When the SECURE Act became law in late 2019, it was widely hailed as a step forward for people seeking greater financial security and flexibility in retirement. “Passing the SECURE Act is a big victory that will help ensure that…
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To Rent or Own a Home? Guidance to Decide What’s Best for You – Part 1
Owning a home has long been considered an integral part of the American Dream, something to aspire to and, at least in general terms, a viable course of action for people seeking to own a hard asset whose value potentially…
2020 Vision: Prepare for These Seven Market and Money Trends in the New Decade
The decade of the 2010s opened during the depths of what was later dubbed the Great Recession, an economic freefall precipitated in large part by the dubious activities of some of Wall Street’s biggest investment banks. Ten years prior, the…
A Financial Realist’s Guide to Preparing for the Next Economic Downturn
Amid one of the longest economic expansions in recent American history, FPA member and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional Scott A. Bishop can’t help but be pragmatic. While Bishop and his clients at STA Wealth Management in Houston, Texas, are enjoying…
Finish Strong and Start Smart: A Financial To-Do List for Year’s End and the New Year
As much trouble as people have keeping New Year’s resolutions — an estimated 80 percent of resolutions fail within two months, according to findings by U.S. News & World Report — a better approach to goal-attainment might be to quit…
The Eight Most Important People in Your Financial Life
As one of the world’s wealthiest people and most influential voices in investing and finance, Warren Buffett acknowledges he wouldn’t have reached those heights without guidance from three individuals in particular: his father Howard Buffett, his late first wife Susan…
New Dynamics and Other Things We’ve Learned Under the Trump Tax Plan
The Trump Administration tax plan implemented in 2018 not only brought terms such as “lumping,” “bunching,” “SALT” (short for state and local taxes) and “pass-through business” into the mainstream personal finance and tax lexicon, it also has ushered in a…
Spotify, Netflix and now…Financial Planning. Could Financial Advice by Subscription Be Right for You?
From digital music and movies to clothing, meals, cosmetics and even automobiles, there’s a subscription service for many of today’s most in-demand products. And now, there are subscription services through which consumers can access professional financial planning expertise and guidance…
On FIRE: Is Retiring Early, in Your 30s, 40s or 50s, a Viable Option?
Financial Independence, Retire Early, or FIRE, is a real movement, where people build a sizable enough financial nest egg to quit working at an early age — typically in their 30s, 40s or 50s. But is FIRE a real possibility…
Want the Inside Scoop on a Financial Adviser? Then Find Out How They’re Regulated
You’ve read the headlines: about Bernie Madoff-style Ponzi schemes robbing investors of their savings; about people who call themselves “financial advisers” but are in reality product-peddling salespeople, neither qualified nor authorized to provide financial advice; about individuals who claim they…
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