Blog

The Facts of Life Insurance: Debunking 5 Common Life Insurance Myths

Chelsea Zoumides

Thursday, September 7, 2023

Having a solid life insurance policy in place is crucial for any adult who has assets, a business, or a steady income. While most adults know that having a life insurance policy is a vital piece in their financial puzzle, there are...

Are We in a Bull Market?

Natalie Brinkman

Monday, August 28, 2023

Year three of bull markets tend to be a little tamer, with the larger gains happening in years one and two. Of the 11 bull markets since WW II, three of them ended during year three, while the ones that didn’t end, saw an average...

Home Values

Natalie Brinkman

Friday, August 25, 2023

Last year, for the first time on record, homeowners earned more from the increase in home values than income from their jobs. The typical U.S. home increased by $52,667 in value while the median full-time worker earned $50,000 before...

Imagine A Line in January in Moscow

Natalie Brinkman

Monday, August 14, 2023

In January of 1990, when McDonald’s opened its first restaurant in Moscow, over 38,000 people lined up to buy a burger.-VOA, February 1, 2020  Image

Child Care and Tuition

Natalie Brinkman

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Today, the annual price of child care is more than the annual cost of in-state tuition at a public four-year university.-MarketWatch, February 14, 2022 image

Laugh Today

Natalie Brinkman

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

The average four-year-old child laughs 300 times a day. By contrast, it takes more than tow months for the average 40-year-old to laugh that many times. -Hidden brain

Tax-Advantaged Ways to Save for College

Chelsea Zoumides

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

In the college savings game, all strategies aren't created equal. The best savings vehicles offer special tax advantages if the funds are used to pay for college. Tax-advantaged strategies are important because over time, you can...

What to Know Before You Open Your Next Investment Account

Natalie Brinkman

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Understanding the difference between taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-exempt accounts can improve portfolio diversification and make a difference in how much you earn over time. But investors may not fully understand how a strategy...

Our 2023 investing outlook started with a theme of returning to normalcy. Considering 2022’s market volatility and the aftereffects of the pandemic, the idea of finding balance was certainly a welcomed change. It’s a theme...

When the Stock Market is Down, Should You Consider a Roth IRA Conversion?

Natalie Brinkman

Saturday, July 1, 2023

A Roth IRA conversion involves repositioning traditional IRA or qualified employer-sponsored retirement plan assets into a Roth IRA. One reason people convert traditional IRAs or other retirement accounts into Roth IRAs is so they...

Tips to Shape Up Your Fiscal Fitness this Summer

Chelsea Zoumides

Friday, June 30, 2023

A regular program of disciplined financial practices can help you in the long-runMany people realize that the best way to stay in shape is to develop an appropriate fitness regimen and then stick with it. If you start a fitness program...

Retirement Annuities Explained: What They Are and How They Work

Natalie Brinkman

Thursday, June 1, 2023

Having enough retirement income is a top concern for many Americans nearing or in retirement. Even though they may have saved consistently throughout the working years, they may be concerned that their retirement plans will succeed. A...

Pre-Vacation Home Safety Tips

Chelsea Zoumides

Thursday, June 1, 2023

Vacation is something that we all look forward to, but it’s important not to forget about your home—and its safety—while you’re away. With some pre-planning, it’s easy to make sure your house is safe and...

One Day at a Time

Natalie Brinkman

Monday, May 29, 2023

“Success is a few simple disciplines, practiced every day; while failure is simply a few errors in judgment, repeated every day.” -Jim Rohn

Apple Article

Natalie Brinkman

Friday, May 26, 2023

Today, Apple has a market value larger than the GDP of all but four countries - the US, China, Japan, and Germany.-ET Now, January 5, 2022

Life Expectancy

Natalie Brinkman

Monday, May 1, 2023

Over the past century, global life expectancy has roughly doubled, to 72.6 years.  In the United States, it rose from 39 years in 1860 to 53 in 1920 to 78.8 in 2019. A report by the World Economic Forum estimated that about half...

EV’s for the Environment

Natalie Brinkman

Friday, April 28, 2023

We are in such a hurry to clean the environment by switching our vehicles to clean burning EV’s that we could be destroying our country over the next 50 years. The United States has been a good producer of oil, but the same...

