By Eve Kaplan, Certified Financial Planner™ Note: I recently gave a seminar at the Bernards Township Library in Basking Ridge, NJ. Here are a few points that we touched on. When you look at your monthly investment statement, do you think “this looks like Greek to me”? Do you ignore all but the first page, […]
Category: Mutual Fund Loads
Take a Quiz: Is Your Financial Advisor a “Broker” or a “Financial Planner”?
by Eve Kaplan, Certified Financial Planner (TM) Professional You have a financial advisor, but what kind is he/she? Take this brief quiz to see if you can tell the difference between a “Broker” and a “Financial Planner.” Receive 2 points for all “Yes” answers, and 1 point for all “No” answers: My financial advisor has […]
“Keep It Simple, Stupid” (KISS) Your Way to Financial Health
by Eve Kaplan, CFP(R) Professional Are you familiar with the KISS (“Keep it Simple, Stupid”) concept? KISS helps you refine your elevator speech, write concisely…and the KISS concept can boost your financial health. How? By helping you focus on essential ways to strengthen your financial well-being. After working with hundreds of financial planning and investment […]
Five Easy Pieces of Investment Advice
by Eve Kaplan, CFP(R) Professional Here are Five Easy Pieces of Investment Advice that can s-t-r-e-t-c-h your investment dollars. The first 3 “Pieces of Advice” are connected. It’s a good practice to verify if your broker or advisor is following these tips or not (I’m always amazed to see how many money managers disregard these […]
The 3 Main Investment Styles: Pros and Cons
By Eve Kaplan, CFP® There are pros and cons to investing in the three main investment styles: active, passive and “evidence-based investing.” The benefits of “evidence-based investing” will be clearer after reviewing “active” vs. “passive” investing styles. 1. Active Investing through Mutual Funds: “Active” investors aim to “beat the market” (or a portion of a […]
Managing Your Financial Life Well: Things to Do and Things to Avoid
by Eve Kaplan, CFP(R) Professional It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the things you need to do to manage your life well – be it exercise, meditation, diet or making smart financial decisions. When confusion reigns, you may end up focusing on the trees instead of the “big-picture” forest. How can you manage your financial […]
Access the 3rd Dimension in Investing: Dimensional Fund Advisors
Which large mutual fund company is driven by Nobel prize-winning research? Hint: It’s not a household name but it’s the 8th largest company ($376 billion). Answer: Dimensional Fund Advisors (“DFA” www.dfaus.com). Full disclosure: My clients are invested in Dimensional Fund Advisors mutual funds in my financial planning/investment practice. DFA provides me and my clients with […]
How To Bulk Up Your Retirement Dollars – in Good Times and Bad
By Eve Kaplan, CFP® During periods of market turmoil, focus on what you can control and avoid fighting what you can’t control. You can’t control markets but you can bulk up your retirement savings account.. Here are 10 way to boost your retirement accounts ( your 401k, 403b, IRAs etc.), regardless of poor investment “weather conditions” (viz., […]
The Top 11 Investment Pitfalls You – or Your Advisor – Often Commit
By Eve Kaplan, CFP® Here are the top 11 investment pitfalls I often see individuals AND advisors committing. (note: I’ll be discussing these in detail at a complimentary lecture at the Bernards Township Library on Thursday April 30, 7-8:30 pm; please call Lynne Hilf at 908-204-3031 x4 for more information). If you’re a “do it […]
Don’t Fall into The Great American Rip-Off Investment Trap!
by Eve Kaplan, CFP(R) Don’t get trapped by The Great American Investment Rip Off! I’m not talking about dubious investments or Ponzi schemes – I’m talking about various layers of fees that seemingly respectable advisors may be charging you without you being aware of it! A case in point is “Jill,” who I met several […]