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The Benefits of Learning a New Language in Later Life

08/27/2024

Just as our bodies require care and exercise, so do our brains — especially as we age. One way to stimulate those mental muscles is to learn a new language. Admittedly, the research is mixed – there are studies that indicate learning a new language can the onset of dementia, while others say that may…

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Having a Badge Does Not Make You Official

08/19/2024

Phone scammers are starting to get hip to the fact that WE’RE getting hip. A larger majority of people are asking the right questions and doing the right thing when receiving phone calls from unknown actors claiming to be from a Federal agency. SO – these bad actors have taken it a step further by…

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Staggered Retirement

08/19/2024

Last week in our discussion of J.P.Morgan’s 2019 study Three Retirement Surprises we examined why the conventional wisdom of the 4% rule may not always apply. In a follow up study this year, they examined what happens to spending in households where couples do not retire at the same time. Their data concluded that partially…

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Deed Fraud

08/12/2024

In the realm of property-related crimes, deed fraud stands out as a particularly alarming trend. This sophisticated scam involves criminals using forged documents to steal homeownership right from under the legitimate owners’ noses. While it may sound like something out of a crime novel, deed fraud is a very real and growing threat in today’s…

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A cartoon thief holding a green money bag, representing elder fraud prevention.

The Grandparent Scam

08/05/2024

The grandparent scam is a cruel tactic used by fraudsters to exploit the love and concern of older adults for their grandchildren. In this scheme, scammers pose as grandchildren in distress, seeking immediate financial help. Despite seeming obvious from the outside, these scams continue to succeed due to their emotional manipulation. Here’s how it typically…

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Navigating the Medicare Sign-Up Process: A Guide for Newbies

08/05/2024

Signing up for Medicare can seem daunting, but understanding the process is crucial for ensuring you receive the health coverage you need. This guide will walk you through the essentials of Medicare enrollment, from eligibility to avoiding common pitfalls. Eligibility Medicare is generally available to individuals 65 years or older, younger people with certain disabilities,…

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Why Smart People Still Get Bad Advice

06/23/2025

Being intelligent isn’t a shield against bad financial decisions. In fact, it can sometimes have the opposite effect. Smart people often assume that if they don’t understand something, the fault lies with them. They give the benefit of the doubt, nod politely, and walk away thinking they’ll figure it out later. But in the financial…

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Can AI Replace Financial Advisors? Yes. No. It Depends.

06/16/2025

Yes. No. It depends. Don’t you love those kinds of answers? Let’s break down why that’s the only honest one. YES -AI can absolutely help if you’re just starting out. It can estimate how much you should be saving, where to allocate it, and even generate a retirement projection that looks reasonably legit. If you’re…

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When You Can’t Save, You’re Not Failing

06/09/2025

What happens when you do everything right and still don’t have anything left over? Let’s talk about something we don’t say enough in personal finance – sometimes the numbers just don’t work. We ran a realistic scenario using actual data – not extreme, not worst-case, just average. We pulled numbers from sources like Zillow for…

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What’s Going On with the CFPB?

06/02/2025

Back in our very first newsletter last August, we highlighted the growing attention on so-called “junk fees” – surprise charges buried in everything from bank overdrafts to credit card late payments. We applauded the work of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the federal agency behind those efforts. At the time, we said: they’ve got…

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Demystifying Tariffs: The Basics Behind the Buzzword

05/26/2025

Tariffs continue to dominate the news cycle, indicating their lasting impact on our economy. But while today’s headlines focus on the latest trade policies, the fundamentals of tariffs haven’t changed in centuries. Whether it’s steel, semiconductors, or shoes, understanding how tariffs work helps decode the ripple effects they create in everyday life. So let’s break…

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How to Build a Personal Expense Forecast (Without a Finance Degree)

05/19/2025

Forecasting doesn’t have to be complicated. You’re not trying to predict the stock market, you’re simply creating a forward-looking map of expenses you already know are coming. It’s not about precision; it’s about visibility. And once you have it, you’ll make financial decisions with more clarity and less stress. Here’s how to build a practical,…

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The True Cost of Debt

05/12/2025

You walk into a store and see something you want – a laptop, an appliance, a designer item. The price tag reads $850. You don’t have the cash, but your credit card has room. It feels like a manageable decision, one you’ll sort out over time. This kind of moment plays out thousands of times…

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SOCIAL SECURITY: What it Is. What it Isn’t. Why it Matters. Why it’s SO Hard to Reform

05/05/2025

Last August when we launched our very first issue we asked What Will Become of Social Security? A week later we followed up with Social Security, Please Hold, focused on the operational breakdowns inside the SSA itself – delays, underfunding, and a staffing crisis. Back then, the headlines were familiar: warnings about the trust fund…

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What ‘Stay the Course’ Really Means for Long-Term Investors During Market Volatility

04/28/2025

“Stay the course” – the simple phrase that gets tossed around every time the market tanks can feel useless if you don’t know what it really means or why someone’s saying it. It often sounds like someone trying to get out of a conversation they don’t want to have. It feels dismissive, like they can…

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Who’s Actually Moving the Market?

