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Smart Ways to Save for Your Child’s Education

rachel

If you’re a parent, the start of a new school year may have you considering how much you’re able to set aside for your child’s college fund. Average annual tuition in the U.S. is $38,185 for private college and $10,338 for public college.[1]1 And those numbers may rise by 2%–3% in the coming school year.[2]2 So, the sooner you start saving to support your child’s future, the better. Fortunately, investment accounts, such as 529 plans and Coverdell education savings accounts,…
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An Introduction to Bond Ladders

An Introduction to Bond Ladders

rachel

Bonds play an important role in a diverse investment portfolio. As fixed-income securities, they can provide a stable return until they mature. As with any investment, bonds are subject to a certain amount of risk. Interest rate risk, for one, is the possibility that interest rates will rise after an investor buys bonds, causing them to miss out on potentially higher yields. To mitigate this risk, investors may opt to buy bonds with staggered maturity dates using a strategy called…
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The Sequence-of-Returns Risk in Retirement

The Sequence-of-Returns Risk in Retirement

rachel

Markets go up and down in ways that are not entirely predictable. For long-term investors, what the market is doing in the present isn’t that troubling; they’ve got a long time to ride out potential downturns. But for recent retirees, an ill-timed market downturn can have a negative impact on their nest egg, increasing the chances they’ll outlive their money. It’s a risk all investors face, and, fortunately, there are several things you can do to mitigate it. What is…
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It's Time to Have The Plan Talk

It’s Time to Have “The Estate Plan Talk”

Prosperwell Financial

Talking with loved ones about estate planning and inheritance can be challenging, especially as it centers around two taboo topics — money and death. But talking with your adult children about their inheritance can provide significant advantages for you and them. It can help your heirs better prepare for the future and give you a chance to explain the reasoning behind your decisions. Here’s a look at the importance of discussing your estate plan with your kids and how to…
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How to weather the correction.

How to Weather a Market Correction

Prosperwell Financial

Sometimes stock prices drop across the entire market at once triggered by a range of things, such as a natural disaster, political turmoil, concerns over rising interest rates, a global health crisis, or problems within a single sector that cause a domino effect across the market. A decline in stock prices of 10% from their most recent high is called a market correction. Long-term investors experience many of them over the course of their lives. So, if you’re investing for…
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match on fire

Lessons from the FIRE Movement

Prosperwell Financial

The Financial Independence/Retire Early, or FIRE, movement is an investment practice and lifestyle that focuses on saving aggressively and spending frugally so individuals can move toward financial freedom and perhaps even retire decades ahead of schedule. The movement has been around since the 90’s and has gained more exposure recently as the financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has more people considering what financial independence and freedom from their 9-to-5 jobs could mean for them. Even if early retirement isn’t…
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timing the market

4 Tips to Help You Avoid Timing the Market

Prosperwell Financial

Sudden ups and downs in the stock market can be hard to ignore. It’s common to get the urge to sell when you see your investments lose value — or to buy when the market is surging. But predicting the effects of short-term market movements like these is nearly impossible. And efforts to “time the market” can backfire, undermining your ability to grow your savings. If you sell right after the market drops, for instance, you’ll lock in your loss…
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Tax tips

Year-End 2021 Tax Tips

Prosperwell Financial

Here are some things to consider as you weigh potential tax moves before the end of the year. Defer Income to Next Year Consider opportunities to defer income to 2022, particularly if you think you may be in a lower tax bracket then. For example, you may be able to defer a year-end bonus or delay the collection of business debts, rents, and payments for services in order to postpone payment of tax on the income until next year. Accelerate…
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Women Face Challenges in a Post-Pandemic World

Prosperwell Financial

The COVID-19 economic crisis tested the mettle of all Americans, particularly working mothers. Research shows that the pandemic’s impacts on women have been far-reaching and potentially long-lasting. Now that the U.S. economy is picking up steam, it may be more important than ever for women to re-examine their retirement planning strategies. Effects of the COVID-19 Economy The COVID-19 recession had a disproportionate impact on working women because sectors that typically employ them — including retail, hospitality, and health care —…
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Four Reasons to Review Your Life Insurance Needs

Prosperwell Financial

You may have purchased life insurance years ago and never gave it a second thought. Or perhaps you don’t have life insurance at all and now you need it. When your life circumstances change, you have a fresh opportunity to make sure the people you love are protected. Marriage When you were single, life insurance might have seemed like an unnecessary expense, but now someone else is depending on your income. If something happens to you, your spouse will likely…
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