The Financial Independence/Retire Early, or FIRE, movement is an investment practice and lifestyle that focuses on saving aggressively and spending frugally so individuals can move toward financial freedom and perhaps even retire decades ahead of schedule.
The movement has been around since the...
Cybercrime is on the rise everywhere. In fact, global losses due to cybercrime climbed from $600 billion in 2018 to $1 trillion in 2020. That’s enough to make anyone concerned about the security of their financial accounts. But you don’t have to feel helpless against the threat of hackers. These...
Sudden ups and downs in the stock market can be hard to ignore. It’s common to get the urge to sell when you see your investments lose value — or to buy when the market is surging. But predicting the effects of short-term market movements like these is nearly impossible. And efforts to “time the...
As you’re finishing up your 2021 tax return, you may be thinking your tax work is done until next spring. But getting a jump-start on next year’s taxes can help you get organized, saving you time and money when April 2023 rolls around.
Here are four steps you can take now to prepare for next...
Improve a job offer by thinking beyond your salary.
It’s a job seeker’s market. The Great Resignation, which began in April 2021, has seen Americans leave their jobs by the millions, often in search of greener pastures. It has also produced a labor crunch, often leaving employers desperate to...
Rising inflation is a concern among investors. Here are five ways to protect your investments.
Over the past year, investors have become increasingly worried about how inflation might impact their portfolios. One measure of inflation, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), climbed to 7.5 percent in...
A company that wants to supplement its employees’ salary with equity compensation can do so in a variety of ways. The most popular is the employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Besides offering employees a potentially valuable ownership stake in the company, ESOPs can play an important role in...
Income investing is a strategy that seeks to provide investors with passive income from the assets they hold. This strategy may be attractive to people working toward financial independence or who need a predictable stream of income in retirement. Investors looking to embark on an income investment...
In an attempt to control inflation, the Federal Reserve has signaled its intention to raise the federal funds rate (currently set at zero) three times in 2022. This will effectively raise interest rates in general, making it more expensive to borrow money.
Even small increases in the federal...
The start of a new year is a great time for introspection and evaluating the areas of your life you want to improve. When setting New Year’s resolutions, individuals often think about their career or physical health, but financial wellness is just as important. It’s no surprise then that January is...
Building a portfolio is a big effort. It requires considering your goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. Once that’s settled, you’ll have to choose investments that match these criteria. And this is only the beginning. Portfolios require regular monitoring and performance evaluation to ensure...
Financial planning is not a set-it-and-forget-it activity. Rather, financial plans are ever-evolving based on your changing life circumstances. Your goals and priorities may shift as your career evolves and big changes like marriage, having a child, or getting a new job may warrant adjustments to...