Tag: Certified Financial Planner Charlotte NC

Vacation Home Insurance

May 24, 2023

Free White Wooden Building Stock PhotoVacation homes require a special type of insurance–one that protects your vacation home but doesn’t overlap with your already existing homeowners insurance coverage. Here are some things to consider when insuring your vacation home.

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Record Keeping for Your Own Business

May 22, 2023

Keeping good business records will not only help you stay in business but may also help you increase profits. Your business records let you analyze where your business is and where it’s going. They point out potential trouble spots and serve as a guide to where you want your business to be.

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Understanding Social Security

May 12, 2023

Approximately 70 million people today receive some form of Social Security benefits, including retirement, disability, survivor, and family benefits.1 Although most people receiving Social Security are retired, you and your family members may be eligible for benefits at any age, depending on your circumstances.

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Estimating Your Retirement Income Needs

May 8, 2023

You know how important it is to plan for your retirement, but where do you begin? One of your first steps should be to estimate how much income you’ll need to fund your retirement. That’s not as easy as it sounds, because retirement planning is not an exact science. Your specific needs depend on your goals and many other factors.

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Market Update: Investor Sentiment Tested

May 5, 2023

Market Update
Market Update

Spring is often thought of as an uplifting time, marked by growth and renewed hope as we emerge from the long months of winter and look ahead to the rest of year. Investors saw signs of such renewed hope in recent weeks, especially on the inflation front as several inflation measures showed signs of improvement. We also saw markets stabilize after the surprisingly fast collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. But although it initially appeared that a stable spring would set the markets up for a calm, quiet summer, a flurry of recent activity is testing investor sentiment. (more…)

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Market Update – An Economy with a Backache

Apr 19, 2023

  • Small businesses, considered the backbone of the economy, are shrinking hiring plans. Hiring intentions among small businesses declined in March, implying that upcoming job reports will likely be lackluster.
  • Firms are hunkering down as virtually no firms have plans to expand business operations. In fact, the number of firms reporting any expansion plans is the lowest since early 2009 when the economy was in the depths of the Great Financial Crisis.
  • Small businesses are reporting more difficult access to credit. The percent reporting tighter credit is the highest since 2012 as lending institutions tighten up under the uncertainty of the macro landscape.
  • Now, some good news. Inflation was less of a problem in March as firms are more concerned about the overall business environment as the economy slows under tighter financial conditions.

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Digital Assets Estate Strategy

Mar 20, 2023

3 computer screen digital estate strategy
What should you know? What should your executor know?

When you think about your estate, you may think about your personal property, real estate, or investments. You also have other, less-tangible assets – and they deserve your attention as well. We consider these your digital assets. A digital footprint of your life – and you need to consider them within your estate planning. (more…)

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Bonds Are Back… But it May be Bumpy And That is Normal

Mar 1, 2023

Market Update
Market Update

Bond investors experienced the worst year ever for core bonds last year (as per the Bloomberg Aggregate Bond Index), -so the prospects of another year like 2022 could be hard to fathom. The good news is we don’t think we’ll see another year like 2022 anytime soon, but despite the higher starting yield levels, we could see periods of negative returns. In fact, after a strong January for core bonds, unless yields fall dramatically today, February returns will be negative. But that is normal. Since inception of the index in 1975, over a third of the monthly returns have been negative and close to 25% of quarterly returns have been negative. Bonds trade daily and interest rates change throughout the day as well, so that means the market value of a bond will change daily as well. (more…)

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Bad Money Habits to Break

Feb 27, 2023

Behaviors worth changing

Do bad money habits constrain your financial progress? Many people fall into the same financial behavior patterns, year after year. If you sometimes succumb to these financial tendencies, now is as good a time as any to alter your behavior. (more…)

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Taking Charge of Your Financial Life

Feb 13, 2023

Trending Data
A windfall from a loved one can be both rewarding and complicated.

When you are putting together a household, it isn’t unusual to delegate responsibilities. One spouse or partner may take on the laundry, while another takes on the shopping. You might also decide which one of you vacuums and which one of you dusts. This is a perfectly fine way to divvy up household tasks and chores. (more…)

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More Insights

Apr 22, 2024

Losing a spouse is a stressful transition. And the added pressure of having to settle the estate and organize finances can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make dealing with these matters less difficult.

Apr 19, 2024

Ever hear of critical illness insurance? This isn’t standard-issue disability insurance, but a cousin of sorts. With people living longer, it is a risk management option entering more people’s lives.

Apr 17, 2024

Following Iran’s missile and drone strikes on Israel over the weekend and the apparent escalation likely in any Israeli response, stocks fell sharply during Monday’s trading session. We examine the latest developments in the Middle East conflict, how stocks have reacted historically to geopolitical events, and the possible impact on markets moving forward.

Apr 15, 2024

Did you buy U.S. Savings Bonds decades ago? Or did your parents or grandparents purchase them for you? If they’re collecting dust in a drawer, you may want to take a look at them to see if any of your bonds have matured. If your bonds have matured, that means they are no longer earning … Continue reading “How US Savings Bonds Work”

Apr 12, 2024

In baseball, three strikes and you’re out. With inflation, a third straight month of hotter-than-expected consumer inflation data nearly ruled out probabilities for a June rate cut yesterday (now less than a 25% chance, according to fed funds futures). The core Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.4% in March, or 3.8% when compared on a … Continue reading “Market Update – Assessing the Prospect for a Pullback”

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