With the holidays right around the corner and the end of the year fast approaching, the last thing you want to do is blow your budget on fall activities. Between fall sports, Halloween, and fall travel, the costs add up…and...
September 9, 2024
5 Financial Risks to Plan for Now before Year-End
As we approach the final quarter, it’s time to talk about financial risks that could significantly cost you. Let’s say you’ve made a financial goal for 2024. If you aren’t paying attention, you may miss that goal because you have...
September 2, 2024
Your Retirement: Don’t Be Another Statistic
Americans are not saving enough for retirement. In a report entitled Americans Face Alarming Retirement Savings Shortfall, the National Institute for Retirement Security shares, “Most Americans will not have enough money for a financially secure retirement. […] NIRS research found...
August 26, 2024
National Public Data Breach: What You Need to Know
In the ever-evolving landscape of data security, the recent and alarming cyber crisis has left millions of Americans reeling. This particular data breach included PII (personal identifiable information), including Social Security numbers of almost 3 billion people. In response to...
August 19, 2024
What to Do If You’re Behind on 401(k) Savings
Given the increase in the cost of retirement, it’s no wonder many are worried they are behind on 401(k) savings. According to the Northwestern Mutual 2024 Planning & Progress Study, “American adults say on average they now need $1.46 million...
August 12, 2024
Why Early 401(k) Withdrawals May Derail Your Retirement
Early 401(k) withdrawals are soaring. According to the Vanguard Group, “A record-breaking number of Americans are making emergency withdrawals from their 401(k) retirement plans in order to cover a financial hardship amid the ongoing inflation crisis.”¹ Approximately 3.6% of workers...
August 5, 2024
Help Yourself First Before Helping Kids Financially
It is natural for a parent to want to help their children financially, but helping kids financially isn’t always the best decision. You may end up hurting them more than helping them – especially if you dip into your retirement...
July 29, 2024
Strategies to Maximize Your 401(k) Contributions
Saving for your financial future requires more than the bare minimum. Given the cost of today’s retirement, it’s worth doing what you can now to maximize your 401(k) contributions. Why 401(k) Contributions Are Essential for Retirement Retiring isn’t cheap. Once...
July 22, 2024
What Investors Need to Know for the Second Half of 2024
Despite a brief 6% correction in the latter part of the first quarter, the stock market has shown resilience and growth in the first half of 2024. Keep reading for factors contributing to this and what you need to know....
July 15, 2024
Women Are Saving Less for Retirement but Living Longer
Women are saving less for retirement than men – and not just by a little. Prudential’s 2024 Pulse of the American Retiree survey found, “Across all age groups, women are particularly vulnerable, with less than a third the median savings...
July 8, 2024
Tax-Savvy Retirement: Mastering Your 401(k) Tax Implications
When it comes to investing for your financial future, understanding the tax consequences is important to growing wealth. Because it’s not just what you make, it’s what you keep, that counts. How tax savvy are you with regards to your...
July 1, 2024
10 Budget-Friendly 4th of July Ideas [Recipes Inside]
While we are all about celebrating the birth of our great nation, we don’t believe you should spend a lot of money (or go into debt) celebrating it. But that wasn’t the case in 2023. Americans spent more than ever....
June 24, 2024
Third Quarter Finance Tips to Turn Things Around
In mid-2024, Americans are still facing high inflation and high interest rates. And they are saving less and spending less. According to data from the Commerce Department, “The personal saving rate, the share of income that Americans are squirreling away,...
June 17, 2024
Check Your Statements–There Are Record High 401(k) Savings in 2024
Fidelity Investments recently released a report on 2024 trends, and Q1 shows record high 401(k) savings in 2024. Read on to discover more about the current 401(k) savings rate, why rates have increased, and how you can save even more....
June 10, 2024
Is Your 401(k) at Risk from Cyberattacks?
You’ve worked hard to build up your savings to ensure you have a comfortable retirement. What if cybercriminals stole from your 401(k)? Sadly, it’s happening, and experts are fearful it may happen more frequently with retirement accounts – with some...