What Does Financial Planning Really Mean?
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® and Nicholas A. Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Wed, 02/27/2019 - 10:53
Originally published on Tue, June 6, 2017
There are many terms used to describe the services of a financial advisor. Some of these include wealth management, financial planning, and investment management.
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Chasing Returns - The Biggest Mistake Investors Make
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® and Nicholas A. Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Wed, 02/27/2019 - 10:45
Originally posted on Wed, April 5, 2017
For anyone who has either played or watched a game of baseball, hitting that big home run is exciting. This can be compared to investing all your money into an investment that tracks the S&P 500 Index and having a year like 2013 when your portfolio was up over 32%.
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Financial Wellness Programs: Lessening Financial Stress
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® and Nicholas A. Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Wed, 02/06/2019 - 16:14
Originally posted on Tue, February 14, 2017
Corporate financial wellness programs are designed to help your employees take control of their finances, so they can focus on what matters — at work and in their lives. Whether obvious or not, many employees are carrying a great deal of financial stress, making financial wellness programs not only important, but in our opinion, as necessary as providing basic benefits such as life and disability insurance.
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The 3 Things Federal Employees Need to Know about their VCP
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® and Nicholas A. Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Wed, 02/06/2019 - 16:06
Originally posted on Tue,December 13, 2016
While there has been a lot of political proposals and promises in the news during this 2016 election year, there is one potential budget change proposed by President Barack Obama for 2017 that may have a big impact to some federal government employees. It has to do with the little-known (and very beneficial) retirement program called the Voluntary Contribution Plan (VCP) which is available to Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) employees.
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Protect Yourself from Identity Theft During the Holidays
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® and Nicholas A. Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Wed, 02/06/2019 - 16:00
Originally posted on Thu, December 1, 2016
With the holidays rapidly approaching, we are consistently hearing a lot of our clients talk about the cyber security. Staying safe online in this digital world deserves our attention more than ever, especially during the holiday season.
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Why College Students Should Have a Health Care Proxy
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® and Nicholas A. Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Tue, 02/05/2019 - 17:06
Originally posted on Tue, November 8, 2016
Preparing for college is an emotional rollercoaster for both parents and students alike. As a parent, you tend to concentrate on applying for financial aid, organizing for the upcoming tuition payments, and even transporting all of your child’s furniture/clothes.
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The Forecast for Black Gold
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® on Tue, 02/05/2019 - 16:54
Originally posted on March 11, 2015
There are a lot of opinions about the price of oil. Some experts are suggesting the price could plummet to $10 per barrel while others are making the argument for $150 or more. The correct answer is that nobody really knows. However, we can’t stop reading about the predictions.
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A Potential Conflict of Interest with your Financial Advisor
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® on Tue, 02/05/2019 - 16:44
Originally posted on April 2, 2015
I have been managing investments for over twenty years and, during this period, I have met with many prospective clients. It is during these initial meetings that I review investment statements and other financial documents to determine if I can be of assistance. As an independent advisor, there is one specific situation that I believe deserves attention since it is a potential conflict-of-interest when acting in a fiduciary capacity. The situation looks like this:
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Investing Can Be Like Playing a Game of Monopoly
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® and Nicholas A. Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Tue, 02/05/2019 - 16:27
Originally posted on April 29, 2015
Remember playing Monopoly with your kids or as a kid? It’s a game of strategy and most of us choose one of two ways to go. The first way is to spend most of our cash on a high-end property like Park Place or Boardwalk in the hopes that we will score a big profit when the other players land there. The other strategy is to purchase a combination of high-rent and low-rent properties to spread out our investments.
Let’s go through some data that will prove, historically speaking, that a diversified portfolio is a better way to invest than simply the S&P 500 Index. In keeping with my Monopoly metaphor, this would be akin to purchasing various valued properties and not just the most expensive rents.
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Alternative Investments: Risk or Savior?
Posted by Gary S. Williams, CFP®, CRPC®, AIF® and Nicholas A. Ibello, CFP®, AIF® on Tue, 02/05/2019 - 16:10
Originally posted on June 3, 2015
We all know it’s natural for the market to go up and down. But when you have hard-earned cash invested in that market, those ups and downs can sometimes weigh heavily on your emotions. The downs can cause stress, self-doubt, and more importantly, a smaller investment account. While the ups can sometimes make you feel smart, wealthy, and confident. The successful investor knows how to handle his or her emotions when dealing with a prolonged bull market or when the inevitable happens and she is stuck in what seems like a never-ending bear market.
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