It seems that expectations about retirement are not the same for Americans of every background. In fact, they can vary widely depending upon ethnicity and culture. When asked whether or not they had calculated how much they would need to retire, about half of the respondents to a recent survey…
Investing in foreign stocks provides access to a world of opportunities outside the United States, which may help boost returns and manage risk in your portfolio. However, it’s important to understand the unique risk/return characteristics of foreign investments before sending a portion of your money overseas. Reasons to go abroad…
Do you have a tendency to push off important tasks? Do you do things at the last minute, or maybe not do them at all? If so, you’re not alone. About one in five adults is a chronic procrastinator.1 Procrastination can be frustrating in the short term for even the…
No matter how much money you have or which life stage you’re in, becoming financially independent starts with a dream. Your dream might be to finally pay off the mountain of debt you’ve accumulated, or to stop relying on someone else for financial support. Or perhaps your dream is to…
Inflation averaged 2.5% for the 30-year period from 1989 to 2018. Although the recent trend is below the long-term average, even moderate inflation can reduce purchasing power and cut into the real return on your investments. Annual rate of inflation, based on change in the Consumer Price Index Source: U.S….
It takes four years, on average, to graduate from most colleges and universities. During that time, students can accumulate a large amount of debt. For most, the degree is worth the burden of paying off student loans long after graduation. However, these questions remain: How should the debt be repaid?…
Student loan debt presents a serious financial burden to countless members of Gen X and Gen Y. We may be some of the most educated generations in history, but we’re still struggling to earn enough money to take care of rising living expenses while paying down a massive debt load….
Selecting beneficiaries for retirement benefits is different from choosing beneficiaries for other assets such as life insurance. With retirement benefits, you need to know the impact of income tax and estate tax laws in order to select the right beneficiaries. Although taxes shouldn’t be the sole determining factor in naming…
As an investor, you probably pay attention to nominal return, which is the percentage increase or decrease in the value of an investment over a given period of time, usually expressed as an annual return. However, to estimate actual income or growth potential in order to target financial goals — for example,…
