Blog
Inflation and the Real Rate of Return
The real rate of return is an important personal finance concept to understand. It’s the rate of return on your investments after inflation. The real rate of return indicates whether you are gaining or losing purchasing power with your money. So if inflation checks in...
5 Things That Seasoned Travelers Are Doing (That You’re Not)
Traveling. Some of us travel a lot, and some of us travel a little. For some of us, traveling is a job. Nearly 63 million people are employed, worldwide, in air travel and related industries.1 There’s bound to be travel wisdom among their ranks. Let’s find out. Think...
Do Your Kids Know The Value of a Silver Spoon?
You taught them how to read and how to ride a bike, but have you taught your children how to manage money? One study households with student loan debt showed that the average amount owed was $47,671.1 And more than 20% of recipients with outstanding loans will either...
What If You Get Audited?
“Audit” is a word that can strike fear into the hearts of taxpayers. However, the chances of an Internal Revenue Service audit aren’t that high. Between 2010 and 2018, the IRS only audited 0.6% of all individual tax returns.¹ And being audited does not necessarily...
Life and Death of a Twenty Dollar Bill
Every year, the government prints millions of notes a day. Here’s a quick look at what goes into creating a $20 bill and what determines when a bill’s lifespan ends.1 Paper A $20 bill starts out life as part of a large sheet of paper. While most paper is made...
Making a Charitable Contribution
Why sell shares when you can gift them? If you have appreciated stocks in your portfolio, you might want to consider donating those shares to charity rather than selling them. Donating appreciated securities to a tax-qualified charity may allow you to manage your...