Blog
Inflation & Your Money
It's important to understand how inflation is reported and how it can affect investments. "If the current annual inflation rate is less than 3 percent, why do my bills seem like they're 10 percent higher than last year?"1 Many of us ask ourselves that question, and it...
The Average American Budget
Learn about the average American budget in this fun and interactive piece.. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American household earns an average of $101,805 a year before taxes and spends over 80% of their available income on basic necessities...
The One Big Beautiful Bill and You
Explore how the One Big Beautiful Bill may affect taxes, deductions, and credits now and in the years ahead. On July 4, the One Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law at a White House ceremony. This domestic policy bill extends the 2017 tax cuts set to expire this...
How Insurance Deductibles Work
Knowing how insurance deductibles work can help you save money. An insurance deductible is the amount you, the insured, pay before any claim is paid by your insurance carrier. Depending upon the type of insurance, a policy may set the amount of deductible, or offer...
Exploring the Federal Student Grant Program
In this article, explore the benefits of the Federal Student Grant Program You may have heard of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, if you or someone you know has plans to attend a college, career school, or university. Last year, nearly 50% of...
Top Things to Ask a Financial Advisor
Financial Planning Industry: Selecting an Advisor “Life is Change, Growth is Optional” I heard that book title the other day, and even though I haven’t read the book, I found myself considering the title in relation to my profession. As in the case of life itself,...
Buying a Home
A look at what you need to think about when buying a home. When people talk about the American Dream and what it means to them, buying a house is often near the top of the list. However, the care and responsibilities of owning a home can sometimes be overlooked:...
Value vs. Growth Investing
Among stock-market investors there’s long been a debate between those who favor value and those who favor growth. Looking at their recent track records doesn’t do much to settle the debate. Over the past decade, as a whole, value stocks have not performed as well as...
Mutual Funds vs. ETFs
Exchange-traded funds have some things in common with mutual funds, but there are differences, too. The growth of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has been explosive. In 2006, there were less than 1,000; by 2024, there over nearly 10,000 investing in a wide range of...
