7 Ways to Use Your 529 Plan
Did you know May 29 (5/29) is recognized as National 529 College Savings Plan Day? In honor of that day we wanted to provide seven ways to put a 529 plan to use. What constitutes a qualified educational expense? When…
Déjà Vu All Over Again
Investment fads come and go. Letting short-term trends influence your approach may be counterproductive to pursuing your financial goals. Investment fads are nothing new. When selecting strategies for their portfolios, investors are often tempted to seek out the latest and…
Here’s the Prescription
As much as I value the unfettered access to information the internet provides, I recognize the potential harm that too much information can cause. Take, for example, a friend of mine, who was experiencing some troubling medical symptoms. Typing her…
Why Should You Diversify?
When international stock returns lag, investors may feel tempted to double down on their home market. Historical data suggests the long-term benefits of diversifying globally. Why Should You Diversify? With US stocks outperforming non-US stocks in recent years, some investors…
Where’s the Value?
From 1928–2017 the value premium, the return difference between stocks with low relative prices (value) and stocks with high relative prices (growth), in the US had a positive annualized return of approximately 3.5%.[2] In seven of the last 10 calendar…
Is Your Estate Plan Keeping Up with the Digital Age?
Who will get to read your emails and blog posts when you die? Can my kids get copies of my digital photos and mp3 music files after I pass away? The North Carolina legislature recently answered that question by passing…
Investing Is A Lot Like Jeans…
It isn’t uncommon to ask yourself, “Why doesn’t everyone just hold the same investments, since we all want to make money?” However, the process of creating and maintaining an investment portfolio is everything but one-size-fits-all. Most individuals and families have…
Darkness Before Dawn?
We are not even six months removed from a period when many economists were predicting we’d see a double-dip recession. During times like these, confidence of the average investor is incredibly fragile. But as Harvey Dent reminded us in The…
Compromise on Taxes?
You’ve no doubt heard stories this week that the Obama Administration and Republican leaders have negotiated an end-of-year tax deal which will, among other things, extend the current income tax rates for the next two years for all Americans. Capital…
You, Too, Can Balance the Federal Budget
Want to have a little mindless fun? Try balancing the federal budget in ten minutes or less. Believe it or not, you can actually do this on an interactive web site created by the New York Times. There are two…
