Many people consider hiring a financial advisor to manage their investments. But is a financial advisor really the best person to handle your investments day-to-day?

While a financial advisor or Certified Financial Planner^® should be overseeing your investments, this shouldn’t be their main focus. They should be looking at the big picture and quarterbacking all areas of your financial life and not getting into the nitty-gritty of managing your portfolio.

One of the best ways to save for retirement is to use tax-advantaged accounts. Most employers offer the option of contributing to a 401(k) account, which can be a great idea for stashing cash for your golden years.

Maxing out your 401(k) account for a few years can give you a good foundation for retirement. The earlier you get started, the longer the money will have to grow and earn interest.

This post was last updated on January 15, 2021, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.

If you’re stashing away cash for your golden years, you’re ahead of the game. A study conducted in late 2020 found that 56% of Americans have $5,000 or less in savings, while a third has $1,000 or less. What’s worse is that another study showed that almost 25% of adults in the U.S have no retirement savings or pension at all. 

Planning for the future often takes a backseat to today’s problems. Most people want to know their families are protected financially in case something happens to them. This is where having life insurance can make a big difference.

However, there is conflicting information out there when it comes to getting a life insurance policy. If you’ve ever worked with someone who works for an insurance company (an insurance agent...regardless of what they call themselves), you may have been pushed to a whole life insurance policy.

Making a lot of money and being wealthy are not synonymous. Even if you make six figures, you can still feel stretched to pay your bills if you don’t take the appropriate steps to build wealth.

While having a high income is a good starting point, if you spend everything you make, you’ll find yourself feeling strapped. Getting the right financial planning information can help get you on the right track toward growing your net worth.

This post was last updated on January 15, 2021, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.

Are you looking forward to the day you retire? Many dream of retirement, counting down the days when they can leave the cubicle life behind. But, before you turn in your work badge, make sure your finances are in order first.

If you already have an estate plan, you’re ahead of the majority of Americans. According to a survey by Caring.com, more than half of people don’t have a will or living trust. Even if you have your estate documents in order, you’re not done.

Chances are you’re still many years away from needing to put your end-of-life plan into motion. There are still many changes in your life that need to be reflected by updating your documents. It’s an essential part of making sure everything is in order for your family and heirs.

This post was last updated on January 15, 2021, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.

A question that comes up regularly is what to do with old retirement accounts. In the old days, many workers stayed at the same employer their entire career and retired with 30 to 40 years of service.

Do you have a child that might go to college someday? If so, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we provide you with our best college savings tips regardless if your child is 10 years away or 1 year away. We have tips for all of them.

Let’s face it, saving and paying for college can be overwhelming. Knowing how much to save for college, what types of accounts to utilize (529 Plans, UTMA/UGMA accounts, IRA’s, etc) and how to invest the money, can lead you into paralysis by analysis.

If you’re looking to minimize taxes in retirement, or anytime before, one of the options is converting your traditional individual retirement account (IRA) into a Roth IRA. This shifts the tax burden from a future date to the present day. Before you make such a move, though, it’s important to consider what this will mean to your finances.

Minimizing taxes in retirement seems very appealing. Once you stop working, your income in retirement will come in part from your savings so the less taxes you can pay, the more money you will have available for enjoying your life.

I’m assuming you’ve never heard of a digital estate plan before, but I am guessing you know the importance an estate plan to help take care of your physical assets. Things like your primary residence, other real estate, jewelry, investment accounts, etc.

The digital world is now an integral part of our personal lives. Few people consider their digital assets and what should be done with them when they pass away. This is where having a digital estate plan in place can be a great idea.

This post was last updated on January 20, 2021, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.

This article WILL NOT teach you how to win the lottery. However, it will teach you how to invest any large lump-sum of money that you come into unexpectedly. if you're looking for lottery get-rich-quick schemes, this is not the right article for you.

If you’re already using credit cards to make the majority of your purchases, you may be wondering if you’re getting the best rewards. With so many reward card options out there, it can be confusing trying to figure out which one you should use.

Before going further, a quick disclaimer: if you are in credit card debt, work on paying that off as quickly as possible. Don’t get new credit cards - in fact, just don’t use credit cards at all. Using credit cards can be a great way to earn rewards and get cash back but only if used responsibly.

If you want more freedom over your time, building passive income streams should be a priority. Finding ways to convert active income, i.e. your job, to a passive model will give you more agency over your waking hours.

Working a day job means you’re trading time for money. Every day, you wake up and get ready to go to your job, get in the car and sit in traffic until you finally make it to the office. On the other hand, earning passive income requires little time and effort on your part once you have everything set up.

This post was last updated on July 30, 2022, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.

Whether you’re new to investing or you’re a seasoned pro, you’re bound to make mistakes. As you gain more experience with the market, you’ll be less prone to making impulse decisions. However, there’s one mistake that all investors are bound to make at one point or another – trying to time the market.

If you’re looking for some ways to earn extra cash, getting a side hustle can be a good idea. Having extra money can help you cover your bills or pay down debt. Maybe you want some spending money for the weekend? Or you’d like to save up for a vacation? Earning money on the side can make a big difference and help you achieve your goals faster.

There are many different ways to make extra cash. Some require you to have specific equipment while others don’t need much in terms of startup costs. Browse through the ideas below and pick a few you can try out over the next few weeks.

Many Americans are one paycheck away from going into debt to pay for an emergency. A report by the Federal Reserve on the economic well-being of U.S. households found that 40 percent of American’s can’t afford an unexpected $400 expense. Having some extra cash can help you be prepared in case financial disaster strikes.

There are many different ways to save money – some easier than others. Pick what works for you and stick with it for a few months, setting aside the money that you save in a separate savings account. You can use the extra money to start an emergency fund or invest for retirement.

Greetings Achieving Financial Awesomeness blog readers and welcome to our Leading to Success Interview Series where we learn more about the habits and strategies that have led individuals to become successful in both their professional and personal lives. And, most importantly, how you can implement these into your own life.

Today, we sit down with actress Giovannie Espiritu to learn more about her journey and how she got to where she is today. Currently, she stars in Dyke Central on Amazon Prime and plays Jackie in the thriller movie D-Railed.

The new year is upon us and with it comes resolutions and goals that you’d like to accomplish. However, as we can all agree, it’s just not that easy.

If you’ve ever set a goal that you failed to accomplish, you’re not alone. Science says that only 8 percent of people actually achieve their goals. According to a study by the University of Scranton, a staggering 92 percent of people make New Year’s resolutions they never fulfill.