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A Friday rebound, triggered by a big tech company’s earnings beat and a strong jobs report, shaved much of the week’s accumulated losses.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.24%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500...

Strong earnings from several mega-cap technology companies offset renewed regional banking jitters and weak economic data, leaving stocks higher for the week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.86%, while the Standard &...

What Factors Have the Greatest Impact on Your Credit Score?

Cory D. Summers, CFP®, CIS®, RICP®, CRPC®, AAMS®

Friday, April 28, 2023

Fun fact: You probably have dozens of credit scores out there, and each one might be a different number.You’re probably familiar with a credit score, why it’s essential, and what it’s used for, but do you know how...

Stocks remained resilient last week amid mixed earnings reports, hawkish Fed-speak, and lingering recession fears, closing out the five trading days with small losses.The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.23%, while the Standard &...

Important Financial Considerations to Make When Remarrying Later in Life

Cory D. Summers, CFP®, CIS®, RICP®, CRPC®, AAMS®

Monday, April 17, 2023

Discussing personal finances is important for any couple preparing for marriage. However, this topic can be more complicated for those who remarry later in life.If you’re remarrying later in life, one of your goals should be to...

The combination of an improving inflation outlook resulted in a week of uneven, albeit positive, performance, in which cyclical and financial stocks rallied while technology, real estate, and utilities lagged. The Dow Jones...

Top Considerations to Help Adult Children Be Better Prepared As You Age

Cory D. Summers, CFP®, CIS®, RICP®, CRPC®, AAMS®

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

As we get older, it’s important that our adult children are prepared to manage any aging-related situations that may arise. This includes everything from having to make medical and financial decisions to determining assisted...

Stocks ended a shortened week of trading mixed amid revived recession fears on Wall Street triggered by weak economic data.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.63%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 slipped 0.10%. The Nasdaq...

Stocks rallied last week on receding fears of a widening banking crisis, led by resurging investor interest in technology and communication services names.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 3.22%, while the Standard & Poor’s...

Modest gains in major market indices masked sharp volatility amid the uncertainty arising from mixed messages emanating from public officials and revived banking fears. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.18%, while the Standard...

Tips for Raising Financially Literate Children

Cory D. Summers, CFP®, CIS®, RICP®, CRPC®, AAMS®

Monday, March 20, 2023

Every parent wants the best for their children and strives to prepare them to lead a happy, healthy, and successful life. But, despite understanding the importance of financial responsibility, only 28 percent of parents speak to their...

Transitioning to Medicare from Private Health Insurance Plans

Cory D. Summers, CFP®, CIS®, RICP®, CRPC®, AAMS®

Monday, March 6, 2023

Transitioning from Private Health Insurance Plans to MedicareAs you approach retirement age, you may be anticipating transitioning from your private insurance to Medicare, which is a federal health insurance program that provides...

Where to Put Excess Cash

Cory D. Summers, CFP®, CIS®, RICP®, CRPC®, AAMS®

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

According to the Investment Company Institute, near the end of 2022, there was more than $4.7 trillion in cash sitting in U.S. money market funds.1,2While cash can play a role in a diversified portfolio, historically, cash has not kept...

Technology Guide for Seniors

Cory D. Summers, CFP®, CIS®, RICP®, CRPC®, AAMS®

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

By 2040, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 80 million people in the U.S. will be age 65 or older.1 Most of these senior adults will either want to—or need to—"age in place," living in their homes securely, independently...

What Is the Sequence-of-Return Risk and How Can Retirees Mitigate Its Effects?

Cory D. Summers, CFP®, CIS®, RICP®, CRPC®, AAMS®

Monday, January 23, 2023

With the possibility of a recession looming, it's natural for those nearing or in retirement to have concerns over their long-term strategies. After decades of accumulating a portfolio, the last thing retirees want is for a market...

Lifetime Estate & Gift Tax Exemption Updates for 2023

Cory D. Summers, CFP®, CIS®, RICP®, CRPC®, AAMS®

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

In October 2022, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced tax changes for 2023 — changes primarily driven, in part, by the current inflationary environment. For affluent couples or individuals interested in transferring...

The Challenge of Raising Non-Materialistic Kids

Cory D. Summers, CFP®, CIS®, RICP®, CRPC®, AAMS®

Monday, December 12, 2022

In today’s social media-obsessed world full of popular “influencers” targeting teens, pre-teens, and even younger groups, instilling values in your children and grandchildren about what really matters in life is more...

An important part of managing your personal finances is keeping your financial records organized. Whether it's a utility bill to show proof of residency or a Social Security card for wage reporting purposes, there may be times when you...

