Seek Sound Investment Advice for Financial Success
– After years in the shadows of trendy tech stocks, solid value stocks
are having their moment. Opportunistic value investors who are willing
to go against the trends can acquire stocks cheaply, and benefit from
generous dividends over time.If you are a value investor or looking to
get into more value stocks or seeking other financial guidance, having
the right investment advice is essential, as the options can be
confusing and overwhelming.Regular investment newsletters from competent
authorities can help investors sort through the mountain of stock
information and make smart decisions that work for them.When choosing an
investment newsletter, keep these factors in mind to separate the
experts from the fly-by-nighters.- Broad base. A quality investment
newsletter offers information about a diversified portfolio and a broad
base of investment themes. The best investment newsletters provide
details of what individual stock and other assets the experts are into;
look for newsletters with information about capital gains over the
medium- to long-term, and generating dividends.- Access to material. At
the end of the day, your investment decisions are your own, but it is
important to be informed, and the right investment newsletter offers
current and complete access to research material.- Expert knowledge.
Learn what the experts recommend, and what sectors they are investing in
and why. The best investment newsletters offer new ideas and updates
via trade alerts.- Share with others. Investment newsletters that offer
members’ forums as well as expert Q&A sections are especially
helpful for making sound decisions. Member forums are a rare and
valuable feature, so look for them when choosing an investment
newsletter. You can take advantage of the knowledge and experience of
fellow newsletter subscribers and learn tips from them, as well as from
the expert newsletter authors, on long-term wealth building across a
range of sectors or investment classes.- Resources. The best investment
newsletters provide the background that their experts use in making
their own investment decisions; you get a window into their thought
process that will add to your understanding and appreciation of their
recommendations.- Reputation. For more proof that you are choosing a
quality investment newsletter, you can check out what others are saying
on a reputable review site such as trustpilot.com.Find an example of an
investment newsletter with the power to improve your financial picture
at invest4deepvalue.com.
5 Pathways to a Rewarding Financial Planner Career
– The number of Americans quitting their jobs reached record-setting highs in 2021. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, more than 38 million people left their positions during the year.
More than 4.5 million of those resignations took place in November
alone.If you were among those millions, you may be starting the new year
looking for a new job — one that offers more flexibility, work-life
balance and a greater sense of personal fulfillment. If so, the
financial planning profession may be a good fit for you. CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals
work with individuals and families to review their financial situations
and identify strategies to help maximize their chances of achieving
life goals. They may advise clients on saving for retirement, investing
money to purchase a home or start a business or paying for a child’s
education. Financial planners also help businesses design and manage
retirement plans and other financial programs for their
employees.Financial planning positions vary widely from one company to
the next, and there are numerous ways to enter this in-demand
profession. Here are five of the most common:1. Join a company’s financial planning department.
Financial planning departments draft financial plans, answer client
questions and service requests, research investment options, and perform
custom analyses of financial options and decisions.2. Start a career in financial planning operations. Operations
professionals maintain advisor and client files, collect client
information, generate client reports and help with troubleshooting,
among other responsibilities.3. Work for a virtual advice center.
New hires at virtual advice centers answer calls from existing
customers and help them with personal financial matters, ranging from
stock trades to portfolio adjustments to account distributions. As
employees gain experience, they move into more specialized financial
planning roles and services.4. Join the advisory team at a bank or financial advisor’s local branch office.
Here, a financial planner typically starts out by assisting clients
with opening accounts, completing transfers and other basic service
requests. With time, they will handle more complex client cases and
assist with more advanced products and services.5. Work for a company that supports financial planners. These include FinTech companies, asset managers and FinTech company platform providers.CFP Board’s recently published Guide to Careers in Financial Planning
provides more information about starting and sustaining successful
financial planning careers. You can also find career guidance and
financial planning job and internship postings on the CFP Board Career
Center.Whatever path you choose, pursuing a financial planning career
may provide you with many personal and professional benefits in the new
year. For more information about financial planning as a career, visit CFP.net/Why-CFP-Certification.
Financial Planning for 2022 Taxes
– The new year has just started, but it is never too early to review
your financial plan to meet your 2022 financial goals.Now is the perfect
time to take steps to reduce your 2022 tax obligations, according to
Dan Mathews, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional.Five strategies
that may reduce your 2022 taxes include:
- Maximize your health savings account. Health savings accounts (HSAs) are a great way to put money aside and reduce your taxable income. For 2022, you can contribute $3,650 for individual coverage and up to $7,300 for family coverage. You don’t have to use the money in these accounts by the end of the year; in fact, the money can be invested to maximize growth until your retirement.
