While some of you may be familiar with what a bond rating is, many of you may also be unfamiliar and do not understand the bond rating process. Below is a high level overview of what a bond rating is, and feel free to ask any follow up questions in the comments section below. A bond rating is a rating that an independent or unbiased agency issues to measure the credit quality of a particular bond...
Financial Wellness, a new term for me, is all the rage. In fact, many companies offer financial wellness as an employee benefit. But many may ask, what is financial wellness and how does it help you? Below is a general summary, and please feel free to post in the comments section for any follow up questions. Financial wellness is not just about your net income, but its about having to experience positive financial outcomings, having a...
2019 is off to a fast start and hopefully the winter is over. Now that you are getting your taxes done for 2018, you may want to look at your financial picture for 2019. This is a great time to start boosting your savings and really focusing on your financial plan. Below are tips and helpful guidelines to help improve your savings in 2019. Please feel free to add any in the comments section below. Breakdown...
While 5-10 years ago most people had never heard of the term sharing economy or knew exactly what it meant. Fast forward to today, and the reality is very different. Our modern economy includes an economic model that includes a sharing economy. But what exactly does that mean? Below is a summary of what a sharing economy is and how it affects your everyday life. A sharing economy has many facets, but is a mode of...
For those who don’t follow the stock market on a regular basis, I thought I would provide a high level summary and recap. Most investors are relieved that 2018 is over. There were a lot of highs, including the tax-cut optimism, to quite a lot of lows, especially the last few months. From a U.S. stock market perspective, it was the worst performance since 2008 during the financial crises. The S&P 500 fell 6.2% for the...
I would say I read a fintech type article everyday now. Fintech companies have exploded into the mainstream over the last 10+ years. However, many people may not exactly know what ”fintech” is, so I put together a very simple summary. Please feel free to ask any follow up questions in the comments section below. FinTech or financial technology really describes the intersection of financial services and technology. Most of the time it refers to start...
If you survived the Great Recession of 2008, then you know just how bad it can get. Companies layoff employees. Household income declines while unemployment and bankruptcies rises. The country and consumers experience financial hardship in a grand scale. A recession is happens when the economy declines six months in a row. It’s hard to predict exactly when a recession will hit or what will cause it, but knowing there’s a possibility means you should be...
A home purchase is a huge decision. There is a lot to factor in, and it may end up being the biggest financial purchase you make in your life. Below are a few indications that would let you know you might be ready to buy a home. 20% in Savings: Many people/websites have different opinions on this, but I recommend having at least 20% of your home purchase in savings you can use as a down...
You have probably seen in the news lately, the discussions of proposed tariffs with many countries including China and Europe. While I will not discuss the political aspects of tariffs, I wanted to share a summary of what exactly a tariff is and how they could impact your wallet. A tariff is bascially a tax that the government places on imported goods. The tariff proceeds go to the government and a tariff is used to protect...
No matter where you turn to on the internet, you see articles and articles on Cryptocurrency. Even friends and family are likely pushing you to “invest” in cryptocurrency. However, given the incredibly fast rise of cryptocurrency, do many people even know what cryptocurrency really is? I decided to try to summarize what cryptocurrency is and offer you some additional high level details. What is Cryptocurrency? A cryptocurrency is a digital / virtual currency designed to work...
