Behavioral Finance
How is my Credit Score Calculated?
Blog“How is my Credit Score Calculated?" Many people live and die by their credit score and do everything humanly possible to improve it. Others take a more passive approach by ensuring they pay off their credit card every month and trust they will be viewed...
Don’t Live with Election Fear
Blog“Don't Live with Election Fear" It seems to be all we hear about anymore. What will November 3rd, 2020 produce for the next president of the United States? Truthfully, with the amount of mail in ballots expected in this election, we may not know on November 3rd,...
Thinking of Success
Blog“Thinking of Success" One of the leaders in our RIA firm (Cambridge) posted on the idea of Success. I wanted to share these thoughts with you this week. Success is not a miracle. Nor is it a matter of luck. Everything happens for a reason, good or...
A Simple Budgeting Alternative
Blog “A Simple Budgeting Alternative" I’m not sure I’ve ever met a client who genuinely got excited about the idea of creating and following a budget. I think for so many people, a budget feels restricting and cumbersome to keep up with. But, have you ever wondered...
Themes for the Next Decade
Blog “Investment Themes for the Next Decade" Let’s face it, 2020 has been a difficult year for so many. Whether it was the Australian wildfires, the killer hornets, the California fires, or the COVID pandemic, we have had our fair share of tumultuous events. From...
Geographic Arbitrage – A Trend with Momentum
Blog “Geographic Arbitrage - A Trend with Momentum" Geographic Arbitrage (AKA geo-arbitrage) in its simplest format is when someone takes advantage of differences in cost of living between two geographic locations. The concept is not something new or...
Financially Preparing for a Child
Blog “Financially Preparing for a Child" Having a baby is one of the most exciting times in a couple’s life. Leading up to the birth, you read books, listen to podcasts, and put up with all of your friends and relatives giving you their random pieces of advice...
4 Exercises for Better Money Habits
Blog “4 Exercises for Better Money Habits" Do you ever find yourself wishing you had better money habits, but you just can’t seem to change your day-to-day actions? Here’s the good news: It is absolutely within your control to transform your habits and become...
Setting Your Children up for Retirement
Blog “Setting Your Children up for Retirement" For many people, setting their child up for success in the future is one of their responsibilities as a parent or guardian. Setting them up for success comes in many different facets (think life skills, hard-work,...
Why the Dow Jones is not a Great Benchmark
Blog “Why the Dow Jones is not a Great Benchmark" It’s nearly impossible to tune into mainstream media outlets like CNBC without the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) being the focal point amongst stock indices. I, myself, am guilty of quoting the Dow’s price...
Gifting Responsibly and Avoiding Taxes
Blog “Gifting Responsibly and Avoiding Taxes" Each year, the IRS sets a limit called the annual gift tax exclusion which determines how much you can “gift” to someone else and avoid paying any taxes. For 2020, that annual exclusion amount is $15,000 (this can change...
The Importance of a Health Savings Account
Blog “The Importance of a Health Savings Account" If the last few months are any indication, we can see that healthcare needs and associated expenses are truly an unknown quantity. Healthcare costs can be a major stumbling block for both the young and elderly and...
Money Lessons to Teach in High School
Blog “4 Money Lessons They Should Teach in High School" Growing up in America we are taught many valuable things in high school, but an area that has historically been ignored is personal finance. While Chemistry is almost always on the curriculum (I haven’t had to...
Stock Markets and Presidential Elections
Blog “Stock Markets and Presidential Elections" While our post this week might not directly assist you in your quest towards financial independence, but it’s also fun to see how finances can play into so many aspects of our world. If 2020 hasn’t already been eventful...
FOMO with the Stock Market
Blog “FOMO with the Stock Market" “Fear of Missing Out” (AKA FOMO), has become very apparent as individuals try to make sense of the meteoric rise in the stock market over the past 60 days. We dive into why the stock market has been going up in a recent post which...
Paying with Cash vs. Affording Payments
Blog “Paying with Cash vs. Affording Payments" America has an all-consuming culture. Earning an income of $32,400 in the United States puts you in the top 1% of global earners, however, to earn in the top 1% in the United States you would need to pull in over...
Robo Advisor vs. Financial Advisor
Blog“Robo Advisor vs. Financial Advisor" There has been a lot of debate, especially over the last 10 years, about the “value” that a real-life financial advisor brings to a client. During this time, the massive growth of rob-advisors such as Betterment, Ally,...
Consistency Revisited
Blog“Consistency Revisited" Almost a year ago, we put out a post titled, “Consistency is Attractive.” With everything going on right now, we felt it was a timely reminder that being consistent, not only with our finances, can be a great source of strength in times of...
Determining Life Insurance Needs
“Determining Life Insurance Needs" Life insurance is not a one size fits all game. Factors around someone’s stage in life, their financial commitments, and their current available resources all contribute to the answer. If you are wondering what type of life...
Financial Tips for Newlyweds
“Financial Tips for Newlyweds" Discussing finances is hardly a romantic idea for newly married couples but it is essential for any serious relationship. So many couples stick with their own individual way of managing money, which may or may not mesh with how their...
Showing Your Money Love on Valentine’s Day
“Showing your Money Love on Valentine's Day" I know what you’re thinking: “What a romantic topic for Valentine’s Day!” However, there is good reason to talk about finances on a day normally dedicated to romance and that’s because money matters are one of the main...
Client Headlines NOT News Headlines
“Client Headlines NOT News Headlines" We recently met with a fund manager who has over 25 years’ experience in the industry and we asked him what his outlook was for 2020. He proceeded to rattle off a number of global factors that could impact markets and the economy...
Setting Financial Goals for 2020
“Setting Financial Goals for 2020" The thought of new year’s resolutions makes some people cringe. I don’t think that resolutions are inherently bad, but I have found that they tend to be hopeful statements of achievement rather than clearly defined written down...
2010’s, A Decade in Review
“2010's, A Decade in Review" As the 2010’s decade draws to a close we thought it important to pause and take a look back at how the financial landscape has changed from 2010 through 2019. Remember how bleak things looked in 2010 as investors had just come off the...
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