By Kevin Theissen As coronavirus restrictions ease and businesses reopen, the American economy should gain steam. Data released in May and June, including employment, payroll, and manufacturing numbers, suggested the economy may have hit bottom in April. The stock market, […]
Category: Money Matters
Column, Money Matters
Certain uncertainties in retirement
By Kevin Theissen The uncertainties we face in retirement can erode our sense of confidence, potentially undermining our outlook during those years. Year after year, few retirees say they are very confident about having enough assets to live comfortably in […]
Column, Money Matters
How to rescue small businesses
By Kevin Theissen In April, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (FRBNY) surveyed U.S. small businesses. It reported, late in 2019, before the coronavirus crisis, 35% were healthy, 35% were stable, 23% were at risk, and 6% were in […]
Column, Money Matters
Life and finances in a pandemic world
By Kevin Theissen Life as we know it has changed dramatically during 2020. As the coronavirus spread across the United States, cities and states issued shelter-in-place orders to slow the spread of the coronavirus and prevent healthcare facilities from being […]
Column, Money Matters
What are you doing with your stimulus check?
By Kevin Theissen Stimulus checks are arriving. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has distributed over $150 billion through over 88 million stimulus payments, according to Andrew Keshner of MarketWatch. If you have recently lost a job, or you’re having difficulty paying bills, […]
Column, Money Matters
Money Matters: Your definition of risk changes in retirement
By Kevin Theissen During your accumulation years, you may have categorized your risk as “conservative,” “moderate,” or “aggressive” and that guided how your portfolio was built. Maybe you concerned yourself with finding the “best-performing funds,” even though you knew past […]
Column, Money Matters
Your emergency fund: how much is enough?
By Kevin Theissen It is not difficult to understand that with the Covid-19 crisis, we all should know the value of having an established emergency cash fund. Beyond this crisis, have you ever had one of those months? The water […]
Column, Money Matters
Money Matters: Vermont Financial Literacy Grade: D
By Kevin Theissen The American Public Education Foundation recently found that Vermont schools are woefully short in helping prepare students to be financially literate. With a grade of “D,” many students are not learning to handle their finances smartly, avoid […]
Column, Money Matters
Money Matters: Pullbacks, corrections, and bear markets
By Kevin Theissen The COVID-19 outbreak has put tremendous pressure on stock prices, prompting some investors to blindly and indiscriminately sell positions at a time when the entire market is trending lower. Worried investors believe “this time it’s different.” When […]
Column, Money Matters
Money Matters: Important birthdays over 50
By Kevin Theissen Most children stop being “and-a-half” somewhere around age 12. Kids add “and-a-half“ to make sure everyone knows they’re closer to the next age than the last. When you are older, “and-a-half” birthdays start making a comeback. In […]