COMMUNICATIONS
Top 5 Reasons to Have a Will
Having a will is one of the most important things you can do to avoid added stress on families during an already emotional time. Not only can a will legally protect your spouse, children, and assets, but it specifically outlines how you would like your estate distributed and ensures your estate will not end up in the wrong hands
Street$marts: Credit Card Rewards and How to Think About Them
If you are using a debit card, you’re spending money and not getting anything back in return. It’s like paying with a check. When you use a credit card though, every time you pay for shopping online, eating at a restaurant, groceries, or other day-to-day expenses, you’re likely earning valuable points and miles that can be used in a variety of ways!
Market Outlook Summer 2022
Double, double whammy. After two years of endless concern from a once-a-lifetime pandemic (let’s hope), and the clouds just starting to part, barely, we get hit with an unruly market bent on testing our already fragile mindsets; Double Whammy #1.
If this isn’t enough, let’s toss in inflation exhibiting the endurance of a marathon runner, coupled with rising interest rates increasing borrowing costs to businesses and consumers with higher rates on mortgages, car loans, credit cards, home equity and improvement loans, and personal loans of all types. When you can’t buy a new home, or a car, because of limited supply, now you can’t afford them from a budget perspective. Double Whammy #2.
Market Insights: Calling a Recession
When GDP growth slows and extreme volatility plagues the market, we are often confronted with a familiar question…are we headed for a recession or are we already in one? The usual definition of a recession may make it seem clear-cut: two consecutive quarters of contracting GDP. However, to the “recession referees” of the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Business Cycle Dating Committee, the real definition is a little more nuanced.
Helpful Tips from H&R: Should You Buy Now, Pay Later?
BNPL stands for Buy Now Pay Later. In a BNPL transaction, the consumer pays for the transaction amount in smaller increments over time until the total transaction amount is reached. Over the past several years, BNPL has taken share from more traditional payment methods in the global payments ecosystem. BNPL is often marketed as a new payment method. However, it is merely a simple repackaging of an old idea – installment payments.
Street$marts – Five Ways to Raise Financially Savvy Kids
You’ve probably read an article on the trendy “Things I Wish I’d Learned in High School.” Popular choices include basic finance like budgeting, how to use credit, saving and investing. While these topics may very well be valuable if taught in high school, you’ll give your kids a stronger foundation if you start them much younger. Follow these tips and they’ll be the ones teaching their high school peers all about the Benjamins.
Market Insights: Turn the Volume Down
In 2009, Jon Stewart interviewed Jim Cramer, the famous CNBC financial news commentator (first portion of the interview is here). When Stewart pressed him on his contradictory and often erratic antics Cramer said, “Look, we’ve got 17 hours of live TV a day to do.” Just think about that for a moment. 17 hours of live TV to fill! In between gold and crypto commercials, they have a 17-hour void to fill that bridges the gap between news, entertainment, and some actual financial analysis.
Investing 101: What is a SPAC?
SPACs have been around for decades, but only gained prominence recently in terms of IPO (initial public offering) deal market share, financial media news coverage, and institutional and retail investor interest.
Market Insights: Is there a Housing Bubble Brewing?
The start to this year has been anything but smooth for the stock and bond markets. With interest rates on the rise and inflation running amok, some investors have questioned where the bubbles are located. Crypto and profitless tech companies have already had their bubbles respectively pop. One area some investors have questioned is real estate. Are we in fact in a major real estate bubble?