HSA plans, short for Health Savings Account, should not be ignored. These were created in 2003 to provide special tax treatment for those with high-deductible health insurance plans. However, not everyone is eligible for a Health Savings Account. If you are, you should really give it a solid look. According to the HealthCare.gov site, “the […]
The coronavirus stimulus plan known as the “CARES Act” is here and it’s huge. It passed in the Senate 96-0, was approved in the House, and signed by the President. The cost of the plan is over $2 trillion. That’s in addition to what the Federal Reserve is doing via monetary policy. To put that […]
Mutual fund share classes can often be confusing for investors looking to save for retirement. Understanding how they work is key to making smart investing decisions. If you’re socking money away in a retirement account, the odds are you’re investing in mutual funds. Mutual funds allow investors to pool their money together and receive professional […]
UTMA accounts provide a way to gift money to minor children. Contributing funds to UTMA accounts constitutes an irrevocable gift. Once you gift the funds, they must be managed for the benefit of the minor and you cannot change the beneficiary. However, there is a lot of flexibility with this type of account. The custodian […]
Investing vs gambling. We shouldn’t confuse the two but often do. And to be fair, some investment decisions look a lot like gambling. Investing gives you ownership of an asset with potential to increase in value over time. In most cases, this asset will provide some sort of income while you wait. This could be […]
Retirement saving doesn’t have to be painful, but the longer you wait, the harder it will be to catch up. That can be hazardous to your financial health. If you think it will be difficult coming up with the funds now, consider how hard it will be in the future. While this example assumes a […]
If you have a work place retirement account, you are likely investing in mutual funds. While other investment vehicles like exchange traded funds (ETFs) have grown in popularity, mutual funds haven’t been replaced. At least not yet. Here’s what you need to know. What are mutual funds? Mutual funds are companies that pool money from investors. […]
There is much more to bond mutual funds than meets the eye. Building a diversified mutual fund portfolio will often require the addition of some type of bond mutual fund. To what degree depends on your risk tolerance, investment objective, and time horizon (how long you intend to be invested). Bonds are typically viewed as […]
Investing success relies more on patience and discipline than return on investment. It can also require pain and sacrifice. Yet, many focus so intently on potential returns and trying to predict the future. Instead, focus on what you can control. The biggest risk to investing success is bad investor behavior, not the investment. If you are suffering […]
Successful long term retirement investing is often as simple as focusing on what we can control. This sounds easy, but all too often we become distracted by things outside of our control. We are bombarded with information and most of it is just noise. We would be well served to learn how to turn down this […]
