Financial Articles

Financial self-help advice is everywhere, but when it comes to sorting fact from fiction, how do you truly know what is sound guidance?

Recent economic metrics have been contradictory. Consumer confidence is low, but spending is high, gas prices fall, but inflation doesn’t… The list goes on. All this being said, it can be difficult to make sense of up or down, which also might make you question the latest news stories.

For many retirees, saving can be the easy part, but spending is a different story. A frugal mindset is something you can carry with you for life, and it might make enjoying the fruits of your labor during retirement feel difficult at times.

Day-to-day happiness is something that will fluctuate over your lifetime, but when it comes to overall happiness, what lends to a “satisfied life”?

Albert Einstein once said, “The hardest thing in the world to understand is the Income Tax.” Beyond being complicated, there is no way to avoid Uncle Sam’s share of your appreciated assets.

What does Bo Jackson’s stardom have to do with finances? In 1989, he was Nike’s prime marketer for their cross-trainer shoe ad campaign, and as such, appeared to know it all when it came to sports (i.e. — “Bo knows”). However, much like your portfolio, Bo’s popularity is more complex than that.

Investment planning isn’t synonymous to gambling in a casino, but the two realms do share insight that can lend valuable lessons to today’s investors.

In addition to being an American Founding Father and innovator, Benjamin Franklin was also our “nation’s first happiness professor”, as described by filmmaker Ken Burns.

In the world of investing, critiquing prior financial choices is common, and is what economists refer to as “hindsight bias”.

All tax-deferred savings come along with a tax liability. Over time, contributions, employer matches and investment returns can create a snowball effect when it comes to the dues you owe Uncle Sam.

As author Morgan Housel says, historical events which reap takeaways that can be applied to broad areas of life often contain some of the most valuable insight.

A healthy relationship with money can help lend to a life of fulfillment and financial independence, but it also involves being self aware of potential toxic money beliefs.