Diversification, Patience, and Consistency
Regardless of how the markets may perform, consider making the following part of your investment philosophy: Diversification. The saying “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” has some application to investing. Over time, certain asset classes may perform better than others. If your assets are mostly held in one kind of investment, you could […]
Emotional vs. Strategic Decisions
Information vs. instinct. When it comes to investing, many people believe they have a “knack” for choosing good investments. But what exactly is that “knack” based on? The fact is, the choices we make with our assets can be strongly influenced by factors, many of them emotional, that we may not even be aware of. […]
Insuring Your Second Home
When it comes to insuring your second home, you may find that the coverage you need is quite different from what you have on your primary home. The Unique Risks of a Second Home Your current homeowners policy may allow for coverage of two properties under one policy, but because there are unique risks with […]
Keeping Summer Safe: Pool and Spa Safety Tips
The backyard pool can be great summer fun, but it can also be a source of danger for children. Drowning kills nearly 4,000 people a year in the United States. It’s also the leading cause of preventable death among children ages 1-4.1,2 If you have a pool or spa, here are seven simple tips to […]
Social Media: #NewestBusinessLiabilityRisk
The stories of social media fails are legendary—companies using inappropriate humor regarding serious social issues, typographical errors, and pop references that backfire. These examples represent reputational issues that can affect your company’s brand and its sales. The mistakes in social media marketing that make the headlines can obscure other forms of risks presented by social […]
The Average American Budget
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American household earns an average of $82,852 a year before taxes and spends almost 80% of their available income on basic necessities such as housing, food, and clothing. Housing The average American spends roughly 33% of their income on shelter. This can include property rental, mortgage […]
Insurance Needs Assessment: For Empty Nesters and Retirees
With the children now out of the house, financial priorities become more focused on preparing for retirement. At this stage, you may very likely be at the height of your earning power and fast approaching peak savings as you lay the groundwork for retirement. During this final leg to retirement—and throughout your retirement period—wealth protection […]
Year-End Charitable Gifting and You
Are you making charitable donations at year’s end? If so, you should know about some of the financial “fine print” involved, as the right moves could potentially bring more of a benefit to both you and your chosen charity. Keep in mind, this article is for informational purposes only and is not a replacement for […]
How to Read Your Credit Report
The Set-Up My name is Gumshoe. John Q. Gumshoe. Maybe you’ve heard of me, maybe not. Chances are you’ll need my help at some point. In 2020 alone, there were 1,387,615 reported cases of identity theft in the United States.1 I’m a private investigator, see. A credit investigator, to be exact. My specialty? Identity theft, […]
Four Really Good Reasons to Invest
Thirty-nine percent of Americans do not own any stocks or stock-related investments, according to a recent Gallup poll.¹ Individuals may cite different reasons for not investing, but with important long-term financial goals, such as retirement, in the balance, the reasons may not be good enough. Why Invest? Make Money on Your Money You might not […]