If you’ve got student loans outstanding, it’s a common predicament - should you pay off those loans as quickly as possible first, or save for retirement? The short answer is this: save for retirement, usually. You can't use a loan to pay for your retirement. But I’ll break that down and explain why that’s important, and when you might want to focus on paying off debt instead: Save for Continue Reading
Are your 401(k) Savings Enough?
A 401(k) is a retirement savings plan offered by your employer. Employees make contributions out of their paycheck, usually automatically. Their employer may match that contribution up to a certain percentage. It’s a 40-year-old system that most people consider the foundation of their retirement plan. But too many people assume it will cover all of their expenses, and don’t look into what Continue Reading
6 Financial Planning Moves for your 40s
The financial planning moves that helped you build a foundation or support your family awhile ago may not be enough now that you’re in your forties. This decade might be the first time you really feel the pressure of a looming retirement, send your kids off to college, or debate downsizing your family home. Wherever you are in your forties, there are some universal money moves Continue Reading
5 Ways to Prepare for Early Retirement
Regardless of when you plan to retire, it is a major life step that takes significant planning and prep work. This is especially true if you plan on retiring early. Early retirement requires particularly aggressive saving because you have less time to set aside money for retirement, and more time you'll need to survive on those savings. 1.) Assess your current - and future - financial Continue Reading
Reviewing Employee Benefits for Open Enrollment
It may still be summer, but open enrollment is just around the corner! Chances are you haven't read all the details of your employee benefits. It's important to understand what benefits you might be able to take advantage of. This year, take the time to review your options and feel confident when open enrollment rolls around. This is especially critical if you've had major changes within your Continue Reading
Why Life Insurance is NOT an Investment
If you consider life insurance an investment, you're not alone. Permanent life insurance is often sold as an investment wrapped up in an insurance policy, but don't be too hasty to sign off on the dotted line on a certain product. There may be better options for you, and far better investments. Here's what you need to know before shopping for life insurance: If you're a more visual learner, Continue Reading
Your Year-End Financial Checklist
Managing your money to reach your financial goals is a never-ending activity. But as the end of the year approaches, there’s still time to make progress towards your yearly goals. Use this financial checklist to see if there's anything you can do before the end of the year. With the tax year winding to a close, a few moves might make a big difference. 1. Review Your Year Every financial move Continue Reading
4 Things You Need To Know About IRAs
Retirement may seem like it is a distant fuzzy target, but talk to any successful retired person, and they will tell you that it took a lot of planning and saving to reach financial independence. Financial independence is when you have enough money saved or invested to create a stream of income for you to live off of. You may or may not choose to work in retirement, but it will be because you want Continue Reading
A Millennial’s Guide to Balancing Multiple Money Goals
With student loans that need to be paid off, savings that have to be started and retirement goals that need to be planned, millennials may become overwhelmed with all the choices they have on how to spend their money. After entering the workforce full time, millennials need to make sure they’re making the most of their money. So herein lies the question -- what should millennials do with their Continue Reading
6 Ways Professionals Should Spend Their Money
Do you feel like you’re always reading articles about what you shouldn’t spend money on? Well, this is not that kind of article! If you’re a professional, here are six things that might be worth your hard-earned cash. Several good suits and a good pair of shoes If you ever need to go on a job interview, or your profession often puts you in front of clients, you’ll need a few nice suits or Continue Reading