Most parents eventually think, “College…oh yeah…what’s THAT going to cost?” Smart question to ask—and answer—ASAP. (Have you checked the price of higher education lately?) According to SoFi, as of the 2022-23 school year, a four-year degree from Harvard (tuition, books, and all other expenses) now runs $334,152. If you want to tack on a degree […]

Susan’s getting close to retirement. She has money in two mutual funds and in a traditional IRA. Susan loved the tax break she got annually on her IRA contributions while she was working. But now she’s realizing she’ll have to pay taxes on that money when she starts withdrawing it. Consequently, as she plans for […]

Can money buy happiness? More than a decade ago, Nobel Prize-winners Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton decided to tackle that question.  They studied the results of a 2008-2009 survey of 450,000 Americans (i.e., the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index).  Kahneman and Deaton observed that the more people earned, the more inclined they were to report being happy—up […]

As a financial advisor, I’m often asked: “Are student loans a wise investment in my future…or a bad idea?” Let me offer some facts, an example, an update, and some advice. Some facts: What does all that borrowing cost? Current interest rates on federal loans range from 4.99%-7.54%. Private loan rates range from just under […]

Someone recently asked, “If I’m already retirement age, is it too late—and too pricey—to consider long-term care insurance?  What I thought was, “It depends. How lucky do you feel?” What I said was, “I recommend you plan like a pessimist so you can live like an optimist.”  Here’s why I answered that way: When we […]

Visit a small town coffeeshop one morning this week. Listen in on the conversation. It won’t be long before someone starts grousing about financial institutions. “Can you believe we’re bailing out banks AGAIN? Why are we giving money to a bunch of billionaire bankers! You ask me…I’m ready to do away with ALL financial institutions!” […]