Four Factors That Impact Your Financial Plan Andrew Rosen, Contributor May 16, 2024 While every financial plan and individual is unique, the core basis of how financial plans work is fairly similar. The good news is that there’s only a handful of data points that will really impact your financial plan, however that is also the bad... Published on: 2024-05-20 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Make the Most of Your Retirement-Savings Tools * Employers can allow employees to make after-tax "Roth" contributions to the employer's 401(k) or 403(b) plan. Qualified distributions of these contributions and related earnings are tax free. ** Individuals age 50 and over may make additional $1,000 IRA catch-up contributions. Prepared by Broadridge Advisor Solutions. © 2024 Broadridge Financial... Published on: 2024-05-19 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed 'War economy' angle on debts risks 'creative' solutions LONDON, May 15 (Reuters) - Big public debts typically stem from big economic and political junctures that require government to spend big - but reining them back risks 'creative' solutions markets may struggle to price.The cumulative cost of post-pandemic public spending amid new geopolitical realities - including anything from green... Published on: 2024-05-18 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed More Women Than Men Earn College Degrees (Jun) About 1,019,000 associate degrees, 2,136,000 bachelor's degrees, 860,000 master's degrees, and 206,200 doctoral degrees (which include medical and law degrees) are projected to be awarded during the 2023–2024 academic year. More women than men will attain undergraduate and graduate degrees at every level, a trend that is expected to continue.... Published on: 2024-05-17 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed How Much Should Parents Contribute To College? If parents have the means to pay for all college costs, should they? The answer will be different for every family. There are plenty of reasons for parents to pay for the full cost of college (assuming they have the ability to do so). But there can also be valuable... Published on: 2024-05-16 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Market Week: May 13, 2024 The Markets (as of market close May 10, 2024) The market closed last week higher. Investor sentiment was bolstered by good corporate earnings results from key megacaps. Of the 459 companies of the S&P 500 that have reported earnings, 77% beat consensus predictions. The Dow rode an eight-session winning streak,... Published on: 2024-05-15 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Market Month: April 2024 (Video) COPYRIGHT ©2023 WEALTHKARE.COM, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | FEE-BASED FINANCIAL PLANNING AND INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES ARE OFFERED BY WEALTHKARE.COM, INC. A REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISOR DOMICILED IN PENNSYLVANIA. INSURANCE RELATED CONSULTING, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES ARE OFFERED THROUGH AMERICAN ASSETS FINANCIAL CORP. & RIA WEALTH SOLUTIONS LLC. WEALTHKARE.COM, INC., RIA WEALTH SOLUTIONS... Published on: 2024-05-14 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Can the strong dollar be tamed? US currency likely to stay stronger for longer with little obvious on the horizon to dent its strength. iStock-1499733378 As any old-school currencies trader will tell you: buy dollars, wear diamonds. It is certainly shaping up to be a decent bet this year, in a manner that is throwing up... Published on: 2024-05-13 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Debt Payoff Methods: Snowball vs. Avalanche COPYRIGHT ©2023 WEALTHKARE.COM, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | FEE-BASED FINANCIAL PLANNING AND INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES ARE OFFERED BY WEALTHKARE.COM, INC. A REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISOR DOMICILED IN PENNSYLVANIA. INSURANCE RELATED CONSULTING, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES ARE OFFERED THROUGH AMERICAN ASSETS FINANCIAL CORP. & RIA WEALTH SOLUTIONS LLC. WEALTHKARE.COM, INC., RIA WEALTH SOLUTIONS... Published on: 2024-05-12 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed How Capital Gains Are Taxed and How That Might Change Capital gains taxes are the price of making a good investment. They’re levied on profitable stock trades and real estate deals and can also apply to sales of businesses, pieces of art, collectible cars, gold or other assets. President Joe Biden has long vied to increase the capital gains rate,... Published on: 2024-05-11 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Will Housing Costs Rise in 2024? Homebuyers and Renters Think So KEY TAKEAWAYSAfter some optimism last year that housing costs could cool, consumers expect both purchasing and rental costs to jump in 2024, according to a New York Federal Reserve Bank survey.They are also anticipating that mortgage rates could jump to higher than 8% over the next year.The New York Fed... Published on: 2024-05-10 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Parents: Be Careful With These Student Loan Alternatives With FAFSA delays pushing back the date many students will find out how much financial aid they're eligible for this year, some parents are keeping their eyes peeled for alternative college funding options. If their dependent doesn't qualify for enough