6 Reasons Infographics Can Help Your Content Strategy
– Winter 2022 promises the perfect storm for soaring home heating
bills. The convergence of surging energy prices, plummeting temperatures
and escalating demand means optimal energy-efficiency is more
challenging and critical than ever.Rising global energy prices hit home
with forecasts indicating households could see their bills increase up
to 54%, according to The United States Energy Information
Administration. Further, forecasters including the National Oceanic
Atmospheric Administration and the Farmer’s Almanac predict a
colder-than-normal season. Rounding out this frosty trifecta, the
COVID-19 pandemic has led to the rise of remote work which is set to
accelerate and become a more permanent fixture as of 2022, industry
observers say.The good news is that families can prevent a utility-bill
blitz by following a few simple tips. With home heating and cooling
accounting for nearly half of home energy use, small steps can go a long
way.
The U.S. Postal Service Is Fixable with Help from Congress
– Whether it brings something as special as a handwritten card or
something as necessary as medication, the U.S. Postal Service is the
only institution capable of going the last mile to reach, serve, and
tangibly link every American — but now it needs our help.In the shadow
of COVID-19, demand for mail and appreciation for it surged. But then
along came 2021, and our mail got slower, less reliable and more
expensive.During my four terms in Congress, I advocated for a strong
U.S. Postal Service. That’s because reliable mail is critical for our
country. Nearly everywhere I go now, however, I hear people talking
about their mail — even rent, bills, and prescription medications —
being late and pricier to send.And as we head into the Christmas
holiday, people across the country are legitimately wondering if
presents will get to their destinations on time. That’s because in
October, the up-to-three-day service standard for First-Class Mail rose
to five days, with consumers across the country reporting even higher
delivery waits.Why? The U.S. Postal Service has a 10-year plan in place
not only to slow the mail but also to make it more expensive.In fact,
the cost of first-class mail and "forever stamps" are increasing at an
unprecedented rate for everyone. But even more concerning, charities and
other nonprofits, magazines, community newspapers, and catalogs are
facing even bigger postage hikes which could even drive them out of
business.So, what can we do about it? Well, the Postal Service does have
legitimate reasons to save money, but putting the squeeze on mail isn’t
the right way to do it — especially if you consider that
business-related mail generates 90% of Postal Service revenue.One answer
lies in passing bipartisan federal legislation called The Postal
Service Reform Act. It would guarantee six-day mail delivery while
freeing the Postal Service from a 2006 law requiring it to set aside
funds for retiree health benefits 75 years in advance — a huge liability
that has added more than $40 billion in losses to the Postal Service’s
balance sheetThe Postal Service Reform Act not only has bipartisan
support, but it has also been approved by U.S. Postal Service leadership
and labor unions. The legislation presents a rare opportunity for
Congress to easily make a positive difference in the lives of all
Americans — every voter, every family, and every business in the
nation.Another way to fix the Postal Service is to keep massive rate
increases from happening every few months. Higher postage drives more
mail from the system, especially when combined with service delays and
consumer complaints.Some might claim that private couriers like FedEx
and UPS could replace the U.S. Postal Service, but that’s not true. The
Postal Service is obligated to serve every American, no matter how
remote. Now it’s our job to fix it — and make sure it can keep
delivering for all of us. Kevin Yoder is a former Republican
Congressman from Kansas who spent four terms serving in the U.S. House
of Representatives. He is executive director of "Keep US Posted"-a
campaign aimed at preserving the U.S. Postal Service. For more
information, visit www.KeepUSPosted.org.
Survey Shows Low Levels of Cryptocurrency Literacy
-Cryptocurrency continues to expand through the global economy, but
approximately 96% of Americans were unable to pass a quiz about the
fundamentals of cryptocurrency, according to results of the inaugural
Crypto Literacy Survey, part of a consumer education initiative from a
coalition of key players in the digital currency industry.
The quiz consisted of 17 questions to assess knowledge in
cryptocurrency, bitcoin, De-Fi, blockchain, mining, types of wallets,
and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), as well as general feelings about
digital currencies.
The quiz was developed by Cryptoliteracy.org, a coalition that includes
Coinme, CoinDesk, and the Digital Currency Group. The coalition website
launched in November in honor of the first annual Crypto Literacy
Month, and includes complete results of the 2021 survey.
The survey and quiz were sent to 1,000 cryptocurrency or bitcoin-aware
internet users in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil, balanced across
age, gender, and education level (plus race/ethnicity in the U.S.).
Similar to the low pass rate of 4% in the United States, 99% of
Brazilian and Mexican participants did not pass the quiz.
However, according to the survey, 30% of Brazilians and 28% of Mexicans
say they intend to buy or sell cryptocurrencies in the next six months,
compared to 12% of Americans.
