Thanksgiving is a holiday that we set aside to celebrate our blessings and what we’re thankful for, but I think that we should do this every day.
How Much is a $1 Million Retirement Portfolio Really Worth?
4 minute read
I want to retire with $1 million.
5 Reasons Why You Should Not Use an Advisor 529 Savings Plan
5 minute read
Finding a way to pay for at least part of a child’s or grandchild’s college education is a goal of many parents and grandparents. Unfortunately, the fast rising costs of college can make achieving this goal difficult. According to finaid.org, college education expenses are inflating at an average of 8% per year1.
Should I Sign Up for an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)?
5 minute read
According to the 2018 Deloitte Global employee stock purchase plan trends survey1, participation in Employee Stock Purchase Plans is relatively low. This low participation rate is often because the plan details and benefits are not communicated effectively to employees, which is unfortunate given the benefits that many employees may be missing out on by simply being uninformed and uneducated.
How Much Impact Does the President Have on the Stock Market?
4 minute read
I don’t need to tell you how contentious this election season has been. Personally, I can’t wait to stop seeing all of the political ads and I’d rather have a different topic to have to make small talk about. People on both sides of the political spectrum often become worried about how the result of the election will impact their investment portfolio. No matter what side you’re on, if the other side wins, then you think it’s going to be doomsday for your retirement dreams. So, how much impact does the President have on the stock market? A lot less than most people think.
Helping My Mom With Her Employee Benefits (And Why I hate Financial Product Sales)
4 minute read
This year, for the first time ever, my mom asked me to review her employee benefits and provide her with recommendations. Just like many people, looking through the information that her employer provided to her has always been overwhelming. When she sent me the email that she received from the employee benefits provider so that I could review her options for her, it provided a list of available products and services with links to each one. The links take you to a general overview of what each benefit provides, but there is no specific information.
Guide to Employee Benefits Open Enrollment 2020
< 1 minute read
Employee benefits open enrollment can be confusing for a lot of people. There are a lot of options to choose from that probably seem like they’re in a different language. My past 5 blog posts have dived into various employee benefits including health insurance, disability insurance, group term life insurance, Dependent Care FSA, and other ancillary benefits to help empower you to make a more educated decision when making your selections for the next year. Personal finance is just that – personal.
Guide to Employee Benefits Open Enrollment 2020: Ancillary Employee Benefits
5 minute read
Have you ever looked through your employee benefits options during open enrollment and chosen to pay for something just because you weren’t really sure what it was, but it sounded important or you thought you might need it since it’s being offered to you? No one wants to pay for what they don’t need, but when it comes to employee benefits that are offered to us that we’re not sure whether we need or not it seems like we often “play it safe” and pay for them instead of going without. This can mean spending money on things that may not provide the benefits we thought they would.
Guide to Employee Benefits Open Enrollment 2020: Dependent Care FSA
5 minute read
When I was a little kid, my daycare was my grandma’s house. When I got a little older, before and after school care was at one of my set of grandparents’ houses as well. That’s where my sister and my cousins and I would go after school to get a snack and play until our parents got off of work and were able to pick us up (I don’t seem to remember too much homework getting done there). I’m pretty sure I’ve never spent a day of my life in a day care facility or preschool or before/after school care (besides at grandma’s, of course).
Guide to Employee Benefits Open Enrollment 2020: Group Term Life Insurance
7 minute read
Group term life insurance is a very common employee benefit that many people take advantage of. However, not many people think beyond the scope of the coverage offered through their employee benefits to consider why they need the coverage, how long they’ll need it, and if the maximum amount they can get is enough. If there are people who depend on your income who would be financially devastated if something were to happen to you, then group term life insurance is a benefit that you should seriously consider.