My family has Appalachian kinfolk who will predict your future by reading coffee grounds. Of course, you could just visit a fortune teller in Pigeon Forge. While I don’t know the track records of mountain folk divinations or palm readers, I do enjoy keeping an annual...
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WBIR: Bond Investments
The recent spike in market volatility has left many investors concerned about their portfolios and uncertain as to how a rise in interest rates impacts their bond investments. LET’S START WITH BONDS 101, HOW DO BONDS WORK AND WHY DO WE BUY THEM? Bonds are generally...
WBIR: Generations on Retirement
It probably comes as no surprise but different generations have different perspectives about retirement planning. What about you? How does your age impact your plan decisions? HOW ARE THE AGE GENERATIONS DEFINED? Millennials (Gen Y): Born 1980 to 1994 Gen X (Baby...
WBIR: Recent Market Volatility
The U.S. stock market recently entered correction territory - dropping about 10% - for the first time in two years. The increased market volatility continues to rattle investors. What is causing the market decline and what should you do about it? Here are 8 tips for...
7 Things You Might Want to Know about the New Tax Law
Everyone is talking about the new tax rules for 2018. It’s always a good idea to plan ahead and be prepared where finances are concerned. That’s why we put together a few little-known facts that could benefit you when it’s time to file 2018 taxes. The taxable income...
WBIR: Super Bowl Money
Let’s have a little fun – can the winner of the Super Bowl game predict the stock market’s next move? Well, the “Super Bowl Indicator” is a superstition that says that the stock market's performance in a given year can be predicted based on the outcome of the Super...
WBIR: Neighbor Spoofing
The bad guys are always trying to take your hard-earned dollars. “Neighbor spoofing” is one of the latest strategies used by scammers. Forewarned is forearmed! HOW DOES “NEIGHBOR SPOOFING” WORK? Neighbor spoofing is designed to trick you into answering the phone. It...
Knoxville News Sentinel: The Hidden Costs of Social Media
Let’s forget the stock market for a moment. The events of our daily lives, not Wall Street, may determine our financial security or ruin. Let’s just suppose, your teenage student has a grudge against a high school teacher and begins a smear campaign on social...
Sunday Money: Inflation
Iiiiittt’ssss baaack. We are talking inflation today on Sunday Money-- U.S. consumer prices recorded their largest increase in 11 months in December 2017 bolstering expectations that inflation will accelerate this year. WHAT IS BEHIND THE RECENT UPTICK IN INFLATION...
Happy New (Budget) Year!!
It’s a new year and a great time to review and update your spending plan, or start one with a fresh mind-set if this is something you’ve been putting off forever. Budgeting doesn’t need to be complicated – it really just depends on how much detail YOU want to track....