February 2020 | FIGuide

Market Volatility Déjà Vu

Feb 25 2020

By Eve Kaplan, CFP® Every time markets go haywire, it’s worth remembering that volatility is the “the price of admission” to hold something (usually stocks) that outpace inflation and deliver good returns over the long-term. The key point here is delivering good returns over the l-o-n-g t-e-r-m. Do investors know when stocks are going to correct? Usually not? Do they know how much they’ll correct? Definitely not. Is it worth trying to “time” markets by selling when you anticipate a coming correction, and trying to buy back when you think stocks have “bottomed”? Again, definitely not. The same goes for… Read More

Planting New Seeds for Financial Freedom

Feb 18 2020

Valentine’s Day is over and many people have gone into stores to take advantage of discounts on merchandise that did not sell before February 14. CNN Business even wrote about “What happens to the Valentine’s Day flowers that don’t get sold?” in case you ever wondered what happens to surplus flowers. Unlike candy, which may be edible for quite a while, flowers will not stay fresh forever.

According to CNN Business, these flowers are donated, used to educate people studying to be florists, thrown away, or they get composted.

Now what does that have to do with …

Free Tax Filing and Preparation for Military Members

Feb 12 2020

One of the little-known benefits of being in the military is access to free tax filing and preparation services. There are several options for military personnel to file their taxes for free, including free tax preparation assistance on base, and free tax prep software you can use to prepare your own taxes and file your taxes online. Some local communities may also offer free tax preparation. We can’t cover each of the local opportunities, but we can let you know about how military members can get free tax preparation on their military installation or through many online tax software programs.… Read More

Career Change and Pocket Change: Financial Advice for Career Shifters

Feb 06 2020

The new year always gets people talking and thinking about changes they would like to make. For some, that means finally getting serious about leaving a career for which they are no longer passionate. For others, it may mean devoting time to an entrepreneurial endeavor, business start-up, or even a capital intensive passion project.

If you count yourself among either of these groups, I’ve got some advice to make that transition a lot easier on your finances.

Depending on how dire your situation is, and how desperate you are to change, these steps can feel lengthy. But ideally, no career …

Archive - February 2020