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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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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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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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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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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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Originally posted on Fri, September 23, 2016

It’s that time of year again: Wedding Season!

The financial burden of putting-on, or even attending a wedding is something to think about. However, with proper planning, it’s possible to keep wedding costs under control! In this article, we hope to share a few financial tips so you can enjoy your day without depleting your savings.

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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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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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Originally posted on June 25, 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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