Month: July 2014

Clarifying Your SMART Values

Your values are what is most important to you in life – personally and professionally. Values are what you calibrate towards and are the focal point in determining your priorities, goals, attitudes, and behavior. In other words, your values are a compass for your actions in life. It is important that what you do, matches […]
Read more

What is Wealth?

When I invested in my first stock at 14, wealth to me was making as much money as I possibly could. Since then, and being in the finance industry for two decades, the most important thing I have learned about wealth is that no amount of money will ever make you feel wealthy. While many […]
Read more

Free Financial Plan Samples and Templates

When people think of a financial plan, many people assume it is setting up a budget, saving for retirement, and looking for good investment products. However a financial plan goes much deeper than that. If properly done and updated regularly, it could make the difference between financial independence and financial dependence. Here are examples of […]
Read more

Correcting Common Writing Errors

Part of thinking smart in life is learning to communicate and write properly. Applying for a job or school, pitching ideas, communicating to customers and coworkers or marketing through social media can be thrown off with minor mistakes. Hiring companies state that spelling or writing mistakes on resumes are one of the top reasons they […]
Read more

Investment Terms Glossary

401(k)A 401(k) plan is an employer sponsored retirement savings plan. 401(k)s are largely self-directed: You decide how much you would like to contribute, and which investments from among those offered by the plan you would like to invest in. Traditional 401(k)s are funded with money deducted from your pre-tax salary. Your earnings are tax deferred […]
Read more

SMART Management of Retirement Income

Getting Ready for Retirement When you retire, you have more control over your time, and finally have enough leisure to do what you want. While taking control of your time may not require a lot of advance planning, taking control of your retirement finances does. You need income you can count on, year in and […]
Read more

SMART 401(k) Investing

401(k) retirement plans can make the difference between a financially secure retirement and the specter of running out of money. These plans offer tax benefits and the opportunity for your savings to compound over time. So it’s important to understand every aspect of how your 401(k) plan works, whether you’re just getting started or you’re […]
Read more

What is a Fixed-Index Annuity?

What is a Fixed-Index Annuity? An annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company in which the company promises to make periodic payments to you, starting immediately or at some future time. If the payments are delayed to the future, you have a deferred annuity. If the payments start immediately, you have an immediate annuity. […]
Read more

Evaluating Investment Performance

Choosing investments is just the beginning of your work as an investor. As time goes by, you’ll need to monitor and track the performance of these investments to see how they are working together in your portfolio to help you progress toward your goals. Generally speaking, progress means that your portfolio value is steadily increasing, […]
Read more

Shopping for SMART Financial Products

When it comes to shopping for SMART for financial products—such as credit cards, auto loans or mortgages—most Americans either do not comparison shop or conduct only limited searches for the best prices or terms. For example, according to the FINRA Investor Education Foundation’s National Survey, nearly two-thirds of all credit card holders reported that they did not […]
Read more

Pin It on Pinterest