We often dream about the freedom of retirement. Perhaps you hope to travel the country by RV, purchase a seaside cabin or gift your grandchildren funds for college. But have you thought about how to make these wishes happen? It’s never too early (or too late) to start thinking and planning for your retirement. Work through the six questions below to put the wheels in motion toward financial security after you collect
On June 8, 2020, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), which has official responsibility for determining U.S. business cycles, announced that February 2020 marked the end of an expansion that began in 2009 and the beginning of a recession.1 This was no great surprise considering widespread business closures due to the coronavirus pandemic and the
Even if you’re savvy about college shopping and thoroughly research financial aid, college costs may still be prohibitive. At these prices, you might expect you’ll need to make substantial financial sacrifices to send your child to college. Or maybe your child won’t be able to attend the college of his or her choice. Before you
Are you unsure if you’re on the right track with your savings and investments? Are you finding yourself with new responsibilities, such as the care of a child or an aging parent, or facing other life events like marriage, divorce, the sale of a family business or a career change? These are only some of
In the current market environment, the value of your holdings may be fluctuating widely — and it’s natural to feel tentative about investing more. But regularly adding to an account that’s designed for a long-term goal may cushion the emotional impact of market swings. If losses are offset even in part by new savings, the
Keeping your cool can be hard to do when the market is turbulent. It’s useful to have strategies in place that prepare you both financially and psychologically to handle market volatility. Here are 11 ways to help make thoughtful decisions and understand the long-term impact of your decisions on your ability to achieve your financial
How much are you saving for retirement? It’s essential to know how much you can contribute to your IRA, Roth IRA and employer retirement plans. Limits can change year to year. Read on to see what’s changed in 2020. The maximum amount you can contribute to a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA in 2020
Enacted on December 20, 2019, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act represents the most sweeping set of changes to retirement legislation in more than a decade. We want to ensure our members know how this will affect them. As part of a $1.4 trillion spending package, the SECURE Act overwhelmingly passed
One of the longest-standing investing debates is over the relative merits of active portfolio management versus passive management. With an actively managed portfolio, a manager tries to beat the performance of a given benchmark index by using his or her judgment in selecting individual securities and deciding when to buy and sell them. A passively
Many folks have questions about their 401(k) dollars. How to access them and how to convert them moving forward. It can be confusing, but the CFS* wealth management advisors at Elevations can help you navigate your choices like the example below. Here’s the dilemma: You have a traditional 401(k) that contains both after-tax and pre-tax
