Looking back, 2024 clearly echoed many of the themes from 2023. By and large, the economy continued to defy expectations and surprised once again. Stocks continued their strong performance, driven by powerful trends in artificial intelligence and technology. On the other hand, the bond market experienced another lackluster year amid policy ambiguity and uneasiness over rising debt levels.

Fall is a magical time of the year throughout much of the country. Waking to crisp autumn mornings, the changing of the leaves to reds, oranges, yellows, and the nostalgic scent of smoke from the cooking fires as if straight from a Robert Frost poem. This season of cider sweaters is also a great time to sit down and give your finances a comprehensive review.

Many dream of working toward early retirement, but getting there generally doesn’t happen by accident. Retiring early requires financial independence that can last for decades, but that is much easier said than done. To get there requires taking steps and staying focused.

Periodically, companies will report massive data breaches, some impacting billions of records that contain personal information such as names, addresses, and Social Security numbers. Depending on the situation, it is possible that your information was compromised. Companies will often reach out to alert consumers about this potential risk once a data breach has been confirmed.

A common characteristic of high achievers is they are generally voracious readers. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, is said to read up to two books daily, and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates claims to read 50 books annually. Investing guru and chairperson of Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffet reads between five and six hours per day. But it isn’t just the reading that is important; it is also what you take from it to apply to your life, particularly when it comes to such sensitive and personal topics as finance and investing.

Many parents want to provide their children with the best possible help and care, even when they transition into college. However, as the children come of age, there is much more to consider than tuition fees and dorm essentials. 

Since it first became available in 2006, many employers have added the Roth 401(k) to their benefit packages as a retirement savings option. A Roth option is available for Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and 401(k) and 403(b) accounts. To see if a Roth 401(k) would be appropriate for your situation, let’s take a closer look.

529 plans are tax-advantaged savings vehicles designed to accumulate contributions and help pay for the beneficiary's qualifying education expenses. Sometimes, 529 plans have unused funds after the beneficiary graduates or decide to discontinue their education.

Inheriting comes with many emotions, from sadness to confusion to perhaps even joy or relief. An inheritance can take various forms, such as cash, properties, stocks, bonds, property, or other assets. The person leaving the inheritance, the decedent, will likely specify how their wealth will be distributed through an estate plan or will at their death. If there is no will or estate plan, the law of the state where the decedent lived can determine how the property will be divided.

Education has become increasingly expensive for parents, especially for those hoping to help their children stave off the burden of massive student debt. This may include having to contend with soaring inflation, spikes in cost of living expenses, increased job competition and steep interest rates. Statista reported that the average back-to-school spending per household, not including tuition and student housing (for college students), is nearly $900. With many families living paycheck-to-paycheck, this can pose a significant challenge.