2015 | FIGuide

Wrapping Up 2015

Dec 30 2015

As we come to the close of 2015, we can look back and review a year that was just plain odd. We spent most of 2015 waiting for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates. Finally, in December, they pulled the trigger for a quarter percent increase. The market initially cheered this move but has since declined, which is more in-line with expectations.

Unfortunately, we also spent the year watching horrifying scenes of terror attacks. This too, impacted the market, especially international markets, which were already in pain. Most international funds have been on a downward trajectory since June of …

5 actions to help financial fitness in the New Year

Dec 30 2015

2015 is almost behind us, and we are heading to 2016. New Year is a fresh way to start. This is truly the time to think and commit to some well thought-out New Year resolutions. Perhaps, you already considered resolutions regarding your family, your physical fitness, and your career. However, have you thought about what changes you would like to make for your financial life? If not, here is something to consider. The actions listed below should help you define your financial fitness resolutions. Read on!

Prepare yourself to move into your “Dream Home”

Moving into the “dream home” is …

Overfunded College 529 plan? No Problem!

Dec 30 2015

While most Americans have made little if any progress in their college savings goals, others have a more enviable dilemma of potentially running past the finish line. Still others have found that their children aren’t choosing the collegiate path. No need to worry. You have many great options when managing an overfunded 529 college savings plan.

Withdraw the Funds

If you have more money than college expenses, you can simply withdraw the funds. The down side is that your earnings are included in taxable income and incur a 10% penalty. If you invested ten thousand dollars which grew to fourteen …

Financial Planning with Yoda from “Star Wars”

Dec 29 2015

We were already thinking about finding motivation for financial planning in the new year when we read The Washington Post writer Michelle Singletary’s column “10 things Yoda would say if he were your financial advisor.” Movies like “Star Wars” are great for entertainment but you can also leave the theatre with some very good food for thought if you reflect on what you have seen. Yoda isn’t just a funny little creature with odd grammar; he might be telling you something. Singletary examines some of Yoda’s sayings in the light of money management:

“You must unlearn what you …

Why Standard Deviation Matters When Choosing Investments

Dec 29 2015

Not all returns are created equal.

Standard deviation is a common statistical measurement and is defined by Oxford Dictionaries as: ‘A quantity expressing by how much the members of a group differ from the mean value for the group.’ In other words, it is a measure of volatility that tells you how far apart all of the values are from the average (or mean) value.

For example, if Mutual Fund A has an average annual return of 10% and a standard deviation of 4%, you would expect about 68% of the time for the return to be between 6% and …

Archive - 2015