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Weekly Market Digest: The Streaming Showdown
The S&P 500 notched its sixth straight week of gains, the longest weekly winning streak in two years. Broad gains in the index were primarily driven by trade optimism over a phase 1 trade deal between the U.S. and China. Most of the weekly gains came on Friday...
How HENRYs (High Earner Not Rich Yet) Can Reclaim Their Financial Potential
Are America’s “Rich” Are Wasting Their Financial Potential? We all have different understandings of what it means to be “rich.” It used to be that people earning a six-figure salary were automatically considered rich, but that’s changed. You may have heard a term...
9 Things You Need to Know About Creating a Will
Creating a will is a key part of a successful estate plan and will help you protect your legacy and your loved ones when you are gone. Staying on top of estate planning requires proactive, ongoing actions, but it can ease estate management burdens after your death. Consider it a final gift to your family during what is likely to be a high-stress period in their lives.
Weekly Market Digest: The Trade War Takes Center Stage
This week, U.S. equities moved higher, quietly hitting all-time highs on hope that a “phase 1” trade deal with China could be nearing completion. But the week was filled with twists and turns, and on Friday President Trump even commented that the U.S. hasn’t yet...
ETF vs. Mutual Fund: What’s the Difference?
When constructing an investment portfolio, you’ll probably include a variety of stocks and bonds among the securities you purchase. Stocks and bonds can be purchased individually or as part of a bundle of securities known as a mutual fund or an exchange traded fund...
What Moved the Markets in October?
October Market-Movers - An Overview After a slow start, global equities marched higher in October, driven again by central bank monetary policy and encouraging signs in trade discussions with China. The Fed cut rates for a third time, but signaled there would be a...
Is Buying a Home a Good Investment?
Why buying a home might not be the great investment you think it is... People often think of buying a home as a great investment. After all, most of us have seen house prices in major metro areas like San Francisco, Denver, and New York City fetch huge sums –...
Can I Retire Yet? How to Know When It’s The Right Time
Can I retire yet? It's a question many Americans ask themselves regularly, and the answer is often not incredibly straightforward. For many, the decision to retire can be an exciting, but also stressful process. Retirement triggers a significant change in your daily...
Weekly Market Digest: Taking the Pulse of Investor Sentiment
A “better than feared” jobs report helped boost stocks for the week. On Wednesday, the Fed cut interest rates for a third time and indicated it would likely be on hold for at least the remainder of the year. Earnings continue to come in modestly ahead of expectations,...
Why is the Fed Cutting Rates?
Today, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.25%. The rate cut was anticipated by many due to sluggish economic growth abroad and softening economic growth at home. It’s important to note though, that there are still areas of strength in the economy, such as...
The Personal Capital Promise
Today, we announced the start of a new era for Personal Capital. We have a new logo, new colors, a new app icon, and a new web experience. But really, we’re unveiling less of a “new” Personal Capital and more of the “true” Personal Capital. We built our business...
Personal Capital is Ten Years New
October marks our ten year anniversary, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who uses and loves our tools, our wealth management clients, and the entire Personal Capital team for an amazing decade. We couldn’t have done it without you. Because of this milestone,...
Retirement Plans for the Self-Employed
Participating in an employer-sponsored retirement plan is one of the best ways to save for retirement - especially if they match your contributions. But what about for those who are their own employers? According to a recent study, the number of self-employed people...
Weekly Market Digest: What Does a Decline in Durable Goods Demand Mean for the Economy?
This week, the U.S. partially backtracked on removing a military presence from Syria, Britain’s Prime Minister pushed for extensions to the Brexit deadline in addition to a snap vote in December, and mixed earnings reports from US companies were released. Large...
4 Tips for Living Well on a Fixed Income
How to Thrive While Living on a Fixed Income in Retirement When they hear the term “fixed income,” many people envision a paltry monthly living allowance that provides little if any discretionary funds to enable someone to actually enjoy their life. However, living on...
