How Much Do I Need to Retire? Planning for Your Unique Retirement Needs
By Craig Lemoine, Ph.D., CFP®, Director of Consumer Investment Research “How much do I need for retirement?” It’s a question I often hear, and one that seems straightforward enough to tackle. Unfortunately, the answer isn’t quite so simple.
Culture From the Top Down: Executive Compensation Plans Explained
By Craig Lemoine, Ph.D., CFP®, Director of Consumer Investment Research At their most basic level, executive compensation plans are designed to attract, retain and motivate top talent and leadership. But truly successful plans are designed to be much more than providing a high salary to a k …
What Do Financial Advisor Designations Mean? What Are the Letters After a Name?
By Craig Lemoine, Ph.D., CFP®, Director of Consumer Investment Research We speak a secret language in financial planning. So much of our world is filled with abbreviations surrounding insurance and investment products, processes, education and accomplishments. I could say “Tammy, a CLU an …
529s, Roth IRAs and Other Strategies for Your College Savings Plan
By Craig Lemoine, Director of Consumer Investment Research I often find college savings at the top of my pile of financial stressors. Unless I find a money tree in my backyard, my oldest child is going to turn 18 well before I retire. We all have different values surrounding the educ …
Where is the Money Tree? How to Teach Kids About Money, Credit Cards, Saving, Investing, Venmo and More
Craig Lemoine, Director of Consumer Investment Research Ask kids what they think money is, and you get some interesting responses. Over the last month, I asked my friends, family and neighbors if I could pose a question to their children about money. Their answers covered it all …
What to Do About Inflation’s Impact on Your Finances
By Craig Lemoine, Director of Consumer Investment Research Suppose last year you went grocery shopping and filled your cart with $100 worth of items. This year, you went to the same store and bought the same items – this time, the bill rang up at $107.50. The difference of $7.50 re …
Five Reasons Your IRA is Deflating, and What to Do About It
By Craig Lemoine, Director of Consumer Investment Research Stocks, bonds and mutual funds have had a rocky start to the year. The S&P 500, a broad measure of the United States stock market, was down 4.6% over the first quarter. Mutual funds holding stocks and bonds have also lost value. …