“Our industry needs to do more to improve crypto literacy throughout
the world. By doing so, we can help people improve their lives by
understanding how to utilize cryptocurrencies,” says Neil Bergquist, CEO
and co-founder of Coinme.
“As a champion of equal and simple access to digital currencies, Coinme
is proud to lead this effort in collaboration with key industry
partners,” he adds.
Other key insights from the survey show that overall, cryptocurrency
owners scored higher on the crypto-literacy quiz, and that most owners
are younger, wealthier, and male.
In addition, younger generations in the United States are nearly three
times more likely to use cryptocurrency as a means of payment, while
older generations tend to view it as an investment.
Consumers around the world are invited to test their cryptocurrency
literacy by taking the Crypto Literacy Quiz online. Scores will be
privately emailed to participants, along with tailored courses provided
by CoinDesk improve knowledge of cryptocurrency concepts.
Visit cryptoliteracy.org to learn more about cryptocurrencies, test
your knowledge, challenge your friends, and to read complete results
from the annual survey.
You can also join the social media conversation and follow CryptoLiteracy.org on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Pioneering App Breaks the Mold on Social Media
-In the crowded world of social media, many businesses, influencers,
and nonprofit organizations are looking for new ways to be heard,
without censorship and becoming the product for big tech’s complex
revenue systems.Breakout, a new free audio app currently raising money
via crowdfunding (https://breakoutsocial.com/investors/),
represents a unique addition to the social media space that will let
users not only connect and share without censorship, but also own and
sell their own data.The Breakout platform’s features were designed to
provide an audio social experience that is simple, predictable, and
profitable.Users create a profile and can explore different Breakout
Rooms, where people with similar interests can come together and share
their ideas. Very soon Breakout will also be able to help connect users
to companies that are interested in the user’s data, but the users
retain control."All of the social media giants sell this data and they
keep 100% of revenue, and the user has no say in the transaction,"
according to the company website."Further, users have no say about to
whom that the data will be sold."Breakout allows users to own their own
data, and choose what data to sell and at what price.Breakout can be
used in many ways by businesses, social media influencers, and nonprofit
organizations.
4 Benefits of Financial Planning for Service Members and Veterans
– Regardless of whether you are active duty or a veteran, a career in
the military requires many individuals and their families to make
sacrifices for their country. Thankfully, financial stability does not
have to be one of them.There are many resources for members of the
military and their families to remain financially secure, as well as
practical advice to manage their finances without additional
stress.Personal situations may be different for active duty, deployed
and retired service members. But all can benefit from having a comprehensive financial plan in place and working with a qualified financial advisor. Military OneSource
offers financial counseling to the military community through the U.S.
Defense Department, but you can also find a local CERTIFIED FINANCIAL
PLANNERTM professional to provide you with competent, ethical and
holistic financial planning advice. Some CFP® professionals even
specialize in working with military and government clients.U.S. Navy
veteran Mark Wernig, CFP® offers four examples of how military members
and their families can benefit from developing a financial plan:1. Create a budget.
Keep track of your income and spending. For deployed service members,
this may also involve determining who and which funds will pay the
bills. Special pay or entitlements may boost your spending or savings.2.
Invest in savings plans. A CFP® professional can help you make sense of the different savings options, including the Thrift Savings Plan
and TSP Savings Deposit Program, and low-cost investment opportunities
available to service members. They will also make sure you’ve
established a sufficient emergency fund.3. Manage your debt. A
financial plan includes the amount of debt you owe, the interest rate on
each debt and your monthly payment amounts. It also lays out which
debts you will pay first, or put the most money toward. "In addition to
mapping out this information, a CFP® professional can help you determine
if military-focused financial programs, including the Servicemembers
Civil Relief Act, can help reduce your debt," adds Wernig.4. Maximize benefits programs.
People who have served in the military have access to special financial
benefits. This can include healthcare services, mortgages with no or
low down payment, GI Bill educational benefits and special legal
protections, among others. A CFP® professional can help you determine
and take advantage of the varied benefits to which you are
entitled.Focusing on financial preparedness and sustaining healthy
financial habits will help you and your family navigate the challenges
of military life.You can use the "Find a CFP® Professional" search tool
on LetsMakeaPlan.org to
locate CFP® professionals who focus on clients in the military. You can
also connect with local veteran- and military-based community
organizations for more information on the special programs and benefits
available to you and your family.