04/21/2025

If you’ve ever watched the market jump or crash and thought, “Who decided that?”, you’re not alone. It’s easy to assume it’s a crowd of everyday investors, each clicking “buy” or “sell” on their phones. But the truth is, retail traders (people trading their own money) make up a small slice of the action. Most…

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Why Financial Conversations Leave So Many People Feeling Foggy

06/23/2025

You show up prepared. Maybe you’ve got a few questions written down, maybe you’ve reviewed your account statements, maybe you’ve even watched a few videos to brush up on the basics. You’re trying to be proactive. But somewhere during the conversation, things start to slip. You hear a stream of words that sound technical and…

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The 4 Most Misunderstood Words in Financial Conversations

06/23/2025

If you’ve ever walked away from a financial conversation feeling like you “should” have understood more, you’re not alone. A big part of the confusion comes down to language. Financial professionals often use everyday words that sound familiar but carry a different meaning once they’re inside a retirement plan, an insurance policy, or an investment…

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Fake AI “Advisors” Offering Personalized Plans

06/16/2025

AI-based tools are all over the financial space right now. Some are legitimate. Some just want your data. And in between, there’s a growing category of suspicious sites pretending to offer personalized financial advice powered by artificial intelligence. This isn’t a new scam. It’s just a rebranded version of the old “free retirement plan” pitch,…

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The Real Risk Isn’t AI. It’s the Urge to Hand Over the Wheel

06/16/2025

We all say we want financial clarity. But sometimes, what we actually want is someone (or something) to just tell us what to do. That’s where AI starts to feel seductive. It’s fast. It’s confident. It doesn’t get tired or judge you. It doesn’t even need context – it just needs inputs. But that’s also…

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You Don’t Need Investing Advice If You’re Not Investing

06/09/2025

We live in an age of nonstop financial noise. We hear about asset allocation, sequence of returns risk, and rebalancing… but what if you don’t even have a portfolio or a company plan to contribute to? That is a very real situation for millions of people. If you’re focused on paying the bills, managing debt,…

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Why Debt Creates Shame (And Why That Shame Isn’t Yours to Carry)

06/02/2025

Debt is a financial issue, but it rarely feels like just a math problem. It feels like a moral one. Like failure. Like everyone else has it together and you missed something obvious. And unlike other financial challenges, debt tends to carry a weight that goes beyond the balance. It carries shame. Quiet, isolating shame…

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The Tariff Excuse

05/26/2025

Any time prices start rising, explanations follow. Some are legitimate. Others? Not so much. And lately, one excuse has been popping up more and more: “Because of tariffs.” Retailers and manufacturers know that most consumers don’t fully understand how tariffs work—or whether they even apply to the products they’re buying. That gap in knowledge creates…

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The Dopamine of RETAIL THERAPY

05/12/2025

You clicked “Pay Later.” It felt like control. Easy. Harmless. Almost smart. But that little rush you got when you hit the buy button? That wasn’t budgeting. That was dopamine. Retail therapy isn’t just a joke or a meme. It is a real psychological loop. When we shop, especially when we are stressed, bored, or…

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When Do Financial Professionals Actually Take Action During Market Drops?

04/28/2025

Now that we’ve clarified when “stay the course” applies and why it’s used, let’s look at the other side of the coin: when to take action. Even in the best of times, financial plans evolve. A solid plan needs to be flexible and sometimes that means making changes. Financial professionals don’t sit idle through every…

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Fear-Based Scams: How Market Panics Create Easy Targets

04/21/2025

When markets get shaky, emotions run high – and scammers know it. Fear, confusion, and a sense of urgency are exactly the conditions fraudsters look for. During volatile markets, scam activity often surges because people are more vulnerable. They’re scared about losing money and looking for quick solutions or safer alternatives. That’s when the predators…

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