Your guide for retirement news, insights, and resources
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How to Use AI Well in Your Financial Life
AI isn’t magic. It’s a tool. A fast one, a powerful one, but still just a tool. If you treat it like an advisor, it’s going to disappoint you. But if you use it to sharpen your thinking, it can save you time and help you see patterns you might have missed. You just have…
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Why We Shut Down: When Money Stress Makes You Freeze
We often hear that financial problems should be solved with discipline. Just make a plan. Just take action. Just do something. But that’s not how people work when they are overwhelmed. When money is tight and pressure is high, the instinct is not always movement. Sometimes it’s paralysis. Bills pile up, decisions feel heavier, and…
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The Fake Bank Trap: When High-Yield Accounts Aren’t Real
High-yield savings accounts are great if you’re trying to build an emergency fund or keep savings separate from checking. They allow you to earn at least some growth while keeping that money accessible in a pinch. But as more people look to stash their money in online banks, scammers are moving fast to meet them…
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The Payday Loan Trap: When a Lifeline Turns Into a Loop
Imagine you’re short $300 to cover rent, your next paycheck is five days away, and your bank balance is nearly zero. For millions of Americans, this isn’t a hypothetical. It’s a monthly occurrence. Enter the payday loan. On the surface, payday loans offer fast cash with no credit check and minimal paperwork – often approved…
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Tariffs: Who Pays, Who Gains?
It’s one thing to understand what a tariff is but it’s another to understand who benefits once it’s in place. If we pay more at the register, where does that money go? Is it fueling government programs? Offsetting deficits? Just disappearing into the system? And if higher prices are the price of “protectionism,” is anyone…
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Why Expense Forecasting Is the Habit You Didn’t Know You Needed
Many people are familiar with expense tracking. You look back at what you’ve spent, categorize it, and highlight areas that could be more efficient based on your goals. It’s incredibly useful and something we strongly encourage. But it’s just one piece of the puzzle. There’s a reason every business doesn’t just track expenses but also…
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Budgeting App Scams Why “Safe Enough” Isn’t Good Enough
Last summer, Creditnews Research released its findings on the data safety practices of popular financial apps. Their findings were eye-opening. Not only did the majority of apps share some form of user information with third parties, but many shared far more sensitive data than users would expect. This issue doesn’t just affect budgeting tools—it stretches…
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The Evolution of ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ (BNPL) Services
A few decades ago, if you couldn’t afford to buy something outright, you had two options: wait and save, or use layaway. Layaway was a patience-based system – you paid for the item in installments before receiving it. It taught discipline, but it also came with the risk of cancellation, restocking fees, or simply losing…
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Day Trading Gurus: The Social Media Scam That Won’t Die
Social media has become the perfect stage for day trading scammers. They promise instant wealth, total freedom, and a life you can only get by joining their Discord group, paying for their signals, or copying their trades. TikTok and YouTube are packed with these stories. Some are polished. Some even look scrappy on purpose because…
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Why Does News Cause Market Swings?
Ever wonder why a company reports record profits and the stock drops? Or why bad economic news sometimes sends the market up? News affects markets – but not always in the way you’d expect. The Power of Earnings, Fed Announcements, and Data Drops Some news matters more than others. Corporate earnings reports give investors a…
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Why You Need a Personal Advocate
Have you ever wondered what would happen if your life took a sudden turn for the worse – a car accident, emergency surgery….who would take care of your life while you were fighting for it? A personal advocate is an individual you trust to make decisions and take actions on your behalf when you’re incapable…
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Key Takeaways from This Year’s Midyear Financial Forecasts
Sometimes it is wise to take a look back ahead of a journey forward. We have been scrutinizing the midyear outlooks published by various financial institutions and respected strategists back in June. Our aim is to provide valuable context as we approach what could be a turbulent period. With a Presidential election right around the…
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The Green Gold Rush: A Comprehensive Guide to ESG Investing in 2024
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing has gained significant attention in recent years, but many investors remain confused about its meaning, effectiveness, and potential impact on returns. ESG investing is a strategy that considers environmental, social, and governance factors alongside traditional financial metrics when making investment decisions. Here’s a breakdown of what each component means:…
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Investor Psychology: Navigating Market Volatility
Imagine the stock market takes a nosedive. Your retirement account value plummets, and anxiety sets in. Logic tells you to stay calm, but the urge to act becomes overwhelming. This scenario illustrates the power of investor psychology, which influences both individual consumers and professional money managers. The key is to recognize the behavior and take…
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Will I Run Out of Money?
Worrying about running out of money is at the top of the list of concerns for those planning for retirement or already there. Whether you’ve diligently saved a small fortune or you’re working with more modest means, the transition from saving to spending can feel almost terrifying. Of course, no one can answer this question…
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Is 60/40 Still a Thing?
The 60/40 portfolio (60% equities, 40% bonds) has been a staple of investment strategy for decades. But did we adopt this approach simply because it was the best we could do with the limited investment options available at the time? While this strategy has generally performed well, it’s worth questioning whether it’s truly foolproof, especially…
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Social Security, Please Hold
Thank you for calling Social Security, Your Estimated Wait Time is… No matter what the situation is, sometimes when we have a problem, we just want to speak to someone. We don’t want to listen to a lengthy message only to click on some options and then be told we can’t be helped and ‘good…
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Why does Retirement Feel Expensive?
Over the years, we’ve been exposed to countless presentations on how financial advisors model retirement plans for their clients. Despite the common disclaimers that each plan is unique and tailored to individual circumstances, we’ve noticed a striking consistency: most advisors still rely on the 4% Rule as their primary strategy. This observation persists across the…
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The Ways and Means of What Will Become of Social Security
As headlines increasingly spotlight a potentially shaky future for Social Security, the irony becomes evident: is the safety net meant to safeguard our retirement facing an uncertain fate? Let’s take a look at how Social Security’s summer is going so far… Back in June, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security held a…
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Why Financial Conversations Leave So Many People Feeling Foggy
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
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…
Continue ReadingFake AI “Advisors” Offering Personalized Plans
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
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
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)
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
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
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?
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
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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