Making sense of your money: Unlocking the door to Financial Literacy. Are you feeling overwhelmed by your finances? Are you missing out on opportunities to make the most of your money and secure your financial future? Do you run out of money at the end of each month? Financial literacy is the key to unlocking a brighter future. This blog post…

Eight Threats to Living a Successful Retirement I retired in 2004 at 62, thinking I was in good financial shape. We had two small 401(k) plans and two small pensions. Boy, was I ever wrong? My goal assumed I would die first, so my retirement was reduced, but I didn’t…

SIMPLY INVESTING:4 key elements of successful Budgeting A Budget is not A straight jacket. It constrains how I can live my life and stifles creativity and fun. But, of course, none of this is true. A budget is a way for you to plan to succeed in the money game that we play. Almost everyone works to earn Money. And they…

Eight keys to successful money management Money management is key to success in life. He who buys what he does not need, steals from himself. — Swedish Proverb Money management is one of the most important skills you can learn in life. When done well, it will reduce stress and allow for smooth sailing through life’s troubles. I struggled with Money my whole life…

What is a balanced portfolio? A balanced portfolio is whatever you want it to be. It could be 100% stock funds (risky). It could be 100% bond funds (low return and low risk). As advisors, we tended to lean more toward 60% stocks and 40% bonds. But it is up to you. As you move…

Simply Investing: What do I do now that I have a portfolio? The simple answer is just to put money in every month. What does the value of your portfolio mean? It means nothing unless you sell shares to put money in your pocket. Likewise, gains and losses in your portfolio are not real money in or out of your pocket unless you sell on that given day. …

Simply investing: Why you should plan for retirement? I didn’t start saving for my retirement; when I finally started, I didn’t save enough to set myself up for a worry-free retirement. So, at 77, I don’t know whether I will outlive my money. Inflation isn’t helping any, either. …

To save or not to save is the question. I didn’t start saving until I was in my third job out of college, and now as I look forward to my last decade life I may run out of money. So despite the recent academic article in the Journal of…

What is life insurance? Life insurance is a financial contract between you and the insurance company. Life Insurance provides financial protection for your loved ones if you die. You agree to pay a monthly or annual premium. If you die while you are paying, the insurance company will pay your…