By: Laura Walton AFC® Socially responsible investing is a priority for individuals who are concerned about the sustainability and ethical impact of companies they invest in. The term “triple bottom line” suggests that in addition to financials, environmental and social factors should be considered when evaluating a company’s worth. Financial returns have long been…
My mantra is “if you can’t save, you can’t invest and if you can’t invest, you can’t build a secure future.” Lots of people I meet with either aren’t saving or aren’t saving enough and it’s usually because they don’t see how they can. At the same time, I speak with many who are amazing…
By: Laura Walton AFC® Last week’s headlines: Vanguard Ups the Ante in an ETF Race to Zero and Millennial Online Lender SoFi to Offer Zero-fee ETFs. Fidelity started the rush last August announcing two no-fee index mutual funds; today they offer four. How much do fees matter and is it worth chasing 0% fee…
By: Laura Walton AFC® If that’s your annual return, it’s a scary number. But some investors might not think so – why not? They might not be shocked because they chose a very aggressive allocation. Your allocation needs to reflect your financial goals, risk tolerance and ability to save. In addition to soul searching, here’s…
By: Laura Walton AFC® A graduate of the 3rd Decade™ Program sent me a link to an article he’d come across online: “It reiterates and reaffirms what TCI preached in class about holding onto investments even though the market can be risky because it will still outperform…in the long term. If you could share it with…
By: Laura Walton AFC® Just about a year ago I blogged about the importance of re-balancing your portfolio and gave a ‘how to’ example. This year I’ve added a column for 2018 returns – what a difference a year makes! You should re-balance your portfolio at least once a year, more often if you’re so…
By: Laura Walton AFC® You probably didn’t need me to tell you that – it’s all over the news. Even though logic dictates that what goes up must come down, the drops get our attention. And, despite the fact that it’s these very movements, these risks that create the market and the rewards we seeks…
By: Laura Walton AFC® Yes, there really is a Camp Mustache! This financial getaway attracts those who are super interested in saving, investing and retiring early a la Mr. Money Mustache. Two graduates of our 3rd DecadeTM program attended Camp Mustache – here’s their story: “Our journey into Mustachianism started many years ago. What’s Mustachianism? It’s “a…
By: Laura Walton AFC® The REI promotion asked “What’s your but?” Our excuses for not being active might sound like this: “but it’s too early, too late, too hot, too cold…” and I get it. My perception of getting out for a hike is often that it’s going to be any one of these things…
By: Laura Walton AFC® Do you track your net worth? It’s a great way to measure financial health and progress. We update net worth statements each time we meet with 3rd Decade clients and when I noticed that one couple’s net worth had gone from -$18k to +$128k in just under two years, I was curious…