There are 15 article(s) tagged Personal Finance:

• February 2019

  • Rays of Wisdom: Your finances in 2019

    Make sure your financial goals for 2019 include setting long-term goals, paying off debt and building an emergency fund. The time to fix the roof is while the sun is shining.

    By Ray and Dana Brandon February 15, 2019

  • Rays of Wisdom: Teens and finances

    It’s parents' job to teach teens what they need to know to survive on their own. This is especially true when it comes to good financial habits.

    By Ray and Dana Brandon February 08, 2019

  • Rays of Wisdom: Best financial apps

    “There’s an app for that.” That’s all you hear these days. There are apps for just about anything you could ever imagine. There are even apps that are hilariously ridiculous, like the “Send Me To Heaven” app that challenges you to toss your phone into the air as high as possible and watch it splat. I think we can live without that one.

    By Ray and Dana Brandon February 01, 2019

• January 2019

  • Rays of Wisdom: College-age children and finances

    Teaching teens about credit cards, budgets and student loans could prevent them from making financial mistakes during college that negatively impact them for years to come.

    By Ray and Dana Brandon January 25, 2019

  • Rays of Wisdom: Top investing strategies

    Ray’s Take: According to an article in Millennial Money, Americans spend over $70 billion each year on lottery tickets. The average U.S. household spends over $800 a year on these tickets to fantasyland. The article explained that if these people had invested their $800 into the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund for a 10-year period, they would have over $13,000 to call their own. But instead, they find themselves poorer.

    By Ray and Dana Brandon January 17, 2019

  • Rays of Wisdom: Special needs children and your finances

    Ray’s Take: A report released by the U.S. Census Bureau found that 2.8 million American families are raising two or more children with a disability. It can cost up to $250,000 to raise a typical child, but for a family with a special needs child the costs can be overwhelming.

    By Ray and Dana Brandon January 11, 2019

  • Critical financial estate planning considerations

    Many people believe that “estate planning” is a one-time event that involves drafting a last will and testament that will not be revisited until after they’ve died. In reality, however, effective estate planning is often an ongoing process that can have complex and far-reaching implications, both for the planner and the planner’s beneficiaries.

    By Jennifer L. Sneed January 11, 2019

  • Rays of Wisdom: Social Security Basics

    Ray’s Take: The first recipient of a Social Security check was to a woman named Miss Ida May Fuller. It was issued in 1939 in the amount of $22.54.

    By Ray and Dana Brandon January 04, 2019

• December 2018

  • Rays of Wisdom: Get control over debt before it controls you

    Ray’s Take: Day in and day out, we are bombarded with commercials, ads and billboards from companies promising to help us consolidate our debt and save us lots of money in the process. The fact that so many debt consolidation companies even exist shows the desperate financial situations many Americans find themselves in.

    By Ray and Dana Brandon December 28, 2018

  • Rays of Wisdom: When is the right time to retire?

    Ray’s Take: When can (or should) I retire? This is probably one of the most frequently asked questions I get from my clients. And the short answer is … it depends. Deciding when to retire is a very personal decision. There is no magic number or one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to retiring.

    By Ray and Dana Brandon December 21, 2018

  • Rays of Wisdom: Preparing financially for divorce

    Ray’s Take: Divorce rates peaked in the 1980s, with over 50 percent of American couples splitting up. Since that time, divorce rates have been steadily declining. In 2015, the divorce rate in America reached an all-time low.

    By Ray and Dana Brandon December 07, 2018

• November 2018

  • Rays of Wisdom: Combining finances

    Ray’s Take: When you enter into marriage or a serious relationship, the decision on whether you should combine your finances is an important one and should be thought through carefully and planned out appropriately. 

    By Ray and Dana Brandon November 02, 2018

• October 2018

  • Rays of Wisdom: Financial goals you can achieve

    Ray’s Take: Everyone loves to set big goals. I’m going to lose 30 pounds and get in shape in a month. I’m going to travel around the world. I’m going to retire at 50. And the list could go on and on. While goal setting is important and helps shape our dreams, goals like these are virtually unattainable and when they aren’t met can leave us feeling like a failure.

    By Ray and Dana Brandon October 19, 2018

  • Rays of Wisdom: Financial Blunders

    Ray’s Take: Here’s the bottom line. We all make mistakes. And when you find yourself in the midst of a huge financial blunder, stay calm and don’t panic. 

    By Ray and Dana Brandon October 12, 2018

  • Rays of Wisdom: Don’t keep money secrets

    Ray's Take: Do you have a credit card or bank account that your spouse does not know about? Have you ever told a little white lie to your significant other about how much something costs?

    By Ray and Dana Brandon October 05, 2018