What do you want to do? Lose weight? Learn a second language? Get in shape? Take a vacation? Get out of debt? What better time to commit yourself to a new course of action in life than at the end of the year? More than 40 percent of Americans “usually” make New Year’s resolutions. Another 17 percent make resolutions “infrequently.” Losing weight and eating healthy took the top spot of resolutions in 2017, at 21.4 percent. Next up: making self-improvements, 12.3 percent. Third place goes to … [Read more...] about Financially Preparing for the New Year
James D. Hoyt
Balancing College and Retirement
Are you faced with the dilemma of saving for your own retirement while at the same time trying to put money away for a child’s college education? How do you pursue both goals? How do you determine which is more important or what path to take? If this hard choice sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many Americans today struggle to balance their own financial future with preparing their children for success. As financial professionals, we have helped many parents evaluate their options and … [Read more...] about Balancing College and Retirement
Investing Lifestyle Expenses in Memorable Experiences
Financial envy is even more of a thing now than it was back in 1913 when cartoonist Arthur R. “Pop” Momand debuted the comic strip “Keeping Up with the Joneses,” which centered on the misadventures of Aloysius P. McGinnis and his family, who were always trying to keep up with their never-seen neighbors, the Joneses. Today, we not only have television shows displaying lifestyles of the rich and famous, we’re punched with images and status updates in social media, too. We not only see the … [Read more...] about Investing Lifestyle Expenses in Memorable Experiences
Market Corrections, Volatility During Retirement
Market corrections and volatility during retirement can be unnerving, but they are part and parcel of being a stock investor in today’s markets. In the long term, research shows that the stock market has delivered positive returns. However, in the short term, markets can fluctuate dramatically because of many factors. For instance, in the 20-year period between 1995 and 2014, the S&P 500 returned 9.9 percent, but during that same period, the S&P 500 suffered multiple years of negative … [Read more...] about Market Corrections, Volatility During Retirement
