with the responsibility of bills, rent, and even keeping up social appearances, prioritizing financial planning is something far too often pushed to the side.

Answer this riddle: what’s the one thing that will eventually happen to everyone, but generally, no one wants to discuss? Death is a subject that immediately conjures up all sorts of emotions because, let’s be honest, the absence of being IS emotional. But, death is also cause for practicality.

If you’ve been listening to the financial media of late you have no doubt heard some of the so-called experts prognosticating on the prospect of the next big bear market. Unquestionably, the stock market is at another crossroads, and its 7 percent increase year-to-date belies the concerns that most people have over the global economy.

It’s a presidential election year and with that comes the invariable stock market correlations seeking to predict election results or forecast the market’s direction.  On one hand, the performance of the stock market during the two months leading up to the election has been somewhat of a predictor of who will win the race.

The quick answer is “it depends.”  But, for the 33 percent of retirees who now rely more heavily on their Social Security benefits to sustain their lifestyle, the answer takes on even more significance.  Generally, your income from Social Security is not taxable on its own; but when it’s combined with other sources of income for tax reporting purposes, a porti

It’s something most Americans don’t think about until it hits the headlines, such as last year when major retailer, Target, revealed that its data base of shopper credit and debit card numbers had been breached. Yet, nearly 15 percent of the population - more than 34 million adults - has reported some form of identity theft, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center.

Most people of conscience, especially those who have done well for themselves, want to use their resources to do some good in the world.