Our Blogs
Inheritance? Here’s Why Not to Pay Off Your Mortgage
by Christie Whitney, CFP®We all know the stories of famous athletes who go broke. And then there is the infamous “lottery curse,” where winners end up bankrupt a few short years after hitting the jackpot. Most folks think that they’re smarter than that. They believe they will properly manage any inheritances that come their way. If only we… Continue reading
What Investors Should Know About Money-Market Funds and CDs
Investors should consider using cash-equivalent investments, such as money market funds or CDs, to make sure that your idle cash is generating attractive short-term gains. Source: The Wall Street Journal May 6, 2023. What Investors Should Know About Money-Market Funds and CDs Investors are turning to these cash-equivalent investments, some of which are yielding 5%… Continue reading
What is the worst time to hire a financial adviser?
Rebalance Managing Director Mitch Tuchman outlines in this column how one should take financial advice as seriously as they take medical advice. by Mitch Tuchman, January 31, 2024 If the number of digits on your retirement account balance surprises you, that might be a sign you need to get help with your financial decisions. The average… Continue reading
More Americans own stocks. This is great for their financial future.
For the first time since the stock market crash of 2008, consumer confidence with the stock market has returned. According to legendary Washington Post columnist, Michelle Singletary, investors have had a bumpy ride over the past decade. In the process, they have been rewarded with annual returns of approximately 12%. More Americans own stocks. This… Continue reading
What Investors Should Know About Money-Market Funds and CDs
Investors should consider using cash-equivalent investments, such as money market funds or CDs, to make sure that your idle cash is generating attractive short-term gains. Source: The Wall Street Journal May 6, 2023. What Investors Should Know About Money-Market Funds and CDs Investors are turning to these cash-equivalent investments, some of which are yielding 5%… Continue reading
With the Odds on Their Side, They Still Couldn’t Beat the Market
The Rebalance tried-and-true adage remains the same, echoed by this NYTs columnist: it is nearly impossible to beat the stock market. The most prudent long-term investing strategy is to “own” the entire stock market through low-cost, broad exposure index funds. Source: The New York Times April 14, 2023. With the Odds on Their Side, They… Continue reading
The 60-40 Investment Strategy Is Back After Tanking Last Year
With the perspective of time, the calls for the death of the 60%/40% investment strategy came too soon. The click-bait articles of 2022 did not deter the Rebalance long-term investors. Source: The Wall Street Journal April 12, 2023. The 60-40 Investment Strategy Is Back After Tanking Last Year The recovery has emboldened investors who didn’t… Continue reading
Secure 2.0: Wide-Sweeping Retirement Legislation Passed by Congress
by David RanneyAt Rebalance, we strive to make investing and saving for retirement smoother, safer, and easier for our small business owner clients and their employees with our BetterK solution. The recent passage of the new Secure Act 2.0 aims to expand access to retirement plants, increase retirement savings, help Americans preserve income, and streamline retirement plan… Continue reading
Inheritance? Here’s Why Not to Pay Off Your Mortgage
by Christie Whitney, CFP®We all know the stories of famous athletes who go broke. And then there is the infamous “lottery curse,” where winners end up bankrupt a few short years after hitting the jackpot. Most folks think that they’re smarter than that. They believe they will properly manage any inheritances that come their way. If only we… Continue reading
How to Use a 529 Plan to Finance Your Kid’s College Costs
by Jill Carothers, CFP®You may have heard about a type of tax-advantaged college savings plan known as a 529 plan. Similar to an IRA or 401(k), money put into a 529 is “qualified,” meaning it grows tax-free and can be used tax-free in the future. You will find 529 plans sponsored by all 50 states and the District… Continue reading
Medicare plan options are confusing. This book may help.
by Sonja Breeding, CFP®Medicare Made Simple? Not Quite: Decoding the Alphabet Soup to Maximize Your Coverage. Medicare plan options are confusing. This book may help. By Michelle Singletary, November 22, 2024 For all its pluses, Medicare can be a hellish system that befuddles and frustrates so many beneficiaries. Medicare provides health insurance for millions of Americans 65… Continue reading
What’s Your Next Chapter? The Time To Plan For It Is Now
by Dan MavraidesMany people, prompted to think about how long they might stay at work, fall back on statistics they hear in the media. You know, the ideal retirement age is 65, maybe a few years more, tops. The thing is, that number made sense only briefly around the time the government was setting up Social Security,… Continue reading
3 Questions Your Advisor Should Ask About Aging
by Jill Carothers, CFP®When we’re young, retirement can feel like a far-off concept, more fantasy than reality. It’s in our middle years that the reality of aging and approaching retirement starts to hit home. By “home,” I mean your actual home, if you live with or near your own aging parents. Many folks in their 40s and 50s… Continue reading
What Will Happen to Social Security After Trump Takes Office?
News you can use: How does the Trump win impact your Social Security benefits? What Will Happen to Social Security After Trump Takes Office? By Tara Siegel Bernard, November 14, 2024 Americans are polarized on many issues, but there’s at least one program that continually wins nearly everyone’s support: Social Security. It isn’t subject to… Continue reading
Managing the Risks and Taxes of Highly Appreciated Stock
by Matt Jude, CFP®, ECAInvestors who have done well over the years – whether through savvy stock picks, favorable market returns, or just good luck – often find themselves with a unique set of problems to deal with. After holding stocks for a long period of time and achieving substantial returns, investors may have two unexpected issues to be… Continue reading
Is Indexing Doomed? Not If History Is Any Guide
by Dan MavraidesMeme stocks. Cryptocurrency. Non-fungible tokens. Flashy and controversial trends in investing tend to get the headlines. So be it. Still, the likelihood is that simple, quiet index investing will only grow in popularity. Why? Because inertia is a powerful force in any industry, and particularly so if the process or product in question works. “If… Continue reading
Seven Lessons for New Retirees, From a New Retiree
A former Kiplinger editor shares financial lessons from his first year of retirement. Seven Lessons for New Retirees, From a New Retiree By Mark Solheim, August 21, 2024 I retired as editor of this publication a year ago, and although I miss the writers and editors I worked with for many years — and the… Continue reading
How to Stay Sane When Markets Get Wild
Long-term stock market investors earn more by ignoring short-term noise. How to Stay Sane When Markets Get Wild By Jason Zweig, August 9, 2024 Stop trying to make it make sense. Just about every volatility storm in the markets quickly morphs into a baloney blizzard, as Wall Street’s market strategists and a swarm of online… Continue reading