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Midyear Checkup: A Time to Adapt

Where am I now? Where do I want to go from here? At the start of each year, many of us make it a habit to ask ourselves the two above questions. The answers help us map out a strategy, make resolutions and set goals. This annual exercise offers us the opportunity to take stock…

What is the FDIC and what are its insurance limits?

Q: What is the FDIC and what are its insurance limits? A: The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) was created in 1933 in response to many bank failures during the Great Depression. Its goal is to preserve and promote confidence in the financial system by insuring bank deposits. Because insured deposits are backed by the…

Staying Out of Your Neighbor’s Business

Humans can be a competitive lot. The way we posture and position ourselves to stand out in a group seems to happen instinctively. After all, in the past we competed for resources and survival. Our lives depended on it. Today, we still compete, but for different reasons. Instead of food, we compete for attention and…

Level: Can A Budgeting App Change the Way We Bank?

“Level is dedicated to rewriting the financial rulebook to create a secure future for the next generation.” That’s budgeting app Level Money’s stated mission, which can be found on their website’s “About Us” page. But even as lofty as that objective sounds, co-founder and CEO Jake Fuentes says the company’s sights are set even higher….

Changes in Bond Yields

The recent increase in bond yields and the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will begin raising its target rate later this year have elevated investor concerns. Many investors are wondering if this is the beginning of a continued increase in yields and, if so, how it will affect their bond portfolios. From the end of…

The Stunning Odds That Can Doom Your Returns

Few investors understand the stunning odds that are likely dooming their returns. The system is rigged against investors and in favor of those who “manage” their money. Active mutual fund families, brokers and insurance companies are the big winners in this process. Investors barely scrape by. Here’s some historical data for your consideration. It may…

At an Impasse but Finding a New Path

“I can’t believe you see it that way!” Just last week, I said this to my wife in the middle of a discussion (O.K., a fight) about money. We were experiencing something many of you have probably also faced. We needed to make a very important financial decision about how much of an emergency fund…

Lessons Worth Learning

“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life, as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” – Booker T. Washington Occasionally, I will read a biography worth passing along to my kids. And, knowing how hesitant they are…

Looking Inward to Determine Your Financial Values

By Carl Richards I’ve been surprised by a lot of things as a financial adviser. One of the biggest surprises has ended up playing a critical role in my development: the process of self-examination. It has mattered both professionally and personally, and it should to you too. Yet hardly anyone openly talks about the need…

How Much Are You Paying for Your Size and Value Tilt?

It’s becoming clear that the price for overall U.S. equity market exposure is close to zero. Many market-cap weighted index funds and exchange-traded funds from Vanguard and others are charging expense ratios of five basis points (bps) or less. An interesting, and more difficult, question to answer: How much are you paying to gain exposure…

Money Talk: A Lifetime of Learning

As a regular contributor to The New York Times and the author of two books, Carl Richards knows the value of a good story. Here’s one he loves. It comes courtesy of Ron Lieber’s new book, The Opposite of Spoiled. Lieber, who also writes a personal finance column for the Times, wrote in his book…

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