Money IQ
New Year, New Financial You?
It’s all fun and games while the eggnog is flowing and the tinsel is still hung, but the post-holiday spending hangover can mean bad news for your financial situation if you don’t make adjustments in the new year. If the holidays left you and your budget feeling a little bloated,
Sarah YakelJan 4, 2022
5 Reasons You Need a Health Savings Account
Imagine for a second that you had a little financial fairy godmother sitting on your shoulder, promising to save you money on your healthcare expenses and help lower your taxes all while helping you invest for retirement. It would seem too good to be true, right? Well, here is th
Sarah YakelSep 7, 2021
Why Is Taking Financial Risk Important?
No matter where you are on your financial journey, controlling your finances is one of the most important things you can do for your future. While it’s challenging to break the cycle of living paycheck-to-paycheck or find money to invest when you’re supporting kids or helping agi
Sarah YakelAug 10, 2021
Asset Classes
What is an asset class? An asset class is a group of similar kinds of investments. It’s a generalization, not a detailed description, and can help you understand and manage your investments at a high level. The four main asset classes are: Stocks – when you buy a stock, you becom
Sarah YakelJul 13, 2021
Emergency Fund 101
Life happens Unfortunately, things can (and will) happen that seem to derail your plans or force you to hit the “reset button” when you least expect. While we certainly wouldn’t wish some of life’s unpredictable events on anyone, we know that at times, some (or maybe all) of us w
Sarah YakelJun 15, 2021
Are Inflation Fears Inflated?
As I mentioned in my recent Meridian Market Minute video post, headlines around inflation have started to appear as the next thing we should all be worried about. My colleague Sarah Irving also wrote a great blog around the topic back in early April. Since that time, the rate of
Nathan GilbertMay 25, 2021
May the Fourth be with you …. and your online security
Federal tax returns and depending on where you live, state tax returns, are due in t-minus 13 days. As much of a headache filing your income taxes, or owing taxes, can be, experiencing identity fraud or theft can be a much more permanent and long-lasting headache. Unfortunately m
Sarah IrvingMay 4, 2021
Moving Targets
The COVID pandemic has changed a lot of things in all of our lives, and tax deadlines are no different. You now have until Monday, May 17th to do few things that count toward the 2020 tax year. Among them: File your taxes – the deadline has been extended from the traditional Apri
Nathan GilbertApr 27, 2021
Home Sweet Home
Buying your first home is considered one of the biggest milestones — in life as well as finances. It’s a big commitment, and there’s a good chance this will be the largest purchase you’ve made to date. If you are a first-time home buyer, here are five guidelines to assist you in
Sarah YakelApr 13, 2021
What is a Roth IRA?
If the only thing you know about a Roth is that it rhymes with sloth …well, then this post is for you. So. Are you ready to find out what this Roth IRA thing is? It is a type of retirement account! Roth IRAs (IRA stands for Individual Retirement Account) are specific retirement a
Sarah YakelMar 16, 2021
How To Tell Good Debt Versus Bad Debt
It might sound strange, but not all debt is “bad.” Certain types of debt can actually provide opportunities to improve your financial future. To make smart decisions about if, when, and how much to borrow, you need to understand the difference between “good” and “bad” debt and ho
Sarah YakelJan 19, 2021
What’s In A Sector?
For the first time in a long time, the Value portion of the S&P 500 outperformed the Growth portion. Granted, it was only over one week, but it could signal a reversal of a trend that has essentially been happening since 2006. Credit to Jeff Weniger at WisdomTree for his analysis
Nathan GilbertNov 17, 2020