Congratulations on the new job! While the transition to a new company or a new position may be stressful, taking the following steps can help provide a smooth transition and simplify your personal financial life. Get to know your new retirement plan The type of plan offered (401k, 403b, 457, SIMPLE IRA, SEP IRA, etc.)…
Getting married can be a blissful but often stressful time in your life. We’re sure that you have plenty of planning already on your plate for the rehearsal, ceremony, reception, and honeymoon, but have you started thinking about your personal finances after the big day? We’ve put together this checklist of items to discuss with…
While the transition from your working years to retirement can be both rewarding and exciting, it can also come with a lot of uncertainty. In an effort to alleviate some of that stress, consider the following as you approach retirement, which will hopefully increase your confidence heading into this next phase of life. Know Your…
With property values reaching pre-recession levels in many parts of the country, some people are once again getting the itch to move. Maybe you’ve been putting it off for years waiting for the market to recover, or perhaps you are a first-time home buyer who has finally saved enough for a down payment. Either way,…
While asset allocation is the process of diversifying a portfolio between asset classes, strategy diversification is the process of diversifying a portfolio within an asset class in order to minimize volatility or capitalize on opportunity. For example, dividend paying stocks may behave differently than high growth technology stocks and inflation linked bonds may behave differently…
In investing, the principals of diversification and asset allocation are frequently used synonymously but they are distinct concepts. Diversification is a broader risk management technique than asset allocation. While asset allocation is a form of diversification, there are also other ways to diversify portfolios, some of which are discussed below. For example, the volatility of…
Market Commentary: Trumped US stock markets have been on a furious pace since the results of the 2016 election, with what analysts and talking heads are calling the ‘Trump Rally.’ Led by small cap stocks, we have seen a year’s worth of gains happening over a 3-month span. With stocks at or near all-time highs,…
