Financial Planning

Financial Planning

Social Security Benefits for 2025: COLA Update

If you are one of the more than 72 million Americans who receive Social Security benefits, keep an eye on your mailbox for an envelope from the SSA, which will send out notifications beginning in December. The notice will outline how much you can expect to receive in your monthly check starting in 2025. ...
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Your Funeral, Your Way

How can you ensure that your loved ones carry out your funeral and burial or cremation wishes after you die? Those closest to you should be aware of your desires. Putting your preferences in writing can be key. ...
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Medicare and Hearing Aids

Original Medicare does not cover hearing aids or the exams for fitting them. Some Medicare Advantage plans, however, offer added benefits not covered by Original Medicare, including hearing services. Given the high out-of-pocket cost of hearing aids and their importance to overall health, anyone with hearing loss may want to consider all their options. ...
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How Trading Strategies Impact Modern Financial Planning

People across all generations aspire to achieve long-term financial objectives. A detailed financial plan serves as a roadmap to realize these goals, providing a thorough analysis of one’s current financial status and outlining strategies for growth.

When it comes to growing wealth, trading is one option to consider as part of your overall financial plan. While trading can be risky and may not always align with traditional long-term saving strategies, it can be a useful tool if done carefully. This article explores how trading and technology can benefit your financial plan.

The Growing Importance of Trading in Financial Planning

Historically, financial planners have focused on long-term investing. While such an approach is necessary, trading can fill in some gaps. One disadvantage of traditional investing is liquidity constraints.

Usually, one owns certain assets in their actual form (e.g., commodities) but faces an uphill battle when trying to sell them. Meanwhile, trading is more flexible, as you can liquidate your positions at a much faster rate since the trader owns a derived form of the asset.

Part of a financial plan is to account for emergencies. Trading can be beneficial during times of financial stress due to its flexibility, allowing one to enter and exit the markets at will.

Traditional investing also brings greater uncertainty. Investors must be quite patient, especially during volatile or difficult periods where they must withstand seeing their investments at running losses. On the other hand, having a trading strategy eliminates much of the uncertainty due to the shorter horizon that positions are held.

Overall, any financial plan can be strengthened by some aspect of trading despite some of its drawbacks.

How Does Trading Fit into A Comprehensive Financial Plan?

As the term suggests, a comprehensive financial plan is a detailed approach with several layers. One of these is, of course, investment management.

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Housing Programs That Support Aging in Place

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administers programs that can help older adults remain in their own homes and communities rather than entering assisted living or long-term care facilities. ...
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Blended Families and Wills

Trying to be equitable among your heirs can be tricky. You may hope your spouse and children will work things out after you have passed away. However, you want to avoid this common estate planning mistake. It can easily create unnecessary heartache for the loved ones you leave behind. ...
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Divorce & Social Security Spousal Benefits

Spouses can collect Social Security benefits based on their spouse’s work records. These benefits are also available to divorced spouses who meet certain criteria, even after their ex-spouse has remarried. Divorced spouses are also entitled to survivor benefits, in some situations. ...
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Medicare Changes

Next year could get complicated for folks with a Medicare Advantage or a Stand Alone Part D Prescription Drug Plan. While it’s always good to pay attention to your Annual Notice of Changes (ANOC) that arrives in your mailbox in September, give it an extra look this year. ...
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