Financial Travel Tips
Do you have travel plans for 2017? If so, there are a few things that will make the financial aspects of your trip easier. (By the way, I was reminded of some of these things as I prepared for my trip to Japan a few weeks ago!) Set Your Budget We all like to cut […]
Budgeting for the Holidays
It’s that time of year for giving gifts, entertaining, hosting holiday parties and for many, overspending and financial stress. Setting a realistic holiday budget and making sure to stick to it are the first steps to a more affordable and less stressful season. The tips below will allow you to enjoy the season without letting […]
Should I Refinance My Home?
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dipped below 3.5% a couple of days ago. (The 30-year rate has been gradually decreasing over the last year and the 15-year rate has been fairly flat in 2016.) So, this might be a good time to ask, “Should I refinance my mortgage?” If the current interest rate is lower than […]
Protecting Your Identity
Identity theft comes in various forms, but the bottom line is that it involves people stealing information about you for their own gain without regard to the theft’s impact on you. Estimates as to its frequency vary, but there’s no disagreement that it’s widespread. Recovering from identity theft takes a lot of your time and […]
Teaching Finances to Children
Some people are better at managing their expenses than others, but money management is definitely a skill that can be learned. What some people don’t realize, however, is this that money management is a practiced skill that builds over time. Like many skills (e.g. learning a language or an instrument), learning how to earn money, […]
Sir John Templeton’s 50/50 Rule
Last month I introduced you to billionaire investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton. This month, I’d like to look at his advice on savings. Sir John and his wife adopted the 50/50 rule — saving 50% of their income! I know this is pretty aggressive for most of us, but what should we be saving? […]
Sir John Templeton
Have you heard of Sir John Templeton? He was a billionaire investor and philanthropist. He began the Templeton Growth Fund in 1954 and it had an average annual return of 13.8% for the next 50 years! He sold the fund to the Franklin Group in 1992 and died in 2008. Obviously Sir John’s investment philosophy […]
New Fiduciary Rule for IRAs
A large number of people need help managing their long-term finances and hire someone to help them with the process. Some people don’t have the time or desire to manage their assets themselves, while others don’t know enough about the system to manage their assets well. When selecting an advisor, many people take recommendations from […]
The Importance of 403(b) Plans for CSU Faculty
Most CSU employees enroll in a Defined Contribution Plan (DCP) rather than in Social Security. If you’d like to learn more about a DCP, please see our previous blog called Retirement Planning for CSU Employees. Just like people who are enrolled in Social Security, DCP enrollees will probably not be able to afford the retirement […]
Self-Employed Retirement Plans
A 2015 TD Ameritrade survey found that 28% of self-employed people do not currently save for retirement and that an additional 40% save what they can afford whenever they can afford it. There are a number of understandable reasons why 68% of self-employed people do not have a regular retirement savings plan, but here are […]