Electric Options

Natalie Brinkman

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Last year, there were just 24 Electric Vehicle models for sale in the United States. By 2025, consumers will have 146 EV models to choose from.  -Yahoo! December 4, 2021

What a Twist!

Natalie Brinkman

Monday, April 17, 2023

A renowned female crime novelist who won a million-euro prize in Spain turned out to be three middle-aged men.-BusinessInsider, October 17, 2021

Adverse Effects of Social Media

Natalie Brinkman

Friday, April 14, 2023

Nearly 2/3rds of Americans who use social media platforms believe life was better before it. About a quarter believe they are addicted to social media and 42% of Gen Z say they are addicted and couldn’t stop if they tried...

Retirement Expectations

Natalie Brinkman

Monday, April 10, 2023

According to a new survey, half of millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) believe that they will need $300,000 or less in savings to retire comfortably- a fraction of what most estimates say they will need. -Acorns, August 10, 2021

New Purpose for Unused Office Space

Natalie Brinkman

Friday, April 7, 2023

In 2020 and 2021, a whopping 13,250 apartments across the country have come from repurposed offices. Former office buildings make up 41% of the apartment conversion market, which also includes old hotels, warehouses, factories, and...

Einstein's Solution for Success

Natalie Brinkman

Monday, April 3, 2023

“If A is success in life, then A = X + Y + Z. Work is X, play is Y, and Z is keeping your mouth shut.”-Albert Einstein

Job Evolution

Natalie Brinkman

Friday, March 31, 2023

Thirty-three percent of new jobs in the United States are for occupations that did not exist 25 years ago.-Fortunly, June 28, 2021

Remote Work Benefits!

Natalie Brinkman

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Remote work has made it possible for more people with disabilities to work. According to government data, the employment rate for Americans with disabilities has surged, hitting a new record high last year...

Pet Lovers

Natalie Brinkman

Monday, March 27, 2023

Adoptions and purchases brought the U.S. dog and cat population to 160 million- roughly double what it was a half-century ago. Annual spending on pet food and care, in turn, has reached $103 billion and is expected to triple over the...

Who Has a Savings Account?

Natalie Brinkman

Friday, March 24, 2023

The top 40% of wage earners are sitting on more than a trillion dollars in extra savings amassed during the early part of the pandemic. Lower-income households, on the other hand, have been burning through their savings as they deal...

The mission of the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) is to help women win their battle with breast cancer through early detection, education, and support services. Even though they are staffed with dedicated professionals, all...

As a female entrepreneur, you may face different challenges than your male counterparts. For example, women were disproportionately affected by the COVID pandemic. 1 They also tend to earn less than their male peers—largely in...

Your retirement is the reward after years of hard work and saving. You might dream of traveling, want to invest in a vacation home, or want to take up a new hobby. For an enjoyable retirement, saving is critical. Take charge of your...

In 2013, a Gallup poll found that only about one in every three U.S. households maintained a budget.1 A 2021 survey of 1,000 Americans found that 80% now say they have a budget.2Americans are budgeting more due to the pandemic....

Today, women have more financial responsibilities than ever before. How will your family or loved ones manage financially if you die? Whether you are single, married, employed, or a stay-at-home mom, you probably need life...

Land a great new job? Awesome. Now is the perfect time to think about your 401(k) and retirement plan, whether you had one before or not. Saving for retirement is important at all ages, so don’t let this opportunity fall to the...

You may already be aware of the importance of having enough life insurance coverage to handle financial matters that could affect your family in the event of your death. However, determining the appropriate amount of coverage for your...

Some insurance sales folks peddle a concept called Be Your Own Banker (BYOB). Don’t fall for it.This idea has floated around the Internet and late-night television for a while now. One of the latest versions, touted on a website...

As the cost of a college education continues to climb, many grandparents are stepping in to help. This trend is expected to accelerate as baby boomers, many of whom went to college, become grandparents and start gifting what's...

If you've moved beyond basic financial advice—live below your means and set aside funds for a rainy day—you may be wondering what to actually do with these rainy-day funds. With inflation on the rise, keeping...

You may have envisioned retirement as a second childhood—a time to relax, enjoy yourself, and devote your time to your favorite hobbies. Unfortunately, worry-free retirement is not the reality for some. Challenges from stock...