Don’t Commit These Common Financial Mistakes
– Deciding to select and partner with a financial planner to bring all
the pieces of your financial life together is a big step for you and
your future.But before you meet with your CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
for the first time, you should familiarize yourself with the financial
planning process, gather key information, have an idea about your goals
and prepare a list of questions."You should also have an idea of what
your CFP® professional is likely to discuss at the meeting," says Elaine
King, CFP®. This preparation is very important,
but unfortunately, often forgotten by many new clients when meeting
their financial planner for the first time."I have found that when some
clients first meet me, they spend a lot of time over-explaining or
justifying their prior financial decisions," says Charles Weeks, CFP®
"In this case, don’t worry. Your CFP® professional is not here to judge
you — only to help you!"Below are some common financial mistakes
that many clients make before they meet with a financial planner."If
any of these sound familiar to you, you may want to address them before
meeting with your CFP® professional the first time," Weeks adds.-
Insurance issues. Many people don’t know what their insurance policies
cover and don’t cover. "At a minimum, you need to make sure you carry
enough underlying liability insurance to protect your assets and income
if you are involved in an accident or lawsuit," Weeks advises.-
Insufficient emergency funds. Weeks says he rarely sees clients with the
recommended "emergency fund," three to six months’ worth of
nondiscretionary expenses. An emergency fund should be kept in a cash or
cash equivalent, so it maintains its expected value and can be readily
available when needed.- Cash-hoarding concerns. Some cash is good, but
hoarding too much cash can be detrimental. The main problem: Inflation
will reduce the purchasing power of cash over time.- Debt-management
doubts. "Know the difference between good and bad debt," Weeks says.
Good debt is debt we hold on appreciating assets such as a mortgage or a
business loan. Bad debt is debt owed on depreciating assets, such as
high-interest-rate consumer debts. Bad debts should be prioritized and
paid as quickly as possible.- Estate-planning procrastination. Your
loved ones need a blueprint on dealing with the financial consequences
of your passing. "By leaving family members unprepared, you leave them
vulnerable to financial hardship on top of the emotional hardship they
already bear," says Weeks.If you are guilty of any of these financial
pitfalls, explain them to your CFP® professional, and he or she will
help you develop a sound financial plan.Visit LetsMakeAPlan.org for more
information on how to find a CFP® professional, common financial missteps and how to make the most of that first meeting.
Evolving Approaches to Elective Surgery After COVID-19
– COVID-19 has changed the way Americans approach elective surgery, sometimes in unexpected ways.
For example, a 16-year-old, dedicated sousaphone player, had two flat
feet that made marching painful. But a hectic high school schedule
didn’t leave time for the corrective orthopedic surgery needed since
birth.
“Both of our children love being musicians, but my child’s feet created a real struggle,” says the 16-year-old’s father.
“When COVID-19 created flexible time, we knew it was a blessing in disguise.”
“COVID-19 has increased my practice significantly, because people have
time and flexibility to take care of non-critical health issues,” says
Dr. Elizabeth Hewitt, the orthopedic surgeon who performed the
procedure.
However, the pandemic has shifted many elective surgeries from
hospitals to smaller surgery centers that are perfect for patients such
the high school muscian.
“Many of my patients are also concerned about being exposed to the virus in crowded hospitals,” says Dr. Hewitt.
To keep patients safe and keep their practices efficient, smaller
surgery centers have begun to outsource sterility and supply management
to external suppliers. This strategy lets surgeons stay focused on
providing specific procedures and the positive outcomes that all
patients deserve.
For many of her patients, Dr. Hewitt has relied on Gramercy Extremity
Orthopedics (GEO) to provide sterile instruments that were precisely
what she needed.
Companies such as GEO are enabling hospitals and surgery centers to
maintain high standards and control costs with outsourced surgical
support such as the GEO CART®.
The GEO cart is a self-contained system that provides orthopedic
surgeons with pre-sterilized packs of single-use instruments and
implantable devices custom-ordered for each patient and procedure. The
system is ready to use and designed for surgeons’ needs, reducing or
eliminating the need for company representatives in the operating room.
The GEO cart also tracks supplies with an exclusive computerized radio
frequency identification system, so the surgeons are never scrambling
for substitute items.
“GEO works very closely with surgeons who understand how to provide
their patients with the care and safety they deserve,” says Scott Day,
Chief Operating Officer at GEO.
“We offer the latest technology and can help eliminate many steps in
the complicated surgical process where human error or inefficiencies can
sneak in,” he explains.
“Staff at hospitals and surgery centers are working to maintain the
highest safety and efficiency standards at all times; they deserve the
latest technology and process support to streamline surgery so they can
focus on what really matters — patients.”
The high schooler’s parents agree.
“Dr. Hewitt and the surgery center made my son’s first surgery a
terrific experience. We got phone updates every step of the way and
never worried about safety,” says the father.
Visit gramercyortho.com for more information.
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