scholarships, grants, and federal student loans to cover tuition and... Published on: 2024-05-09 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed What to Know About T Plus 1 Trade Settlement On May 28, 2024, settlement cycles on U.S. stocks and other securities will shift from two business days to one. For most investors, this shift will have little or no impact. But it will affect some investors and certain types of transactions. It may be helpful to understand the basics... Published on: 2024-05-08 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Video: McDonald’s Burgers Are the New Dividing Line in America McDonald’s prices are cutting out customers who make less than $45,000 a year, which is about one-third of Americans. It hasn’t hurt the Golden Arches – by any measure, business is booming. But it’s a stark reminder that a growing number of people in the US are struggling to afford... Published on: 2024-05-07 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Some States Will Offer Home Energy Rebates in 2024 The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 included two provisions allowing rebates for home energy efficiency retrofit projects and home electrification and appliance projects. These home energy rebate programs are to be administered by state energy offices, with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) providing guidance and oversight. States are not... Published on: 2024-05-06 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed The lesson of Loki? Trade less Going back as far as the Norse gods, the market has tricked investors into making rash decisions. iStock-1330234200 The pages of the Financial Times are not usually a place for legends about ancient gods, but perhaps I can be indulged in sharing one with a lesson to teach us all.More... Published on: 2024-05-05 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Understanding Your Credit Report Your credit report contains information about your past and present credit transactions. It's used primarily by potential lenders to evaluate your creditworthiness. So if you're about to apply for credit, especially for something significant like a mortgage, you'll want to get and review a copy of your credit report. You... Published on: 2024-05-04 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Government Savings Bonds What are government savings bonds? Savings bonds issued by the U.S. government are considered one of the safest investments because they are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. They offer several advantages, including safety of principal and exemption from state taxes, but there are some... Published on: 2024-05-03 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed So, Bitcoin Halving Is Done. What Happened and What's Next? KEY TAKEAWAYSThe fourth bitcoin halving occurred on Friday at a little after 8:09 p.m. Eastern, dropping the issuance rate of new bitcoin to 3.125 roughly every ten minutes.Despite the notable event, it's unclear whether it will lead to a sharp bitcoin price rise as it has in the past.The bitcoin... Published on: 2024-05-02 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Beware AI euphoria Like all great bubble stories, the latest tech narrative conveys a sense of inevitability. iStock-815820748 Another week, another record high in US equity markets. Last week’s jump was triggered by the Federal Reserve’s signal that investors can look forward to more interest rate cuts this year. But deeper market bullishness... Published on: 2024-05-01 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Copper is the new oil and Big Mining sees the metal as its life blood Australia’s BHP (BHPLF -5.22% decrease), the world’s biggest mining company, considered a bid for smaller player Anglo American NGLOY (+3.42% increase) about five years ago. BHP coveted only Anglo’s copper and was put off by the prospect of dismantling a highly complex company to nail the prize. So, it passed.... Published on: 2024-04-30 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Welcome to 'peak boomer' era: A wave of retirees is about to blow through their savings and cling to Social Security to stay afloat The youngest baby boomers are about to enter retirement — and most of them aren't financially prepared for this next stage of their life.Beginning this year, over 30 million boomers born between 1959 to 1964 will start to turn 65, marking the "largest and final cohort" of that generation entering... Published on: 2024-04-29 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed U.K. stocks may finally be back in fashion London’s FTSE-100 hit a record high on Tuesday, raising hopes that Britain’s stock market might finally be shaking off years of underperformance as investors look for bargains and UK growth picks up.Months after rival indexes across the world started chalking up records, Britain’s benchmark stock index touched a new peak... Published on: 2024-04-28 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Four Mistakes That Leaders Should Avoid With AI There needs to be a balance between technology and humanity. Getty Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the hottest trends in business today – with good reason. AI is set to transform the way we live and work. According to Bloomberg Intelligence, generative AI alone is set to become a... Published on: 2024-04-27 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed What To Expect From The Fed’s May Interest