In the college savings game, all strategies aren't created equal. The best savings vehicles offer special tax advantages if the funds are used to pay for college. Tax-advantaged strategies are important because over time, you can...

Working towards financial independence can often be a lifelong process. But for many, financial freedom may come far sooner—and include some fun along the way. What are the differences between financial independence and financial...

A bear market is a prolonged period of price declines in securities, an index such as the S&P 500, or the overall stock market of usually 20% or more from a recent high. Bear markets can also signal economic downturns such as a...

At a time when your career is reaching a peak and you are looking ahead to your own retirement, you may find yourself in the position of having to help your children with college expenses or the financial challenges of young adulthood...

The IRS has released the 2023 contribution limits for health savings accounts (HSAs), as well as the 2023 minimum deductible and maximum out-of-pocket amounts for high-deductible health plans (HDHPs). An HSA is a tax-advantaged account...

Planning for the future needs of an aging parent can often be a sensitive and delicate task for adult children to undertake. Baby boomers who must balance the needs of their own children with concerns about their parent’s...

The income you receive from disability income insurance may or may not be taxable. The taxability of disability income insurance benefits depends on what type of benefits you receive, whether the premiums were paid with pretax or...

In tax lingo, your principal residence is the place where you legally reside. It's typically the place where you spend most of your time, but several other factors are also relevant in determining your principal residence. Many of the...

Did you know that you can gift a new or existing life insurance policy to your favorite charity? When properly designed, a charitable life insurance program may improve your overall financial situation and offer tax benefits, all while supp

Just like with a car, it’s a good idea to perform some annual maintenance on your retirement plan. Here’s a five-point inspection guide to help you continue to get good mileage out of your plan and ensure it stays reliable on your trip to r

Women are successful professionals, business owners, and knowledgeable investors. At some point in their lives, women may have to manage their own finances due to divorce, widowhood, or remaining single.Every day, women face a variety...

If you are a non-spouse beneficiary of an IRA, proposed IRS rules regarding distributions may impact your situation. In February 2022, the IRS and Treasury Department reinstated SECURE Act RMD requirements for IRAs inherited in 2020 or...

Financial Planning for Working Moms

Natalie Brinkman

Monday, April 25, 2022

Historically, working mothers have had even higher ambitions in the workforce than working women in general.1 This ambition may drive them to excel in budgeting and financial matters that can help them manage their family's finances.

Six Uses for Life Insurance You May Not Know About

Natalie Brinkman

Monday, April 25, 2022

When people think of life insurance, what usually comes to mind is settling the deceased's final expenses and providing financial support for their beneficiaries. Although these are the most common uses of life insurance, cash value, or who

A Look at Your Portfolio Mix

Natalie Brinkman

Monday, April 25, 2022

With the onset of higher taxes, taxpayers in the upper brackets may want to reposition their portfolios. Even those in lower tax brackets may benefit from portfolio review and reallocation of funds.

Charting Your Future: Small Business Lessons from Good to Great

Natalie Brinkman

Monday, April 25, 2022

The best-selling book, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap. . .and Others Don’t, offers surprising insights into the success of “great” companies that consistently and significantly beat average market returns on a sustained bas

An entrepreneur may be eager to take advantage of every available business opportunity. However, in order to prepare for retirement, the entrepreneur might be searching for potential options that suit their unique situation. Many small...

Is that investment an innovation or an improvement on an existing product? As Christmas sales loom, we face an endless array of sparkly, shiny and occasionally innovative items. As an investor, you run into a similar phenomenon that...

You may know that your small business needs a written business plan—but how do you get started? What elements should your plan address, and do you need different plans for different audiences? Below we discuss a few of the key...

Pot roast is a holiday staple, and this rendition—heartily seasoned with traditional spices—makes for a flavorful centerpiece for your meals this season. Serves 4 to 6 Ingredients 2 tablespoons (30 g) sea salt 1 teaspoon...

For some, 2021 has flown by—and as we approach the last quarter of the year, it's a good time to begin planning for the next one. Year-end planning is especially important for retirees and those hoping to retire in 2021 or 2022....

There’s no question that November and December are the biggest times of year for shopping. But this year, it’s more important than ever to shop small and benefit your community. Supporting local businesses means...

