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Q&A: Robo Advising
With Cynthia LohQ: What is your best financial advice?A: Don’t be afraid of leveraging technology to help you manage your investments. Technology has helped make lots of day-to-day aspects of our lives easier – whether that’s ordering an item on Amazon, or getting a...
Financial Considerations When Having a Baby
By: Emily GrahamBeing pregnant is a wonderful experience, but it can be worrisome too. Many moms-to-be get overwhelmed with concern about the baby’s health, the challenges of motherhood, and the financial stresses of being pregnant and having a baby. Let’s look at the...
Survival as a Solopreneur: 7 Toughest Things About Working Alone — and How to Conquer Them
By: Laura GayleNo more strict hours or stuffy business attire: You are your own boss and can adhere to any schedule and dress code you want. Creating your own company and working alone certainly has some enticing perks, but there are also some risks. Pay can...
5 Affordable Beauty Tips for Summer
By: Tori Lutz Everyone wants to look their best, particularly during summer months when you get to show some skin. Fancy beauty treatments that help you get to that goal look can get quite expensive, though, if you don’t budget wisely and find some ways to save money...
Best Social Security Claiming Strategies For Working Spouses?
By: Michelle Petrowski, CFP®, CDFA Q: My husband retired from the military after 30 years of service. He turned 72 November 24, 2018. He receives his Social Security check, a check from the Veterans Affairs, and he also receives multiple pensions. I still work but I...
3 Tips to Reduce Later Life Divorce from Wreaking Havoc on your Retirement Plan
By: Michelle Petrowski, CFP®, CDFA A laterlife divorce can wreak havoc on even the most well-thought out retirement plan - as there is little time to amass assets and recover from the loss of previously anticipated retirement income. "Gray" divorces — among couples...
How Women Can Help Fill the Retirement Savings Gap
By: Michelle Petrowski, CFP®, CDFA There is certainly a gender gap issue that women face in pay, but there is also a larger one they face in retirement. Having left the workforce to raise families or care for aging parents, possibly having gone through a divorce and...
Increase Tax-Free Retirement Income With an HSA
By: Michelle Petrowski, CFP®, CDFA What’s an HSA? I have heard some say it’s like a Roth IRA on steroids. Health savings accounts (HSAs) are becoming more popular as high-deductible healthcare plans (HDHP) with this option become the norm. According to the IRS, a “...
Rebuilding Your Financial Future After Divorce
By: Michelle Petrowski, CFP®, CDFA If you are like most, your divorce ends with debt, and the last thing we are thinking about is retirement. I know, I've been there; nothing kills a retirement plan like a divorce. There are no student loans or government bailouts to...
5 Retirement Assumptions You Can’t Make Anymore
By: Michelle Petrowski, CFP®, CDFA We've all heard the adage "nothing can be certain, except death and taxes." This line of thought also applies to retirement, as society and financial markets change. Here are a few assumptions many Americans used to be able to make...
International Women’s Day 2019
March 8th is International Women's Day. It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. This year's theme is #BalanceforBetter. Better the balance,...
Tax Help for Your 2018 Filing
2018 Marginal Income Tax Rates and BracketsRevised Income Brackets and Marginal Tax Rates What are marginal tax rates? It’s the percentage of your income that you pay in taxes. Good news –the brackets (or income ranges) were lowered so most of...
How well do you receive money?
By: Liz WolfeI recently read a moving and insightful book called 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life by John Kralik. It’s a true story of a man who completely turned his life around when he decided to write a thank you...
Even Introverts Can Excel at Networking by Following These Steps
By: Marguerita M. Cheng The three C's of networking -- Conversation, Connection and Collaboration -- create a context that helps even those most reticent about networking. Networking builds businesses. It brings in clients and partners and helps businesses grow, but...
Finding Happiness at Work
By: Laura BergerThe Proven Science of How to Enjoy Your JobIn True Grit, Grace, and Gratitude, I used the term “happy hour” as a constructive and necessary analogy, but I do have a good bit of aversion toward the expression. Why does an hour we reserve to be happy...
Time Management Techniques for Work-Life Integration
By: Laura Berger Credit: Pexels Despite all the talk and best efforts, work-life balance remains elusive for many professionals. The generic advice about how to structure our time fails to account for each individual’s income requirements, career goals and...
How ‘Nice-Lady’ Negotiating Saved Me $4,300 in a Year
By: Jill Beirne Davi After a recent hospital stay, I opened one of dozens of health care-related bills and found one for $21.47 for the TV and phone in my hospital room. I never used the phone. I never used the TV. Yet here was this bill — one that my health...
Self Expression in the Workplace: The Case for Edited Authenticity
By: Raleigh MayerSignificant controversy and outcry arose when a Google executive lost his job after airing his views on the company's diversity policy . This sparked public debate regarding the benefits and risks of airing personal viewpoints, and the expectation...
I used to let people walk all over me at work — until I learned how I could use my niceness to my advantage
By: Jill Beirne Davi 'Niceness' can be a helpful tool in a negotiation. Nice people can find it challenging to negotiate a business deal successfully. For 'nice' people who tend to let others take advantage of them, it is essential to prepare for negotiations. Using...
5 Tips for Educating Kids About Money
By: Allison Pearson Talking about money is difficult for most of us. Sometimes, talking about money to a family member is even more difficult. Teach your kids about money and family finances early. Growing up, I was fortunate to have parents who prioritized my...
Five Strategies for Befriending Uncertainty
By: Laura BergerEvery rung I climbed on the corporate ladder was giving my ego the success it so craved. But there was one glaring problem: I wasn’t truly fulfilled. Compelled to reevaluate my life and career, I asked myself the all-important question: What truly...
