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Financial Strategies in 2018
One philosophy of investing, as opined by Warren Buffett, is to be “fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.”1 The nation’s eight-year bull market, however, has tested that philosophy. Most market analysts would agree that it was more important to be in the market and taking advantage of gains than to…
Read MoreThe New Tax Law: Things to Consider
Who will be affected by the new tax legislation that went into effect Jan. 1? That is a question many are asking. While “everyone” is likely to see some changes, here’s an idea of how many people fell into each income group. In 2015:1 About 1.4 million Americans accounted for the top 1% of income…
Read MoreHow Changes in Spending Impacts Retirement
Online shopping has become the norm in the Western part of the world. Experts say mature economies adopted e-commerce quickly because of its strong infrastructure and a trusting financial landscape.1 In other words, consumers could count on receiving goods ordered, vendors knew they would get paid and any conflicts were protected by a reputable credit…
Read MoreHow Losing Sleep Could Translate to a Loss of Money
Some teenagers seem to sleep a lot. As parents and grandparents, we can find this rather aggravating. But the fact is, as we get older, our sleep patterns may change, and our sleep can be less restful.1 Perhaps it’s a good idea to let young people sleep in peace while they still can. Scientists say…
Read MoreFinancial Planning to Care for the Caregivers
If you picture yourself receiving long-term care at some point, you likely envision a medical professional sitting bedside, tending to your needs. However, the bulk of long-term care in the U.S. is actually provided by family caregivers.1 According to a recent Merrill Lynch study, 20 million Americans become caregivers each year. Moreover, family caregivers collectively…
Read MoreThe Impact of Income Inequality
As it turns out, income inequality can be an issue for all society, not just the poor. A new study of high-earning clients of a bank’s wealth management unit tracked the fortunes of male and female young adults to learn how income inequity would impact their lives. The assumptions had both genders starting out in…
Read MoreAre We Moving to a Cashless Society?
In the days before cash, people bartered goods and services. Then we established various forms of “cash” payments, from paper bills and coins to checks, credit and debit card payments. It seems that the more we progress, the less we use physical cash. Just because we’re not breaking out a wad of bills doesn’t mean…
Read MoreInnovation Around the World
Digital music service Spotify and the popular electronic games Minecraft and Candy Crush Saga all originated in Sweden. The country is home to some of the world’s largest technology companies and is second only to Silicon Valley for tech giants. Sweden provides free health care, free higher education and outstanding infrastructure with the third-fastest internet…
Read MoreExclusive vs. Inclusive Investing
There are many different approaches to investing in the stock market, but most fall under two categories: exclusive and inclusive. Exclusive means conducting thorough research on prospective companies and investing in a portfolio of select, thoroughly vetted securities. One of the advantages of this approach is that if an investor’s research pans out, he could…
Read MoreExperiences Over Possessions – Live, Love, Laugh and Save Money
Make a list of the top 10 things you want in life that you currently have not achieved. Then make a list of the 10 most expensive things you bought over the last month. How do they align? Could you have cut back on some of your most recent purchases to help achieve one of…
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