Don’t be intimidated by the cuteness—these harvest cupcakes are simple to decorate, yet so delicious. The quirky characters will be a hoot—as if kids need the extra incentive to dig into a cupcake. Ingredients: Apple...

Volunteering as a family is a great way to spend some quality time together and help give back to those in need or assist your local community. No matter the age of your family members, there are plenty of volunteer opportunities to...

The United Nations estimates there were about 95,000 centenarians – people in their 100s – in 1990. By 2015 there were 450,000 and the number is soaring worldwide as life spans continue to grow. Projections suggest there...

After the beginning of the pandemic, about 12.6 million U.S. households got a new pet. The largest national provider of veterinarians services, Banfield Pet Hospital, saw a half-million more visits in 2020 than in 2019. According to...

Households have entered 2021 armed with boatloads of cash and the cleanest balance sheets they have had in decades. Households finished 2020 with $14.1 trillion combined in checking and savings accounts, compared with $11.4 trillion in...

In March, factory activity in the U.S. hit its highest level in 37 years, but it would have been higher had there been enough qualified workers to help production lines. Additionally, Delta Airlines was forced to cancel almost 100...

In 2019, athletic departments across all three NCAA divisions generated $10.6 billion in revenue but spent more than $18.9 billion. The two biggest costs were financial aid for athletes ($3.6 billion) and coaches’ compensation...

Target’s sales growth of $15.5 billion in 2020 was larger than its total sales growth of the past 11 years combined. -CNN Business, March 2, 2021

In 2019, Google’s quantum computer Sycamore reached a milestone. In 200 seconds, the machine performed a mathematically designed calculation so complex that it would take the world’s fastest supercomputer, the IBM Summit,...

Today it costs $10,950 to purchase 1,000 fake Amazon reviews from AMZTigers, one of a number of “review manipulation services” that boost the ratings and sales of third-party merchants on Amazon. A single fake review will...

Forty percent of younger respondents, aged 18-24, said they will buy stocks with their next round of stimulus checks, while 37% of 35-54-year-olds said they will be doing the same. If the survey is correct, new inflows into the stock...

The total economic stimulus passed by the U.S. government over the past year is $5.3 trillion. That's a number so mind-bogglingly enormous that it becomes almost impossible to comprehend, so here's another way to put it: More than $43...

It takes 919 pounds of rare earth minerals to build one 15-ton, F-35 fighter jet, a critical set of components that are about to be much harder to find. China, which controls about 80% of the global supply, is considering an export ban...

On February 5, 1637, “Tulipmania” hit its peak in the Netherlands, with the price of the rare Witte Croonen tulip bulb reaching 1,345 guilders per half-pound, up 2,506% in 33 days. Over the next five years, the bulbs lost...

If you think that the promise of free trading is too good to be true on the Robinhood app, you are probably right. Founded in 2012, Robinhood makes money, in part, by sending customer orders to high-frequency traders in exchange for...

Over the past several years, Tesla has used the strategy of selling regulatory credits to competing automakers who failed to sell the percentage of zero-emission vehicles that 11 different states require. The $3.3 billion from those...

For the first time ever, fewer than half of all Americans have trust in traditional media. Trust in social media has hit an all-time low of 27%.-Axios, January 21, 2021

The Baltic Dry Index – a composite measure of the rates charged by shipping lines to move dry goods – is up 128% in a year, including a nearly 60% surge just since early December.-Barron’s, January 19, 2021

Digital wallets, that store cryptocurrencies, have soared in value but some investors can’t cash in because they forgot their passwords. One programmer in San Francisco has two password guesses left before being locked out, to...

There are points in the Pacific Ocean where, if you dug a hole to the opposite point on Earth, you would still be in the Pacific Ocean.-Permaculture Research Institute, May 25, 2017

Last year, U.S. bankruptcy filings - thanks to unprecedented fiscal and monetary support - hit their lowest level since 1986. However, chapter 11 filings, which are primarily used to reorganize larger businesses, jumped 29%.-Axios,...

While humans are shunning flights amid the pandemic, animals are becoming the airline industry’s most reliable frequent fliers. For example, Qatar Airways transports roughly 10 horses and 500 farm animals every day. However,...

