Thoughtful Insights
Your trusted resource for mastering wealth management, financial planning, and smart investing. Explore thoughtfully curated articles, and clear, in-depth guides that help you to make informed decisions at every stage of your financial journey.
Three Common Money Scams and How-To Avoid Them
Money scams have existed for years, but criminals continue to discover and implement new, sly tactics. Their current efforts focus on sending out phony emails, pretending to be a trustworthy person, to seek out personal information from victims like credit card numbers, bank accounts and personal identification information, such as a passport or Social Security number.
A Big Risk to Your Portfolio is Hiding in Plain Sight
Dividing up an investment portfolio into its various pieces can reveal both hidden drivers of risk and overlooked opportunities. A recent analysis by Goldman Sachs Asset Management of professionally managed investment portfolios shows that many investors are missing important potential sources of return as a result of putting too many of their “risk” eggs in one basket – US stocks!
3 Steps for Transitioning from a Dual Income to a Single Income Household
According to CNN, 46 percent of households with male/female married couples are dual income, with both parents working full-time. That said, there are many reasons why a couple would decide to live off of only one income. Whether you and your partner have made the decision that one of you will be staying home with a new baby, or going back to school, living off a single income requires planning, communication and willingness to make sacrifices. Before making any decisions to transition to one income, you’ll want to to practice living on one income (if possible), discuss healthcare and other benefits and prepare a budget.
Three Things to Consider When Deciding Whether to Lease or Buy a Car
While the decision to buy or lease a car can be a tricky one, a quick evaluation of your financial situation can help you decide which option is best. People who lease a car typically do so because it allows them to drive a newer car for less money than it would cost to buy one. According to the car experts at Edmunds, young adults are far more likely to lease. In fact, more than one-third of millennials in 2016 were opting for auto leases.
The History of Women and Money in the United States in Honor of Women’s History Month
Many women take the lead with managing household finances and many have also increased the amount of money they earn in their careers. In honor of March being Women’s History Month, let’s take a closer look at the history of women, money and the power they've gained over the last few centuries.
How to Spend Your Tax Refund Wisely
It’s tax season, which means you may be coming into some money in the near future. According to U.S. News and Money, in 2016, 111 million Americans received a tax refund, with the average amount being $2,860. On the flipside, you may not be due anything. The IRS anticipates that 30 percent of taxpayers will not receive a refund this year. If you do receive a refund, deciding what to do with it can be a challenge. Should you invest it? Save it? Treat yourself? While the options are endless, here are just a few ways to wisely spend that money.