What is Your Scariest Money Story?
Michelle Brownstein, Vice President of Personal Capital’s Private Client Group, responds to some scary stories about money with financial advice in honor of Halloween. We hear a lot of stories about money – some triumphant, some funny, and some downright scary. In...
Weekly Market Digest: The “Zero-Fee” Brokerage Movement & What it Really Means For You
Earnings season kicked off strong this week with a diverse mix of companies beating expectations. Despite market optimism over the earnings beats by the big banks that reported, bank executives warned on lower interest rates weighing on future earnings. On the global...
Annuities Explained: What You Should Know
Everybody knows about a checking account, advantages of a savings account or how to buy a certificate of deposit. However, if you ask them what an annuity is, you will probably get some shrugs. Annuities are often misunderstood, so in this article we’re going to cover...
What is a 401k Hardship Withdrawal and Should You Ever Take One?
So, we all know that 401ks are meant for retirement savings. But we also all know that once in a blue moon, a situation arises – a big unexpected medical bill, lingering credit card debt, or a down payment on a home – where we kind of wish we could tap some of those...
How to Prepare Your Personal Finances for a Recession
The booming U.S. economy recently set a new record when the long-running expansion reached 121 months, breaking the previous record of 120 months set between March 1991 and March 2001, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Of course, this is...
Weekly Market Digest: Markets Rally on China Trade Progress
Progress toward a “mini-deal” with China spurred optimism, investor enthusiasm, and turned stocks higher for the week. The US and China appear to have reached an agreement which will increase Chinese agricultural purchases and agree to some intellectual property...
What are the Best States to Retire In?
Congrats! Your kids are out of the house, your mortgage is paid off, and you’re ready to retire. So now the question is: where should you retire? Does it Make Financial Sense to Relocate in Retirement? For those of us who want to retire in the US, there are seven...
What Moved the Markets in September?
Global equities rose in September as the US and China agreed to resume high-level trade discussions and the Fed delivered on an expected rate cut. While these two main story lines continue to dominate market movements this year, there were numerous items to digest...
Weekly Market Digest: How’s the Economy Doing Heading into Q4?
U.S. equities started the week strong, posting gains on Monday and officially ending the third quarter on a positive note. However, the momentum quickly soured following disappointing data on manufacturing and private payrolls. This left equities in the red, despite a...
Term vs. Permanent Life Insurance: Which One is Right for You?
Life insurance can be complex and overwhelming, especially with the countless insurance policies out there. It’s important to know the differences between them since each type has unique characteristics that may or may not be right for you. But more often than not,...
What to Do if You Have an Overfunded 529 Plan
With outstanding student loans now exceeding one trillion dollars, there’s a big emphasis on what can be done to relieve families of the burden of student loan debt. However, some families face another problem – they saved too much money in a 529 college savings plan....
The “Latte Myth” – Is Splurging on Coffee Really Jeopardizing Retirement in America?
In honor of September 29th being International Coffee Day, let's take a look at what we call the "Latte Myth," or the misconception that splurging on a latte or avocado toast is what's causing the retirement crisis in America. We’ve all heard it before: there’s a...
Is Private School Worth It?
Weighing the Choice Between Public vs. Private School Almost as soon as their children are born, most parents will face a big decision that will impact not only their kids, but also their finances: Should they send their kids to a public or a private school? And, is...
Weekly Market Digest: What Impact Would an Impeachment Have on the Markets?
After a brief reprieve, politics returned to dominate the headlines this week as Nancy Pelosi announced that a formal Impeachment inquiry would begin in the House. Outside of politics, there was mixed economic news. On the positive side, Japan and the United States...
How Much Life Insurance Do You Really Need?
People need insurance for many different reasons. Adequate insurance coverage, or lack thereof, can have a huge impact on your financial life and long-term goals. One of the most common – and most important – types of insurance people choose to purchase is life...
