As dazzling as a high rate of return sounds to every investor, people need to understand what they’re “hunting” with before chasing certain financial goals, says prominent speaker and financial advisor Jeff Brummett. “A middle-class investor is probably better aiming for a ‘reasonable rate of return,’ which includes consistent, steady growth over a longer period […]
Investors who count on their retirement accounts to see them through their golden years sometimes find that those savings add up to less than anticipated. One reason: Broker fees they either didn’t realize they were paying, or which were higher than need be. But that could be changing. The Obama administration has proposed tougher regulations […]
Something may be missing as high school seniors across America accept their diplomas this graduation season. Those years of K-12 learning likely provided them opportunities to learn about historic figures, find Canada on a map and dissect a frog. But superintendents at most school districts across the country have failed to include required classes in […]
When it comes to women and money, there is some good news, says Lance Drucker, ChFC, CLU, a veteran financial professional. On average, women are more independent and financially literate than ever before, he says. On the other hand, Prudential’s eighth biennial study titled Financial Experience & Behavior Among Women recently revealed that women are […]
To err is human, but when mistakes affect your pocketbook it’s not exactly divine. Don’t feel alone if you’ve committed a financial blunder, though. Two-thirds of Americans have made a significant money mistake somewhere along the way, says Jim Chilton, founder and chief executive officer of the non-profit Society for Financial Awareness (www.sofausa.org). Since April […]
Money worries can lead to sleepless nights for just about everyone, but surveys routinely reveal that women more than men feel the anxiety from a rocky financial situation. In a 2014 Money Magazine survey, for example, two-thirds of women said they were worried about their financial outlook, compared with 54 percent of men. Recent studies […]
While women continue to make impressive strides in academics, in the business world and with buying power in general, a significant percentage are vulnerable to retail therapy and other modes of frivolous spending, says Erica L. McCain, a veteran financial expert, LUTCF and founder of McCain & Associates, (www.mccainins.com). According to a recent study from […]
When it comes to buying power, women are steadily overcoming men. Throughout the next decade, women will control two-thirds of consumer wealth in the United States and will be the beneficiaries of the largest transference of wealth in our country’s history, according to Fleishman-Hillard Inc. “The stats on a woman’s earning and buying power are […]
New Year’s is a time to both reflect on the past and set important goals for the future. Why not include your personal finances in your list of resolutions? The Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) offers these tips as part of its ongoing series of tips to help you manage, grow and protect your money […]
Jacqueline Whitmore, an internationally-recognized etiquette expert, author and founder of The Protocol School of Palm Beach, offers these guidelines for ‘tipping” this holiday season: – Give what you can. Tips are appreciated, but not mandatory. If your budget is limited, opt for a small gift and a thank you note. If you’re unsure of who […]
For most children in America, the holiday season is a wonderful time, with tasty treats, vacation from school, and plenty of toys and gifts that seem to magically appear. Of course, parents know it’s not magic — those gifts cost money! Not having to worry about that part of it is a gift found only […]
What does it take to be comfortable during retirement? Conventional wisdom calls it the 4 percent rule – withdrawing about that amount from your nest egg each year to live comfortably. And, for that, millions of Americans believe they need to stick to a job they don’t like during their earning years. “Unfortunately, the kind […]
Half of all Americans with children do not have a legal will, according to a survey done by the legal service RocketLawyer. “While the survey was conducted in 2012, the attitudes Americans have on inheritance and legacy matters seems to remain the same through the years, individuals would rather focus on the here and now” […]
Do women have different relationships with money than men? Very definitely, yes, says entrepreneur and business coach Meriflor Toneatto. “For women, money is an emotional currency, tied to our sense of self-worth and confidence, which can lead us to financial pitfalls that ultimately limits what we pursue in life,” says Toneatto, a certified business and […]
An onslaught of retiring baby boomers; the uncertain duration of Social Security funding; difficulty with workplace retirement accounts like 401(k)s – even if these factors were stronger than they are now, you’d still have a heavy burden in managing your finances during retirement, says financial planner Carl Edwards. “Financial planning for retirement has always been […]
