Six Life Insurance Mistakes to Avoid
August 31, 2015  | By Kevin Smith

Life insurance has long been recognized as a useful way to provide for your heirs and loved ones when you die. Naming your policy’s beneficiaries should be a relatively simple task. However, there are a number of situations that can…Read More

Correlation and Portfolio Performance
August 31, 2015  | By Kevin Smith

Different types of investments are subject to different types of risk. On days when you notice that stock prices have fallen, for example, it would not be unusual to see a rally in the bond market. Asset allocation refers to…Read More

The Cost of Credit
August 13, 2015  | By Kevin Smith

Sometimes you need to borrow money, especially to pay for a large purchase such as a home or a car. It’s easy to focus on your monthly loan payment, but to appreciate how much borrowing money might really cost, you…Read More

Five Ways to Manage Risk in Your Retirement Savings Plan
August 13, 2015  | By Kevin Smith

Your employer-sponsored retirement savings plan is a convenient way to help you accumulate money for retirement. Using payroll deductions, you invest for the future automatically, following that oft-noted advice to “pay yourself first.” But choosing to participate is just one…Read More

Financial Mistakes People Make at Different Ages
August 13, 2015  | By Kevin Smith

There’s a saying that with age comes wisdom, but this may not always be true in the financial world. As people move through different life stages, there are new opportunities–and potential pitfalls–around every corner. In your 20’s Living beyond your…Read More

Avoiding Probate: Is It Worth It?
April 21, 2015  | By Kevin Smith

When you die, your estate goes through a process that manages, settles, and distributes your property according to the terms of your will. This process is governed by state law and is called probate. Probate proceedings fall under the jurisdiction…Read More

Am I liable for unauthorized transactions on my debit card?
April 21, 2015  | By Kevin Smith

It depends. Federal law provides consumers with protection against most unauthorized credit- and debit-card transactions. Under federal law, consumer liability for unauthorized credit-card transactions is limited to $50. However, many banks and credit-card companies offer even more protection for credit…Read More

What is this new chip-card technology I have been hearing about in the news?
April 21, 2015  | By Kevin Smith

In recent years, data breaches at major retailers have increased across the United States. As a way to counteract these data breaches, many U.S. credit-card companies have started implementing a more secure chip-card technology called EMV (which is short for…Read More

Should I be worried about a Federal Reserve interest rate hike?
February 11, 2015  | By Kevin Smith

After years of record-low interest rates, at some point this year the Federal Reserve is expected to begin raising its target federal funds interest rate (the rate at which banks lend to one another funds they’ve deposited at the Fed)….Read More

10 Financial Terms Everyone Should Know
February 11, 2015  | By Kevin Smith

Understanding financial matters can be difficult if you don’t understand the jargon. Becoming familiar with these 10 financial terms may help make things clearer. 1. Time value of money The time value of money is the concept that money on…Read More