THE LIVE FORTUNATELY BLOG
The biggest financial mistake people make: Holding too much cash
It may feel safe to see large numbers in your checking or savings accounts, but, in reality, having too much cash can actually lower the chances of achieving your goals. You need to make sure your hard-earned cash is working for you.
Gerad Suyderhoud
April 29, 2022
Everything you need to know about emergency funds
In addition to all the excellent planning you do for your short- and long-term goals, you also need to plan for the unexpected. Sometimes those surprises are great, like a financial windfall. Other times, they’re not so great. This is why everyone needs to have cash on hand, aka an emergency fund.
Seth Burstein
April 27, 2022
One Simple Rule on How to Time the Market: Don’t
We all know the conventional advice: buy low, sell high. Intuitively, the concept makes sense, and this isn’t bad advice. But, as you can imagine, timing the market is harder than it sounds. If it were easy, everybody would do it - and therein lies the problem.
Gerad Suyderhoud
April 7, 2022
The three fund portfolio
A three fund portfolio is exactly what it sounds like: an investment portfolio that only has three funds in it. This strategy came out of the ‘lazy portfolio’ movement, or an investment strategy focused on a few low cost funds that require infrequent rebalancing.
Gerad Suyderhoud
March 29, 2022
Direct indexing: cool but unnecessary
Direct indexing may make sense for the super wealthy or a dedicated investment team, but, in my view, direct indexing is firmly in the category of “don’t try this at home” for the rest of us.
Lindsay Jones
March 18, 2022
7 ways to use your tax refund
Tax season is upon us (deadline: Monday, April 18), which, for many, comes with an annual windfall: your tax refund. We’ve listed out the best ways to use this money in order of priority.
Seth Burstein
March 11, 2022
Should you consider direct indexing?
Why are people so excited about direct indexing to the extent that large financial firms are making billion-dollar acquisitions even if the downsides are real?
Seth Burstein
February 22, 2022
10 major benefits of homeownership
Buying a home isn’t just an investment. It’s also literally a roof over your head, which can give you great comfort in the years to come. In addition, even if owning a home were just an investment, it’s a pretty solid one. Last year, housing appreciated 18% year over year in the US. Not too shabby.
Brian Chevalier-Jordan
February 7, 2022
Is crypto a necessary part of your investment portfolio?
Cryptocurrency, or a virtual or digital currency secured by cryptography, is a hot topic in investment circles. There are countless stories of people who become self-educated crypto experts, making millions day trading digital currencies. Meanwhile, for the rest of us, the debate around crypto rages. Is it stable? Is it ethical? Is it wise to dump all your savings in Bitcoin?
Seth Burstein
January 18, 2022
When you shouldn't max out your 401(k)
Traditional financial planning wisdom urges people to both save aggressively for retirement and also fully utilize all tax-advantaged accounts. But, even if you can max out your annual 401(k) contribution, should you? In virtually every situation, you should contribute at least as much as your company will match, but here are some situations when you shouldn’t max out your 401(k).
Seth Burstein
January 11, 2022
6 things you can do today to solidify your children’s financial future
Help set your child up for financial responsibility, stability, and success. You may not be able to do everything now, but as long as you can make some money moves to get time in the market - which is much more important than timing or total contributions - you will have made strides.
Lindsay Jones
January 3, 2022
Life insurance companies are counting on you to make this mistake
Life insurance is rarely, if ever, one of those things you wanna be “right” about or “cash in on.” But if you’re going to play the game, you might as well do what you can to stack the odds in your favor, right?
Seth Burstein
December 20, 2021
How much is being conservative with your investments costing you?
Asset allocation is tricky. On one hand, your investment strategy should be conservative enough that you will have enough money to meet your future goals. On the other hand, if you’re too conservative, you risk leaving money on the table. How do you strike the perfect balance?
Seth Burstein
October 28, 2021
5 reasons you don't need a budget
Budgeting is standard practice in personal financial planning. You predict your future income and expenditures and then set aside whatever’s left. Isn’t that the definition of having healthy financial habits? Actually, at Fortunately, we believe...it isn’t. If anything, we find budgets to be an inefficient and punitive way to run your financial life. That’s right: abolish budgets. And we’re not alone in this idea.
Seth Burstein
October 21, 2021
Budgeting and goals-based planning are broken - do this instead.
Cash flow planning (aka - budgeting) or goals-based planning - which should you use? How about neither? For your personal financial planning, most professionals will advise one of two approaches: either planning based on your cash flow or planning based on your goals. As with any financial strategies, there are pros and cons to either approach.
Nick Reilly
October 21, 2021
7 ways to avoid going broke
No one wants to go broke - obviously - but the stats aren’t encouraging. In 2020, over 500,000 Americans declared personal bankruptcy and 64% of Americans are projected to retire without enough savings. In addition, personal bankruptcy happens to a wide range of people in all demographics. Want to avoid becoming a statistic? Here are seven reliable ways to avoid going broke.
Seth Burstein
October 12, 2021
As the housing market continues to heat up, many potential homeowners are wondering how much they should be stretching on their mortgage. Conventional wisdom is that your home is a great place to invest money and, with the market being what it is, you may have to stretch to live in the home and neighborhood you want. But should you?
Seth Burstein
September 20, 2021
Why lowering the interest rate on your mortgage may cause you to go broke
Paying interest is money you never get back, so most people opt for a short-term mortgage with lower rates that should result in owning the home outright more quickly. Seems like a smart, safe way to invest your money, right? Actually, wrong. Or, more accurately, opting for a short-term/low interest mortgage could be setting yourself up for failure.
Seth Burstein
September 15, 2021
Paying off my mortgage early: Seriously stupid or really responsible?
Most people think they know the answer to the question: should I pay off my mortgage? Their answer is intuitive, shaped by their financial values and preferences. Either “Yes, of course, it’s a debt and my home is the safest place I can put money,” or, “No, of course not, why tie up cash I could put to work more productively elsewhere?”
Seth Burstein
September 3, 2021
Warning: Stocks vs bonds - you're (probably) all out of balance
Smart investing is all about the stocks and bonds you pick, right? Wrong. It’s simpler than that. Choosing the right ratio of stocks vs bonds is the most important thing you can do in your investment portfolio.
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Gerad Suyderhoud
January 27, 2021
