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Are ETFs or ETNs Right for You?
What is an ETF? An ETF is an Exchange Traded Fund. ETFs are similar in many ways to traditional mutual funds, except that shares in an ETF can be bought and sold throughout the day like stocks on a stock exchange through a broker-dealer. An ETF holds assets such as stocks, commodities or bonds. It […]
Financial Planning Resolutions
Well, we’re one month into 2017. If you haven’t made any financial resolutions yet, now is a great time to review your financial scorecard for last year and then look for ways to improve in 2017. Here are some financial goals you could take in to consideration this year. Calculate Your Net Worth If you […]
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 […]
What If You Won the $1.6B Lottery?
Okay, I know three folks have already won this lottery, but it was pretty exciting while it lasted. If you had won, naturally you wouldn’t receive $1.6B. You’d have to split the prize with two other winners and pay federal taxes. (Fortunately for the winners, their states either have no income tax or no taxes […]