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How are you feeling about this year’s elections? If the thought of it makes your heart beat faster––you’re not alone. Most United States residents across party lines experience major stress around presidential elections. And recently, that stress has skyrocketed. In 2016, about 1 in 2 people said they were stressed out and anxious about the presidential election. And by 2020, more than 2 in 3 people were feeling election stress. Why? Political hostilities and increasing divides on party lines are partly to blame. So is the uncertainty of it all. It can be overwhelming and really exhausting not knowing how an election will shake out or if things will go the way we want. That uncertainty can invite worst-case thinking that stokes our deepest fears. And, unfortunately, all of that isn’t limited to who wins the White House. An election year can raise real concerns about market trends and our

$100 is on the table, and you have a choice. You can choose to receive $50 or flip a coin. If you choose the coin toss and get heads, you get $100. If it’s tails, you get nothing. What do you do? If you’re like most folks, you’re probably going to take the $50. It’s a sure thing. Now, what if this were a game of losses? What if you stood to lose $50 out of the gate? And what if the coin toss meant losing $100 with heads or losing nothing with tails? What would you do then? Here, most folks choose to flip the coin. And even though they’re making a different decision — flipping the coin and taking the risk, instead of going with the known option — their reasoning hasn’t really changed. In both cases, the choice is largely based on fear, the fear of losses.

How much do you need to save to retire comfortably? What would you need to put away today to retire on $100K a year without touching your principal? Those are heavy questions that can overwhelm any of us, especially if we don’t know how the big numbers really break down. And if you’re like most folks, navigating the maze of retirement planning can feel daunting. Here’s the good news. You’re not alone. It’s not too late to get your retirement goals on (or back on) track, and you don’t need a complicated plan to do it. The key isn't necessarily a complex strategy; it's about having a clear understanding of the numbers and what they mean. With the right knowledge and planning, you can build a retirement fund that will allow you to live comfortably—without potentially depleting your nest egg. Click here to read our Visual Insights Newsletter, where we'll

What are your top three financial goals? How do you think your goals could change after doing one simple exercise? Any of us can answer that first question pretty easily. We can spit out a few generic goals off the top of our heads. When we do, though, we’re probably cheating ourselves. That’s because setting goals off the top of our heads isn’t a really productive way to choose our investment strategies or make financials plans. And it’s certainly not the best way to prioritize our goals or keep them in focus. The truth is one very simple exercise can help us set better goals. With that, we’re far more likely to be successful in achieving them. What exercise can help us? Simply by using a “master list.” Let’s find out how it all works, by looking at the captivating findings of a recent study and what it tells us

A million dollars used to be the ultimate target for retirement portfolios. Retiring as a millionaire brought status and confidence that you could live comfortably during your golden years. If you retired with $1 million in 1970, you probably wouldn’t have to worry about your nest egg running out, even with a lavish lifestyle. It would be like retiring with over $7.8 million today. Retire with $1 million in the ’80s, and it would be like retiring with over $3.7 million in 2023. And in 1990? A cool $1 million would go twice as far as it does these days. Clearly, $1 million doesn’t go as far as it used to. Just how far will it go these days? The answer depends on how and where you live. In retirement, as in real estate, location is everything (or, at least, it’s a lot). The map here shows how long $1

When was the last time you spring cleaned your house? Many of us do some form of spring cleaning in our homes regularly. But what about our financial "homes"? It can be easy to forget about the clutter and red tape that builds up in our finances. When we do, we can end up with some serious clutter. And that can have very real consequences. In fact, it won't just take up space. Clutter can also waste our energy, time, and even money. So, how can we deal with the financial clutter so it doesn't get in our way? Let's find out by checking out some simple and painless financial spring cleaning tips: Purge the paper Audit your subscriptions Consolidate accounts Automate savings Make backups of important files Check in with your bigger financial goals Have you already done some financial spring cleaning this year? What's first on your list

What if you could give any child in your life a brighter financial future without spending a single penny? What if it only took the right words? Believe it or not, that IS possible. Talking to children about money now can pay off in a big way later. And that’s true for “children” of any age — from kiddos in elementary school to adult children who have kids of their own. It’s easy enough to start a meaningful conversation about finance and share what you know if you know where to begin. So, here are some simple, thought-provoking conversation starters to use with anyone age 8 and older. Saving money has allowed me to... When I'm deciding whether to buy something or save money, I... If someone asks to borrow money from me, I... If I could go back in time, I would tell my younger self... One thing I regret

Talent, a high IQ, or self-control? Which matters more to success in life? Which matters more to happiness? Believe it or not, it's NOT talent or a high IQ. It’s self-control. In fact, our success and our happiness depend far more on our self-control and our willpower than our talent or our IQ. And no matter how intelligent, wealthy, attractive, or talented any of us may be, our willpower is like our energy — it’s limited. Each of us only has so much willpower. And that willpower WILL run out at some point. When it does, the willpower gap can trip us up. The willpower gap is when excuses, low motivation, and poor choices can get in the way of our goals. And it can happen whenever we spend too much of our willpower. But it doesn’t have to. We can close that willpower gap, and any one of us can

Are you worried about a major recession? Think the markets are about to come to a standstill any day now? “Yes,” is the answer from most folks these days. Same with most small business owners. And lots of so-called economic experts and talking heads on the news seem to agree too. Still, no one REALLY knows when the next recession will happen – or how severe it’s going to be. And worrying about it isn’t helpful or good for us. In fact, whether we are in a recession today, tomorrow, or whenever, it’s going to be more challenging to make money moves when your judgment’s clouded by recession anxiety. So, how can you cope? What can we do to set our recession fears aside, make confident decisions, and weather the slowdowns better? Follow these steps to braving recessions: Don’t buy into the headline Resist impulsive actions Run a worst-case scenario

When would be the ideal time to retire? Now, don't think about your age. Think about a particular decade or period of time. Let's say you had a time machine that could take you three decades into the past or the future. When would you choose to retire? And do you think it'd be better to retire in the past, today, or in the future? That's not easy to answer. But the point is retirement — like fads and fashion — changes with time. Retirement today isn't the same as it was 20 or 30 years ago, and it won't be the same a few decades from now. In fact, you know those sprawling, cookie-cutter retirement communities in places like Florida? The ones that have been so popular for decades? Well, many retirees today aren't into those. They prefer customized homes, with private outdoor spaces and smart technology. Why? Because