Establishing Good Credit in College
Dec 9, 2019
Good credit may open doors. It is vital to securing a loan, a business loan, or buying a home. When you establish and maintain good credit in college, you create a financial profile for yourself that can influence lenders, landlords, and potential employers.
Unfortunately, some college students do not have good credit. In fact, Credit Karma says that the average 18-to-24-year-old has a credit score of 630. A FICO score of 730 or higher is considered good. (more…)
Tags: Credit Repair, Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Financial Planning
Protection Against Uninsured Drivers
Nov 22, 2019
About 13 percent of all motorists, or one-in-eight drivers, do not have automobile insurance.
Having the misfortune of getting into an accident with an uninsured motorist may have serious financial consequences depending upon the state in which you reside and whether it is a “no-fault” or “tort” state. (more…)
Tags: Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Financial Planning, Uninsured Drivers
Unrealized Loss and Gain
Nov 8, 2019
For many investors, it can be tempting to think of one’s portfolio in terms of “gains” or “losses.” True, this is a central concept to understanding market behavior, but to truly maximize your investing knowledge, you also need to know about “unrealized gains,” “unrealized losses,” and how they can work to your advantage. As always, the following information is not intended as tax or legal advice. Any financial decision should be undertaken in consultation with your financial advisor and is not intended as tax or legal advice. Ready to learn more? Read on. (more…)
Tags: Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Investments
Managing Risk in Your Portfolio
Oct 28, 2019
Risk is a factor in any investment decision that you make. Your tolerance for risk is something that you will want to consider when you make decisions alongside your trusted financial advisor in Charlotte NC. Your risk tolerance is balanced against your time horizon, meaning the time between now and your anticipated retirement date.
But is it possible to avoid a loss? No, not completely, but you can take steps to manage that risk when investing. This is where conversations about your risk tolerance are critical. (more…)
Tags: Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Risk Management
Leaving a Legacy to Your Grandkids
Oct 7, 2019
Grandparents Day provides a reminder of the bond between grandparents and grandchildren and the importance of family legacies. (more…)
Tags: Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Legacy
A Decision Not Made is Still a Decision
Sep 6, 2019
Investment inaction is played out in many ways, often silently, invisibly, and with potential consequence to an individual’s future financial security.
Let’s review some of the forms this takes.
Your workplace retirement plan.
The worst non-decision is the failure to enroll. Not only do non-participants sacrifice one of the best ways to save for their eventual retirement, but they also forfeit the money from any matching contributions their employer may offer. Not participating may be one of the most costly non-decisions one can make. (more…)
Tags: Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Investment Planning
Is Your Company’s 401(k) Plan as Good as It Could Be?
Aug 2, 2019
How often do retirement plan sponsors check up on 401(k)s?
Some small businesses may not be prepared to benchmark processes and continuously look for and reject unacceptable investments.
Do you have high-quality investment choices in your plan?
While larger plan sponsors may have more “pull” with plan providers, this does not relegate a small company sponsoring a 401(k) to a substandard investment selection. Sooner or later, employees may begin to ask questions. “Why does this 401(k) have only one bond fund?” “Where are the target-date funds?” “I went to Morningstar, and some of these funds have so-so ratings.” Questions and comments like these may seem reasonable and might surface when a plan’s roster of investments is too short. (more…)
Tags: Financial Planner Charlotte NC
Diversification, Patience, and Consistency
Jul 26, 2019
Regardless of how the markets may perform, consider making the following part of your investment philosophy:
Diversification. The saying “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” has real value when it comes to investing. In a bear or bull market, certain asset classes may perform better than others. If your assets are mostly held in one kind of investment (say, mostly in mutual funds or mostly in CDs or money market accounts), you could be hit hard by stock market losses, or alternately, lose out on potential (more…)
Tags: financial advisor charlotte nc, Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Investment Planning
Heirs, Value and Family Wealth
Jun 10, 2019
Some millionaires are reluctant to talk to their kids about family wealth. Perhaps they are afraid of what their heirs may do with it.
If a child comes from money and grows up knowing they can expect a sizable inheritance, that child may look at family wealth like water from a free-flowing spigot with no drought in sight. Your child may rely upon your wealth if nothing works out; or simply to whims born of boredom. The perception that family wealth is a fallback rather than a responsibility can contribute to the erosion of family assets. Factor in a parental reluctance to say “no” often enough, throw in a penchant for racking up debt, and the stage is set for wealth to dissipate.
How might a family plan to prevent this? It starts with values. From those values; you can begin to define goals and purpose. (more…)
Tags: Family Wealth, Financial Planner Charlotte NC
More Insights
Dec 9, 2019
Good credit may open doors. It is vital to securing a loan, a business loan, or buying a home. When you establish and maintain good credit in college, you create a financial profile for yourself that can influence lenders, landlords, and potential employers. Unfortunately, some college students do not have good credit. In fact, Credit … Continue reading “Establishing Good Credit in College”
Dec 6, 2019
Financial generalizations are as old as time. Some have been around for decades, while others have only recently joined their ranks. Let’s examine a few common retirement assumptions. Retirement means I can stop investing. In the past, retirement was viewed as an “end” in many ways. These days though, retirement is often seen as an opportunity … Continue reading “Debunking Common Retirement Assumptions”
Dec 4, 2019
What is a relationship with a financial advisor worth to an investor? A 2019 study by Vanguard, one of the world’s largest money managers, attempts to answer that question. Vanguard’s whitepaper concludes that when an investor works with an advisor and receives professional investment advice, they may see a net portfolio return about 3% higher … Continue reading “Measuring the Value of a Financial Advisor”
Dec 2, 2019
Can your IRA be put directly into a trust? In short, no. Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) cannot be put directly into a trust. What you can do, however, is name a trust as the beneficiary of your IRA. The trust would inherit the IRA upon your passing, and your beneficiaries would then have access to … Continue reading “Can You Put Your IRA into a Trust?”
Nov 29, 2019
We all know the value of a good credit score. We all try to maintain one. Sometimes, though, life throws us a financial curveball and that score declines. What steps can we take to repair it? Reduce your credit utilization ratio. Your credit utilization ratio (CUR) is the percentage of a credit card’s debt limit … Continue reading “Ways to Repair Your Credit Score”
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