Category: Financial Planning
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The Ultimate Guide to Setting Financial Goals
Let’s face it – we millennials have unique financial challenges. From student loan debt to an ever-evolving job market, the pressure is real. It’s a lot. However, you can navigate these increasing challenges. Setting financial goals can be your financial North Star. Let’s explore how to establish your short-term and long-term financial goals and why…
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How to Become Financially Independent: A Millennial’s Guide
Let’s talk about two compelling money concepts: financial independence and financial freedom. Millennials are redefining how we perceive money, and these terms signify more than just having plenty of cash in the bank. Defining Financial Independence So, what exactly is financial independence? It’s the point where your assets generate enough income to cover your living…
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Get Ahead: Your Guide to Financial Planning
Want to eat all of the avocado toast and get all of your coffee out? Well, there is a way to afford it all. How? Financial Planning. Financial planning is like Apple Maps for your financial journey. It’s your road map to achieving your life goals, whether that’s buying a house, traveling the world, or…
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Financial Things Every New Parent Needs to Consider
As a parent, your primary concern is ensuring your children have everything they need to grow up healthy, happy, and well-educated. However, it is equally important to consider their financial future, particularly in today’s volatile and uncertain economic environment. In this blog post, we will explore some of the most critical financial considerations parents need…
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Everything You Need To Know About Pay Yourself First Budgeting
Pay yourself first is a form of reverse budgeting, a financial management strategy recently(ish) gaining popularity. Unlike traditional budgeting, where you allocate a certain amount for each expense category, reverse budgeting starts with your income and encourages you to save a certain percentage while allowing you to spend the remaining amount freely. How Reverse Budgeting…
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Everything You Need To Know About Target Date Funds
Target-date or lifecycle retirement funds have become increasingly popular over the past few years. These funds intend to help investors reach their retirement goals by automatically adjusting the allocation of assets over time. They are very much a “set it and forget it” approach to investing. What are Target Date Retirement Funds? Target date retirement…
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Bonds Are Back
Bonds have not been a thing for a minute now. They have been boring for my entire financial career, offering negligible returns. A quick Google search for “bonds” will bring results for James and Barry, not the $46 trillion fixed-income market. When bringing up bonds in meetings with clients and prospects the past few months…
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Best Short-Term Investments Right Now
It’s no secret that the Federal Reserve has rapidly increased interest rates in 2022. While those rapid increases have killed investor sentiment in the stock market, they have made short-term investments appealing again. Short-term investments can vary significantly in length, quality, and restrictions, and this guide will help you sort through them. What are short-term…
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26 Ways to Use Your FSA
What is a flexible spending account, or FSA? As the year winds down and open enrollment begins, it’s a great time to look at your flexible spending account. FSA stands for flexible spending account. It allows you to use pre-tax money (saving you on taxable income) for healthcare. You choose the amount you wish to…
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Financial Planning and Advice for Millennials
Building wealth in your 20s and 30s looks different. The traditional financial service industry targets the retirement market, as that is typically the height of wealth for most families. Financial advisors usually attempt to get their investments and charge a percentage or sell annuities that generate commission-based and ongoing fees. Either way, financial services focus…
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Emergency Fun(d)
What is an emergency fund? An emergency fund is a reserve of savings used expressly for unplanned expenses or financial distress. Whether medical bills or a car repair, an emergency fund is a cushion that absorbs those unexpected expenses. Ideally, an emergency fund will keep you from raiding your retirement savings or, worse, taking on…
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Why You Should Use an Independent Financial Advisor
There are a lot of financial advisors out there. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the United States has approximately 263,000 personal financial advisors. There are 3,330 St. Louis financial advisors, according to U.S. News. St. Louis has a lot of financial advisors and financial planners for a city of its size. For a St.…