Rate Decision Markets expect interest rates to be held steady at the Federal Open Market Committee’s next decision on May 1. Inflation data for early 2024 has caused some concern that the transition to an annual 2% inflation rate may take longer than previously anticipated. The market will be watching for clues... Published on: 2024-04-26 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed 5 Ways To Pay For The College Your Child Wants To Go To It’s college admission season. If your child has gotten into a great university but it comes with a high price tag, you may be racking your brain to figure out how to pay for that school. You’re not alone in this anxiety: 78% of families say they eliminated a college... Published on: 2024-04-25 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed How Would You Pay for Long-Term Care? (May) According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, seven out of 10 people age 65 and over will need some type of long-term care. Medicare only pays for skilled services or rehabilitative care in a nursing home for a maximum of 100 days, and unfortunately, it does not... Published on: 2024-04-24 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Cost of Debt: What It Means and Formulas What Is the Cost of Debt?The cost of debt is the total interest expense owed on a debt. Put simply, the cost of debt is the effective interest rate or the total amount of interest that a company or individual owes on any liabilities, such as bonds and loans. This... Published on: 2024-04-23 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed A couple that quit full-time work in their 20s share the money mindset that 'propelled' them to financial independence without altering their quality of life: 'We made zero sacrifices' Lauren and Steven Keys built a million-dollar portfolio from scratch, which set them up to quit their full-time jobs in their 20s and pursue various side projects and creative work."Focusing on making a happy life with low expenses is the most powerful thing that we ever did in the early... Published on: 2024-04-22 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed What If Fed Rate Hikes Are Actually Sparking US Economic Boom? As the US economy hums along month after month, minting hundreds of thousands of new jobs and confounding experts who had warned of an imminent downturn, some on Wall Street are starting to entertain a fringe economic theory.What if, they ask, all those interest-rate hikes the past two years are... Published on: 2024-04-21 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed 3 Facts That Help Explain a Confusing Economic Moment The economic news of the past two weeks has been enough to leave even seasoned observers feeling whipsawed. The unemployment rate fell. Inflation rose. The stock market plunged, then rebounded, then dropped again.Take a step back, however, and the picture comes into sharper focus. Compared with the outlook in December,... Published on: 2024-04-20 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed What eight centuries of data tell us about interest rates Research suggests that these have long been in steady decline. iStock-1987198686 These are treacherous times for bond traders. A couple of months ago, the market consensus was that the US Federal Reserve would cut interest rates six times this year, starting imminently. By Wednesday, however, investors had slashed their expectations... Published on: 2024-04-19 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed What You Need To Know When Contemplating Divorce Marriage can be a wonderful institution—until it isn’t. Perhaps you know what you want and are ready to get out. Or maybe you would like your spouse to change their mind. Maybe you are looking for justice for everything you have endured. Or perhaps you just want to return to... Published on: 2024-04-18 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Withdraw from an Inherited IRA or Retirement Plan Using the Life Expectancy Method What is it? The life expectancy method is a method of taking distributions from an inherited IRA or employer-sponsored retirement plan account. As the name suggests, it allows you to take post-death distributions based on your life expectancy. Under this method, you must receive a certain minimum amount each year.... Published on: 2024-04-17 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed Quarterly Market Review: January-March 2024 (Video) COPYRIGHT ©2023 WEALTHKARE.COM, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | FEE-BASED FINANCIAL PLANNING AND INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES ARE OFFERED BY WEALTHKARE.COM, INC. A REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISOR DOMICILED IN PENNSYLVANIA. INSURANCE RELATED CONSULTING, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES ARE OFFERED THROUGH AMERICAN ASSETS FINANCIAL CORP. & RIA WEALTH SOLUTIONS LLC. WEALTHKARE.COM, INC., RIA WEALTH SOLUTIONS... Published on: 2024-04-16 Source: Wealthkare.com Article Feed 1 2 3 … Next Four Factors That Impact Your Financial PlanMake the Most of Your Retirement-Savings Tools‘War economy’ angle on debts risks ‘creative’ solutionsMore Women Than Men Earn College Degrees (Jun)How Much Should Parents Contribute To College?401(k) AI Bankruptcy Business Business Planning Debt Disability Economics Finance Income Inflation investment Management Money Planning Rates Retirement Savings Stock Market Taxes Tech Tourism Updates Wealth Management