Be very careful when making even small changes to your assumptions. Cut a pie into 100 slices and what do you have? Barely a nibble. Seemingly an inconsequential share of anything, 1% can actually make a tremendous difference

When it comes to planning for your retirement income, it's easy to overlook some of the common factors that can affect how much you'll have available to spend. If you don't consider how your retirement income can be impacted by...

Planning personal finances used to be the worry of the wealthy and their worry—usually preservation of wealth—was attended to by teams of trust officers and lawyers. Many of today’s middle-class families have...

The changes you make today might be the benefits you need long-term. Today, many people find themselves inundated by a constant stream of financial news from television, radio, and the Internet.

Matching your tolerance for risk with your investment objectives.Everyone wants a comfortable retirement, but the road you take there will depend on your specific situation. When you invest, you assume a certain level of risk

One of the main concerns about retirement is health care. As healthcare costs continue to rise, medical bills may quickly derail your retirement plan. The good news is when you turn 65, you will be able to apply for Medicare

With a few simple actions, you can ensure your estate planning is effective. Whether your estate plan is simple or complex, there are many details, which are often overlooked, that can undermine your plan’s effectiveness.

One silver lining in the current bear market is that this could be a good time to convert assets from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Converted assets are subject to federal income tax in the year of conversion

Baby Boomers — those born between 1946 and 1964 — hold about $20 trillion in wealth.1 Over the next few decades, many Boomers may transfer this wealth to their Gen X, millennial, and Gen Z children

With approximately 94% of American workers covered by Social Security and 65 million people currently receiving benefits, keeping Social Security healthy is a major concern.1 Social Security isn't in danger of going broke

In 2022, U.S. inflation hit a 40-year high, with prices for food, housing, gasoline, and other key staples increasing by nearly 10% over the previous year.1 During these uncertain times, stocks have continued a roller-coaster ride...

Financial independence means different things to different people. For some, it might mean early retirement. For others, the ability to travel the world. It is the freedom to leave a job that is no longer personally or professionally...

A regular program of disciplined financial practices can help you in the long-run.Many people realize that the best way to stay in shape is to develop an appropriate fitness regimen and then stick with it.

The sandwich generation is a term commonly used to describe those between the ages of 40 and 59 who are responsible for raising their family and are also often helping their aging parents manage their ongoing needs.

The Stock Market has been trying to teach these lessons forever…. The real value of a bear market may be that it gives investors, who are temporarily frozen within its grip, the opportunity to learn or relearn important lessons...

Warren Buffett on How to Plan for Inflation

Cory D. Summers, CFP®, CIS®, RICP®, CRPC®, AAMS®

Thursday, May 26, 2022

Inflation swindles almost everybody – stock investors, bond investors…We’ve all heard about Warren Buffett, the 91-year-old multibillionaire known for his friendly demeanor, modest style of living in Omaha

Planning For Unexpected Costs Before You Retire

Cory D. Summers, CFP®, CIS®, RICP®, CRPC®, AAMS®

Thursday, May 26, 2022

Your retirement planning needs to incorporate more than just investments.Your open heart and your relatives can combine to threaten your retirement savings – savings you soon may need. Learn the true cost to your future

Fatherly Advice: 6 Timeless Financial Tips Our Fathers Taught Us

Cory D. Summers, CFP®, CIS®, RICP®, CRPC®, AAMS®

Thursday, May 26, 2022

Although many things have changed in the financial world over the past 20 years, some nuggets of financial advice are timeless. Here are a few tips that have remained constant for several generations.

5 Life Events That Impact Your Life Insurance Needs

Cory D. Summers, CFP®, CIS®, RICP®, CRPC®, AAMS®

Thursday, May 26, 2022

A life insurance policy is part of financial planning. Life insurance is there to help ease the financial trauma that comes with the loss of a spouse, parent, or partner. As you encounter different events in your life, you may need to...

Investing is stressful. It takes sound mental decisions to weather the ups and downs that come with the markets and investing in general. Whether you are managing your financial portfolio or making investments on the side, staying...

You may be retired and considering investing some of your retirement nest egg. Depending on your situation, it is crucial that investing in the stock market, bond market, or other investments does not jeopardize your retirement savings

Making sure your investments help you work towards your true life goals. Too often during uncertain times, we inadvertently compare ourselves to the people around us – and that may lead us to make financial mistakes.

According to the College Board, the most recently published figures of the average annual cost of tuition and fees at a public university for a school year was $9,970 for in-state students and $25,620 for out-of-state students.