Why Do Women Tend to Outperform Men When it Comes to Investing?
Women’s roles in household decisions have changed dramatically over the past century and continue to evolve today. When it comes to personal money management, women traditionally have spent money day to day on household items like groceries and essentials. However, wealth management decisions were traditionally in the hands of their male counterparts. In two-thirds of affluent households in the United States, men are the key financial decision makers.1 Women are confident in most financial matters, but when it comes to investing, they tend to be less confident than men. A study by Merrill reported just 52 percent of women say […]
The Gift of Education
Every parent and grandparent hopes that the next generation lives the American dream – go to college, get a great job, buy a house, and start a family. The Burning Glass institute found that 44% of jobs require a college degree. College is still seen as the primary way to gain the skills and education needed to land a traditional job. However, the average cost of college has more-than doubled in the 21st century, with the average in-state student attending a public 4-year institution spending an astonishing $25,487 for one academic year.1 That means the average college graduate spends over $100,000 […]
You’re Ready to Retire – But Are Your Finances?
Many people feel ready to retire, but fewer are financially ready to do so. It’s one thing to feel you’ve accomplished enough in your career or even that you’ve saved enough, but it’s another to have a plan in place that covers everything important. If you’re ready to retire, consider your finances. Have a Plan, Not Just a Portfolio Now that you’ve accumulated wealth, the question becomes how you’ll use it to fund your retirement. As we’ve seen, the market is unpredictable. It’s one thing to have a bunch of investments, but it’s another thing to have a retirement […]
Don’t Succumb to the Fear of Missing Out
If you’ve followed markets or financial news, especially in the past few years, you may have come across the term “fear of missing out,” commonly abbreviated to FOMO. When markets keep going up, FOMO can start to creep in. It can start to feel like you’re leaving gains on the table by not rebalancing your portfolio to include the ultra-high growth assets that saw big jumps. The desire to get as much as you can from your assets is normal, but if you let it influence your decisions, you could end up risking more than you can afford. In […]
Inflation Finds its Way to Your Wallet
There’s no doubt that people have been feeling the effects of inflation on their wallets. Everything from food to gas to home repair products seems to be increasing every day. Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell, is taking inflation very seriously, raising interest rates to combat the explosion of inflation. And although the moves have made an impact, the Federal Reserve noted that inflation is stickier than it had predicted.[1] This is all to say that inflation may be here to stay. You might be thinking, “What can I do to mitigate the effects of inflation on my wallet?” While […]
Inflation Presents Unique Risks – Know How You’ll Respond
If your weekly grocery bill is noticeably higher or you can’t believe how expensive gas is, you’re not alone. Inflation is at 40-year highs,[1] and a recent poll found that 52% of Americans said the most important issue facing the country is inflation.[2] Significantly, so many Americans recognized inflation as a major threat considering how unpredictable the market has been. Inflation presents unique risks, so it’s important to know how you’ll respond to them. The Double Threat of Market Volatility and Inflation With recent market volatility, riskier asset classes and sectors have seen large swings in value. For example, […]
Bob Yarbrough Interviews Jim Brogan on Market Volatility and Diversifying Your Portfolio
Jim Brogan joins the Bob Yarbrough Show on NewsTalk 98.7 where he breaks down how inflation could impact economic growth, ways to approach the current stock market, and more. Click the play button below to listen!
Ensuring Your Lifestyle in Retirement
How do you ensure your lifestyle in retirement, and what do you want that lifestyle to look like? Think about what you really want in retirement from a lifestyle perspective. Do you want to travel? Purchase a second home? Do you want to live closer to your children and grandchildren? What are the things you want to be doing with your newfound freedom? Finances The first part of retirement might be filled with a bucket list of to-do items. And, then you might slow down after you’ve checked some items off that list. Those early years of retirement could […]
How Much Are You Left With After Inflation?
In 1960, a gallon of conventional whole milk was 31 cents, and today it’s $3.77 on average.[1] A few dollars might not seem like much, but that’s a 1,116% increase. Now that we’re seeing high inflation, the buying power of your money – including your retirement savings – could be seriously impacted. When calculating how much money you need to retire, consider what you’re left with after inflation. The Eroding Effects of Inflation We’ve seen sustained inflation for some time now, and no one knows when it will end. Year-over-year inflation was 7% in December, 6.8% in November, [2] […]
Review Your Investment Strategy and Prepare for 2022
The end of the year is a good time to reflect on 2021, how your financial situation may have changed, and your goals for next year. Maybe 2022 is the year you’ll retire, or maybe not. Either way, you can review your investment strategy and prepare for 2022 and beyond. We Saw Record Highs in 2021 – What Will We See in 2022? The S&P 500 index logged 64 new highs in 2021 as of November.[1] But how long can this last? According to a recent Allianz survey, 54% of American investors see the stock market heading for a […]
