After years of keeping the benchmark federal funds rate at historic lows, the Federal Reserve has been raising it gradually. Near-zero rates were an emergency measure, and gradual increases reflect greater confidence in the U.S. economy. However, rising rates can affect you as a consumer and investor. WHAT IS THE FEDERAL FUNDS RATE? The […]
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Are Your Cash Investments Fully Insured?
As many of you know, a person’s bank accounts are only covered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation up to $250,000 per person. Many people may be unaware that any cash held in a savings, money market and checking accounts over that balance may not be fully insured. For people who do have large checking, […]
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Pay Down Debt or Save for Retirement?
You can use a variety of strategies to pay off debt, many of which can cut not only the amount of time it will take to pay off the debt but also the total interest paid. However, like many people, you may be torn between paying off debt and the need to save for retirement. […]
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Monte Carlo Analysis
When you sit down with a BWFA financial professional to update your retirement plan, you may encounter a Monte Carlo simulation, a financial forecasting method that has become more prevalent in the last few years. Monte Carlo financial simulations project and illustrate the probability that you’ll reach your financial goals, and might help you make […]
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Time in the Stock Market + Market’s Resiliency = Potential for Long Term Financial Success
In the last quarterly newsletter, I wrote about the benefits of time in the market and, conversely, the perils of missing the most successful, unpredictably timed, individual positive days in the market. Simply stated it is “time in the market” that trumps “timing the market” when seeking long term investing success. (see, BWFA Advisor magazine, April 2017, “When’s the […]