When you invest money, you are putting it at risk — all investments can lose money. The key is to gauge your risk, and to not put more money at risk than you are willing to lose. This is a relative concept. If you have only $10,000 to invest, then putting $9,000 in a high-risk […]
The Nature of Risk Read More »
During 2020, more than 65 million American women provided unpaid care for their children, family members and elderly relatives.1 It’s easy to imagine that many of them likely juggled caring for a combination of these types of dependents. If you’ve ever provided ongoing caregiving duties for a parent, partner, child, sibling or someone else, you may
Balancing Real Life with Caregiving Read More »
Many babies born today in the developed world are expected to live nearly 100 years.1 Given the vast changes over the past two decades in medicine, technology and the ways we work, communicate and even entertain ourselves, it’s almost hard to imagine how different life will be in 100 years. While we won’t be around in
Retirement Makeover Read More »
As with any major global conflict, we learn things. The pandemic taught the U.S. the importance of reshoring manufacturing jobs, so we aren’t beholden to other nations, like China, for many of our consumer goods, from medicines to electronics.1 One of the key lessons emerging from the Russia-Ukraine conflict is self-reliance for energy sources, such
The War on Oil Prices Read More »
Retirement planning was historically a little easier. For instance, the average life expectancy in 1950 was 68 years old.1 If you retired at age 62, your retirement plan might need only six years of retirement income. Additionally, with the decline of defined benefit pension plans, only 14% of private industry employees receive a pension today.2 Since
The Value of Multiple Retirement Income Streams Read More »
Do you have someone in your life who is graduating this spring? The form and function of graduation gifts can be sticky territory. It’s important to consider not only the level of degree being attained but also the personal traits, interests and ambitions of new grads to ensure your gift will enhance their life. High
Graduation Gift Ideas Read More »
In a recent survey by the American Psychological Association, more than 80% of American adults said they were feeling increased financial stress due to: Higher inflation (87%) Ongoing supply chain issues caused by the pandemic (81%) Global uncertainty due to the war in Ukraine (81%) Furthermore, hardships related to the pandemic — including poor health,
The Financial Stress Toll Read More »
Have you ever thought about what you would do if a windfall dropped in your lap? It’s not that unusual. After all: The U.S. is experiencing the greatest wealth transfer in history. Nearly $68 trillion, mostly held by baby boomers, will be transferred to heirs in the next 25 years.1 Since 2018, individual lottery windfalls
Windfall Imaginings Read More »
When Putin invaded Ukraine in late February 2022, President Biden announced sanctions targeting Russian banks, the country’s sovereign debt and Russian oligarchs, warning that Russia would pay an even steeper price if it did not cease its aggression. In the early days of the conflict, European banks braced for the fallout. However, U.S. bank executives
How the Russia-Ukraine Conflict Could Affect Americans Read More »
One of the biggest economic stories of the first quarter was the rising rate of inflation, as consumer prices reached a 39-year high by the end of 2021. In the first quarter, the inflation rate floated around 7%. Higher prices tend to hurt low-income families the most since the majority of their spending is on
Consumers: Buying Power in 2022 Read More »
