THE PART OF THE ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE DEBATE THAT IS RARELY DISCUSSED
I don’t think that it is a secret that I want to grow my clients’ accounts to be as large as possible. Reason number one is simple, larger account balances help my clients achieve their financial goals with a higher degree of certainty. Another truth, that has been discussed with each family, there is a financial incentive in it for me as well to increase the size of the accounts (my compensation is at least partially based on the size of those accounts).
THE WORST KEPT SECRET TO FINANCIAL SUCCESS
Compound interest. It is one of the most important concepts in financial planning. Once you understand the importance of compound interest, it is easier to calculate what you need to save to accomplish your goals.
YOU DON'T NEED TO BEAT THE MARKET TO WIN AT INVESTING
I was having lunch with a good friend last week and he said something that has been sticking with me ever since. It sounded something like this, "I have been really happy with my 401k and investment performance lately, but it seems like no matter what I do I just can't beat the market!"
WHY HAS SAVING BECOME A 4-LETTER WORD?
A September 26, 2016 article in the Washington Post stated that 71% (Seventy-One Percent!!!) of Americans aren’t saving enough for retirement. Two-thirds of Americans are not currently saving any amount to a 401(k) or another qualified plan according to U.S. Census Bureau research. Do you fall under one of these categories?
7 POTENTIAL REASONS TO GO THROUGH A MID-YEAR TAX CHECKUPS
It is that time of year, once again summer has flown by, and kids are returning to school. That also means it is time to take a closer look at your what your tax situation make look like for 2016. To be quite honest, most of us aren't having ridiculously exciting conversations about taxes while sitting around the water cooler.
SHOULD YOU INVEST WITH CREDIT CARD OR STUDENT LOAN DEBT?
At Aurora Financial Strategies we come across a lot of great questions. Below is one that I have come across a number of times: "I want to start investing, but should I pay off my student loans or credit card debt first?"
DO YOU TRACK YOUR NET WORTH?
Most have a general idea of what their monthly expenses are, but many have no idea what they are worth. It doesn't matter if you have $1,500 or $1.5 million, you should know what you are worth.
OK, SO YOU NEED A FINANCIAL PLANNER... HOW TO HIRE ONE
Well, you clicked on this article, so I think I have a general idea of one of the questions going through your head, “How will I know when I need a financial planner?” The answer to that question isn’t really that simple, but can be boiled down to a handful of reasons.
WHY LOCATION DOESN’T MATTER WHEN PICKING A FINANCIAL PLANNER
You would probably be surprised to know that I have clients that I have never met in person. I also have clients that I have known since childhood that live on the other side of the country. We regularly get together at their kitchen tables and discuss their financial plans, the only difference is these meetings are held online (through skype or a webinar) and not in person.
BUDGET LESSONS FROM A 3 YEAR OLD
My oldest daughter turned 3 yesterday. For those of you that don’t know Rory, she is ridiculously smart for her age, smooth-talking, and a charmer (ok, I’m a little biased). Somehow, at 3 years old, she has already figured out how to play “the game.”