retirement

The Great Spending Balance

The Great Spending Balance
Your financial life is a balancing act, strung between living in the present and preparing for the future. Saving for retirement may be a focus, but it could feel like you’re missing out on enjoying today.

Balancing your present lifestyle with future savings is essential, and three key areas—your home, car, and travel—play a significant role in this. When it comes to your home, consider factors like location, size, and maintenance needs, especially as you age. Downsizing can be a smart financial move, freeing up home equity to invest for the future. Similarly, choosing the right car can make a big difference in your financial outlook; opting for a less expensive model can save money, which could be invested for long-term growth. Finally, travel doesn’t have to break the bank. By adjusting travel choices—such as opting for more affordable accommodations and meals—you can enjoy …

8 Financial Goals For Your 40th Birthday

8 Financial Goals For Your 40th Birthday

For investors in their 30s, life can feel busy, hectic, and a bit disorganized at times. How do you focus your time and energy on the things that matter most?

In your 30s, life often feels hectic with a mix of responsibilities like paying down debt, starting a family, and saving for retirement. To make things easier, focus on these key financial goals before turning 40. First, ensure you’re investing with purpose. This means defining your retirement goals, understanding how much you need to save, and creating a strategy to reach those goals. It’s a great time to consider working with a financial advisor to help make your vision a reality.

Another key goal is to ensure your career and salary are advancing. Your 30s are when your hard work should start paying off in terms of salary growth. …

The Value of a Fee-Only, Fiduciary Advisor

The Value of a Fee-Only, Fiduciary Advisor

What makes financial advice “good enough”? Well, that depends on if your advisor is working under the fiduciary or the best interest standard. The good news is that as the client, you have the power to decide which standard is the right fit for you.

When meeting with a financial advisor, it’s important to understand their motivations and how they prioritize your best interests. Financial advisors are held to different standards of care: the best interest standard and the fiduciary standard. Under the best interest standard, advisors must recommend investments that are in your best interest but can still disclose conflicts like commissions or bonuses they receive. This can sometimes lead to recommendations that benefit the advisor more than the client.

In contrast, fiduciary advisors are legally required to put your best interest first in all aspects of their …

Financial Goals for Your 30^th Birthday

Financial Goals for Your 30th Birthday

The years between 20 and 30 can be some of the most exciting – and challenging – times in life. But what really matters when it comes to the financial lives of young investors? To help simplify things a bit, we created a resource that details 8 financial goals for investors to accomplish before their 30th birthday. If you’re under 30, how are you doing on the list? If you are over 30, how are the young investors in your life doing?

The years between 20 and 30 are often filled with excitement, but also present a number of challenges, especially when it comes to personal finances. As you transition from high school to a young adult, it’s crucial to focus on financial goals that set you up for success by the time you turn 30. Here are eight key …