Posts by Robert Pagliarini

CFP®Board Consumer Advocate Offers Tips on Dealing with a Turbulent Global Economy With Britain’s recent vote to leave the European Union, the stock market experienced a 700-point decline. In moments like these, the urge to do something with your U.S. and international equities can be overwhelming. In a recent article posted to LetsMakeaPlan.org, CFP®Board provides…

GAINS IN HOME BUYING & HOUSING STARTS June brought a 1.1% rise in existing home sales. Analysts, polled by the Wall Street Journal, had forecast a 0.7% decline. In its new report, the National Association of Realtors said 33% of June sales involved first-time buyers, which was a 4-year peak. New Department of Commerce data…

We are becoming more familiar with the notion of financial abuse targeting elders – scams and other exploitation targeting the savings of people aged 60 and older – but many may think, “it won’t happen to my family” or “my relative is too smart to be taken in by this.” These assumptions are only wishful…

How will you pay for long-term care? At the moment, you may not be able to answer that question – but long-term care insurance can provide an answer for you.  Why are baby boomers opting to make long-term care coverage an important part of their retirement strategies? The reasons to get an LTC policy at…

Two SIGNS OF A STRONGER ECONOMY Retail sales improved 0.6% in June, according to the Commerce Department, and the core gain was 0.7% with auto buying and home improvement purchases factored out. Industrial production rose 0.6% in June, making up for a 0.3% May loss. Both indicators could be taken as hints of solid second-quarter…

You know you should start saving for retirement before you turn 40. What can you start doing today to make that effort more productive, to improve your chances of ending up with more retirement money, rather than less? Structure your budget with the future in mind. Live within your means and assign a portion of…

A REASSURING JOBS REPORT June was the best month for hiring since October. Employers added 287,000 new jobs to their payrolls last month; analysts polled by Bloomberg forecast a gain of 180,000. The headline unemployment rate rose to 4.9% in the Department of Labor’s latest report, a reflection of more Americans looking for work. The…

Why do some households tread water financially while others make progress? Does it come down to habits? Sometimes the difference starts there. A household that prioritizes paying itself first may end up in much better financial shape in the long run than other households. Some families see themselves as savers, others as spenders. The spenders…

Who wants to leave this world with their financial affairs in good order? We all do, right? None of us wants to leave a collection of financial mysteries for our spouse or our children to solve. What we want and what we do can differ, however. Many heirs spend days, weeks, or months searching for…

BREXIT VOTE BATTERS GLOBAL MARKETS The world reacted to the news Thursday night that U.K. voters had decided to leave the European Union. Germany’s DAX, France’s CAC-40, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 respectively ended their Friday trading sessions with losses of 6.82%, 8.04%, and 7.92%. Wall Street was not hit as hard, but the Dow fell…