Financial and Lifestyle Resources for Vermont

To understand why your IRA, 401(k), 403(b), or 457 isn’t performing, you need a little background on how these retirement products work. They are essentially just tax-deferred containers for your retirement portfolio, so they function differently than many other investment products.

So, you’re finally taking that next step in your financial stability. You're meeting with a financial advisor to figure out how you can make the most of the assets you’ve got. Maybe you don’t have much money and you’re looking for a place to start. Or maybe you’ve got plenty to invest but you’re moving to a new advisor. Either way, it’s a good idea to go to the meeting prepared so that you can come away with your questions answered and your feet firmly headed down the road toward financial security.       

Thinking about your financial future can be difficult when you're faced with short-term needs such as rent, groceries, and other bills. Difficult, but not impossible. Your financial plan may seem modest to begin with, but even if you don't have a lot of money, there are ways you can continue to invest in your future. Once you've taken care of your immediate needs, every dollar can make a difference when it comes to your long-term finances. Here's how you can save money to invest on a low budget and start setting yourself up for a more certain financial future.

ESG investing is not a new idea but it has become increasingly popular in recent years, and possibly more so lately due to the social and health issues we are facing as a nation. ESG is an investment method that grew out of the philosophy of socially responsible investing (SRI). The letters “ESG” stand for environmental, social, and governance. Those who invest in ESG are interested in supporting companies that prove, through their internal and external operations, that they are committed to taking responsibility for their impact on the world around them.

If you have a financial advisor, it’s important to understand how he or she is charging you and how that affects your investments and the advice you receive. Not all advisors charge in the same way, and how they charge has an impact on the type of relationship you have with your advisor.

The gender pay gap has been a topic of conversation and concern for years. Statistically, women make about 80 cents for every dollar earned by a man (20% less). Once they hit 65, they tend to make about 25% less than men and make increasingly less than men as they age. There are a lot of reasons for the gender pay gap, which we won’t get into here, but the sad truth is that the gap continues into retirement, leaving women with a lower retirement income than men.

There’s no denying that the markets have become more turbulent. In fact, the major market indexes in the United States entered a bear market on Christmas Eve of 2018. In a bear market, prices for stocks and other securities fall, which can lead investors to panic and sell off their securities. As more and more people sell, securities prices continue to fall. In general, a bear market will eventually come to an end, hopefully leading to a bull market that brings the markets back up to their former glory, but in the meantime, your portfolios, mutual funds, IRAs, 401ks, and other securities-based accounts may lose value. Determining how to invest in a bear market can help protect your investments from the long-term effects of stormy markets.

If you have money in a traditional IRA, it is worthwhile to think about converting it to a Roth IRA. Not all people will benefit from Roth IRA conversions, but it’s good to consider the pros and cons to determine the best option for you. Here’s what you need to know.