Many sources will tell you to give yourself a big pat on the back if you're saving 10% of your money. I'd like to suggest why I don't think saving 10% is enough in the context of three main financial goals most of us have.
Read MorePick up almost any mainstream book or listen to any talking head in the personal finance space and you'll hear "pay off your mortgage early." So if you have extra money each month, should you pay extra toward your mortgage? The "right" answer may surprise you.
One of the hardest things about being a young investor is that we haven't experienced what it's like to endure a market crash - we can be naive about the big investing mistakes humans are prone to. Here's a simple exercise to help gauge your risk tolerance and what it's like to feel emotions of a portfolio drawdown.
Being a financial planner, the most frequent question I get in small talk is, "So what should I invest in?" But that's not the most important thing in investing. What is, then?
I'm surprised at how many people confuse basic financial literacy with financial planning. Real financial planning is more than knowing a few basic principles and following rules of thumb. So you think you can plan? Here, I share the 3 "C's" of financial planning.
The conundrum of the average investor who wants to be properly diversified is solved by mutual funds. By pooling your money with other investors, you can own several different asset classes to reduce your risk, and still get an adequate investment return.
In my experience, the number one reason people haven't started investing is because they are afraid of risk, and don't correctly understand its role in investing. Here's how to invest with less risk and still get an investment return you need for your goals.
Many sources will tell you to give yourself a big pat on the back if you're saving 10% of your money. I'd like to suggest why I don't think saving 10% is enough in the context of three main financial goals most of us have.
In my work as a financial planner, I've observed several types of financial inaction in people's lives. However, they nearly all fall into one of two camps, which I call the two deadly "P's".
I give out a lot of advice as a financial planner. But if there is one thing I hope you do, it's to sit down for 20-30 minutes to actually write down your answers to these three questions.
Most sources heap lots of praise on Roth IRAs, usually by hyper-focusing on the appealing idea of not paying taxes when you withdraw your money in the future. I'll play devil's advocate and bring down the hype so we can look at the benefits of the Roth IRA objectively.
The most common budget-killer, hands down, is non-monthly expenses. Learn the simple solution.
Price Protection is a little-known, not-used-nearly-enough benefit offered by some credit cards that will reimburse you for a price drop that happens after you purchase an item.
There are three spending categories that take up over 50% of the average household's gross income, and over 62% of the average household's net income. Cutting down on these "big three" categories could be the difference you need to save more money.
Your credit score doesn't have to be something that you just hope is "good enough" . It can be something you can intentionally and strategically build. Let's bust the myths and break it down to a simple science, even a straightforward 7-Step plan.
It's just a myth that early retirement isn't possible for the middle class. You don't have to be mega-rich to retire early, you may just need to be more grateful and appreciative for what you have, and understand the simple math behind financial independence.
The presidential election race is over. But your investing race is ongoing - are you avoiding the distractions and "training" correctly to make sure you win?
If you're an undergraduate college student - or have been one in any of the last three calendar years - and have received a pell grant, you may not have gotten as big of a tax refund as you could have.
In one survey, 63% of people responded that they'd rather disclose their weight than reveal how much money is in their checking account. Have you thought about the problems caused by any money avoidance on your part?
How can we "hack" our own behavioral tendencies to be loose with our money, and not end up quitting every time we try to follow a budget?
When it came time to choose how I'd handle investments, I wanted my clients to get the best of both worlds: the low-cost efficiency of a new, modern investment company combined with the guidance of a human advisor.
Becoming a financial planner involved some twists and turns. I had to create a fair and honest way to provide relevant financial advice for my peers.
Just like the Final Four of NCAA college basketball, thousands of financial advisors were asked to fill out a bracket to come up with a "Financial Four" of the most important principles of personal finance. What was the champion principle, and what is so important about it?