By the end of this year, American renters will owe at least $7.2 billion in past-due rent, a sum that could grow as high as $70 billion if the government does not approve a new stimulus deal before then. In such a case, it is estimated...

Back in 1845, Election Day was designated as the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. At the time, officials calculated that farmers needed a day to get to the country seat to cast ballots but did not want to interfere with...

Based on guidelines around pandemic-era media production, television shows are not allowed to host live studio audiences unless they consist only of paid employees, ie, cast and crew. So “S.N.L”, following the guidelines,...

Tesla helped bring battery costs down from over $600/kWh to about $150/kWh…but it needs to land at about $100/kWh to achieve what is referred to as “petroleum parity.” -The Wall Street Journal, September 22, 2020

On Oct 1, 1958, The American Express Co. introduced its charge card, which was made of paper with the account number and cardmember's name typed. Plastic came along a year later. The annual fee was $6.00. -History of Information

Age 62 is the most popular age to claim Social Security, with nearly 40% of men and nearly 35% of women claiming benefits as soon as possible. A study estimates that today’s older Americans will lose a total of $3.4 trillion in...

Last year, Mark Zuckerberg earned $28,538 per minute which means, in two minutes, Zuckerberg made more than a full-time median U.S. worker earns in a year. -Business Insider, June 29, 2020

During a normal year, restaurants employ 15.6 million Americans and generate $900 billion in revenue. Industry experts predict that up to 80% might never reopen.-The Week, July 5, 2020

Seventy percent of food's final retail price comes from transportation, storage, and handling.-Peter Diamandis, Tech Blog

A study of 3.1 million workers at 26,000 companies worldwide found that the average workday lasts 48.5 minutes longer than before the pandemic. The number of meetings has also increased by about 13%.-Bloomberg, August 3, 2020

The English astronomer, Edmund Halley prepared the first detailed mortality table in 1693. Life and death could now be studied statistically, and the life insurance industry was born.-MacTutor

Since 1928, the median S&P 500 12-month return under a divided government is 11% versus 8% under a unified government.-CNBC, July 20, 2020

Since 1928, the stock market has accurately predicted the winner of the presidential election 87% of the time, including every single election since 1984. When the S&P 500 has been higher the three months before the election, the...

Digital advertising on platforms such as Google, Facebook, and Alibaba are expected to account for more than half of the $530 billion global advertising industry in 2020, exceeding, for the first time, the spending on traditional media...

In the U.S., Valentine’s Day ranks 94th in the year for consumer spending at local restaurants, which is even below Cinco de Mayo. Unsurprisingly, Mother’s Day weekend is ranked both #1 and #2 as the top-grossing days of...

In 1956, Colonel Parker negotiated with 20th Century-Fox for Elvis Presley’s screen debut, Love Me Tender. The studio executives reportedly balked on paying Presley big dollars. Finally, they asked, “Would $25,000 be all...

In 1973, Elvis Presley was the top taxpayer in the country. His manager, Colonel Parker, was in the U.S. illegally and went to great lengths to stay off the government’s radar, including, allegedly, encouraging Elvis to overpay...

There are only two American car companies that have never gone bankrupt: Ford and Tesla. And of the two, there is only one that has never opened fire on a crowd of protesters: Tesla.-Car Throttle

On June 22, the temperature in Verkhoyansk, a small Siberian town, hit 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s likely the hottest temperature ever recorded inside the Arctic Circle.-CBS News, June 23, 2020

On June 22, 1633, astronomer Galileo Galilei was forced by the Pope to recant his view that the earth orbited the sun and that the sun was the center of the solar system rather than the other way around. He was sentenced to indefinite...

As many as 25,000 hotel rooms, or roughly 20% of the New York total, may not reopen. For perspective, the number of closing rooms is equivalent to the entire hotel market of Jacksonville, Florida.- The Wall Street Journal, June 16, 2020

“The best thing for us to do in our present situation would be to leave the city. We should go and stay on one of our various country estates, having as much fun as possible. There we will have a clearer view of the heavens,...

Colleges in the United States earn roughly $600 billion per year- equivalent to the combined annual revenue of the tech firms Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Netflix, and Twitter.-The Wall Street Journal, June 18, 2020