Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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As you go through life, you will likely have long- and short-term financial goals. But how will your strategies for meeting your long-term goals differ from those needed for your short-term ones? If you’re like most people, your biggest long-term goal is achieving a comfortable retirement. And for this goal, a common strategy is putting away money in tax-advantaged retirement vehicles, such as your 401(k) and IRA. So, how should you go about preparing for shorter-term goals, such as a family vacation, home renovation, wedding or major p...
If you have a family member who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, or is starting to show symptoms, you will face some real challenges. Navigating the Alzheimer’s experience involves a long journey, and there’s no easy answer for how you can cope with your emotions. But you can at least address some of the financial issues involved to help give yourself a greater sense of control. Here are some moves to consider: • Plan for care costs and identify insurance coverage. The list of Alzheimer’s-related medical expenses is long and inclu...
Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” But as you chart your financial course, what steps should you take to help you keep moving forward to where you want to go? Consider these suggestions: • Establish and quantify your goals. Throughout your life, you’ll have short-term goals, such as an overseas vacation or a home renovation, and long-term goals, the most important of which may be a comfortable retirement. You’ll want to identify all your goals and put a “price tag” on them. Of course, it’s not alwa...
You may have heard that you can simplify your investment strategy just by owning index-based or passive investments. But is this a good idea? You’ll want to consider the different aspects of this type of investment style. To begin with, an index-based investment is a vehicle such as a mutual fund or an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that mimics the performance of a market benchmark, or index — the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500, and so on. (An ETF is similar to a mutual fund in that it holds a variety of investments but differs in tha...
You probably won’t see it on your calendar, but September is Life Insurance Awareness Month. And it is indeed important to be aware of the importance of life insurance. Are you adequately insured? Many people aren’t. About 40 percent of Americans face some type of life insurance gap, either because they’re uninsured or underinsured, according to a 2021 survey by the research and advocacy groups LIMRA and Life Happens. The need for life insurance is pretty straightforward: If something were to happen to you, would your family be able to conti...
When many people hear the words “estate planning,” they assume it’s just for the wealthy. But that’s not the case because everyone can benefit from an estate plan. And when you’re creating one, you’ll want to avoid some common mistakes. Before we look at those mistakes, let’s go over what estate planning is designed to accomplish. Essentially, an estate plan allows you to pass on your assets in the way you desire. But it can also specify other actions, such as naming someone to care for your minor children if you were no longer around. In cr...
