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[Video] Career Fairs Can Help Your Wallet, Too
MICHELLE SMALENBERGER, CFP ® Could a career fair for your child, actually help your finances? Recently, we were invited to be a part of a career fair and offer some advice to students where they could ask questions of Steve and myself. Being at the event, I remember the feeling of being back in high…
US Economic Indicators Are Strong But China Doubt Lingers
A couple of economic indicators reported this week helped the market to stay strong. Trade discussions with China have kept the market uneasy though. US Weekly Jobless claims fell more than expected. This means that more people are finding jobs! Maybe you have firsthand knowledge of a friend or family member being able to find…
[Video] New 2019 Contribution Limits
STEPHEN SMALENBERGER, EA ® As we step into a new tax year, we’re probably thinking, “How much can I put into certain accounts? I remember what I did in 2018, but has anything changed for 2019?” Let’s talk about that so you can make the most of your tax exceptions towards retirement. 401K/403B For 2019,…
Don’t Do This To Yourself!
It’s On…No, It’s Off…Maybe…It’s Back On, It’s Off Again…this was the story of the week! This week’s investment story was China. How the deal that has been talked about for many months was on and off again over the course of days. Don’t drive yourself crazy! Did this week bring panic or fear after a…
[Video] Calculate Your Spending Without A Budget
MICHELLE SMALENBERGER, CFP ® Let’s talk about something that most people like to do – Spend money. Let’s also talk about something not everyone wants to do – keep a budget… If I were to ask you this question, “How much do you spend?” Would you be able to answer it? And how you answer…
Are Interest Rates the Only Story in Town?
We’ve been discussing market factors we are watching, recently. The recent items have included global trade with China, corporate earnings season, and interest rates. This week the Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powell, spoke again about direction for interest rates. The market pulled back for a couple days after his speech. I want to consider whether…
[Video] Big vs. Little Financial Decisions
MICHELLE SMALENBERGER, CFP ® Do you ever catch yourself thinking about expenses in a sense that, “I’m spending so much”. Or, “This is going to cost me a lot, I’m not keeping much”. If so, you might categorize your expenses in your mind “Big Versus Little”. I often think with these big decisions we’re really…
Still Strong Earnings
It was a week of earnings data releases! This week we have received several pieces of data that can provide some guidance as to how the economy performed in the first quarter. Even with the good news, the market is not soaring to new highs. It is awaiting many other company results before deciding to…
[Video] Why Fund An HSA?
STEPHEN SMALENBERGER, EA ® So we talked about the overview of a Health Savings Account an HSA. But now let’s continue on that, or build on that. Why would you want to fund it? What’s the advantages of funding it, versus paying out of pocket? Let’s look at those right now. So to make the…
*Mueller Report* Are We In The Clear For Investing Again?
This week has brought some big news! Should we sound the all clear for investors to be buying stocks without any hesitation again? The Mueller Report was released Thursday morning which has kept many glued to their screens to review for anything important. Remember a week ago we shared how there are data being released…
[Video] What Is An HSA?
STEPHEN SMALENBERGER, EA ® Sometimes our clients ask us, “How do we take advantage of different tax benefits?” Or, “My employer is offering this, should I take it?” One account that’s really helpful is an HSA: Health Savings Account. Let’s talk through it, explain what it is, some of the rules, and why you would…
Earnings & A Trade Deal: We’ve Been Waiting
Earnings and a Trade Deal. These are two things that we are waiting on right now. It can be a painful process to wait and depending on the result of what or when these things happen, we will have different actions or decisions to make. 1. 2019 1st Quarter Earnings We await the results that…
