“Inflation” and “recession” continue to be two of the hottest words in financial news these days. On October 25, 2022, Bloomberg reported that “there are early signs that U.S. consumers, who have been largely resilient in the face of relentless inflation, are...
What Is the Federal Reserve Planning for 2023?
How can one plan for a future that is unknowable? It’s unfortunate, but I believe this is the mindset that too many Americans tend to have when it comes to their financial well-being. Since they can’t say for certain what will happen next, they instead opt for a “wait...
Social Security May Run Out Sooner Than Expected.
When I go on vacation, I don’t feel the need to calculate every single dollar I plan to spend—but I still like to create a general budget so I know about how much I’m willing or able to spend on a given trip. For me, it’s all about planning for what I can while also...
A New Fiscal Year, a New Record High for the National Debt
I often write about how important I feel it is to plan ahead. When you know you have a bill due or a can’t-miss deadline coming, preparation is key to avoid rushing at the last minute. At the stroke of midnight on October 1, 2022, government funding for U.S. federal...
Bad News for Some Means a Golden Opportunity for Others
On September 26, 2022, Reuters reported that gold prices fell to $1,621.50/oz.—its lowest price since April 2020. Just a few days earlier, on September 23, 2022, CNBC quoted Steve Hanke, a professor of applied economics at John Hopkins University, as saying, “There’s...
Stocks Continue to Fall, and Inflation May Be “Killing Retirements.” It’s Time to Take Action.
As economic conditions tighten, many Americans start thinking about their own unique financial situations, wondering if they need to take new or additional actions to help protect their wealth. My response to those wondering is simple: It’s never a bad time to take...
Inflation, Recession, and Retirement
There are a lot of unknowns in this world, but they shouldn’t frighten us into inaction. As of this writing, we’re still waiting on a potential declaration of whether or not we are in a recession while the Federal Reserve continues to fight high inflation. Back in...
How to Protect Your Portfolio Going Into Retirement
In many ways, I’m looking forward to the day when my retirement finally arrives. But I know it won’t be easy. I love my job, and I find a great level of fulfillment in coming into U.S. Money Reserve every day and working to help our clients secure their own futures...
Setting Yourself Up for Retirement Success
A couple months ago, I wrote about the need for a semiannual financial checkup—a chance to examine your spending habits and goals, as well as your portfolio’s performance thus far, and make adjustments as needed to help set your portfolio (and yourself) up for...
U.S. Money Reserve Yearbook: 2022 Edition
Once a year, I like to take a step back and look at how far U.S. Money Reserve has come as a company over the course of the past year. I couldn’t be more proud of the work we’ve done to help increase our clients’ access to as much knowledge as possible, helping them...
What Does a Balanced Portfolio Look Like?
Sometimes, it helps to take a step back and reexamine the fundamentals of portfolio diversification. Time and again, we see mentions of a “well-diversified” or “balanced” portfolio. But what does “balanced” really mean? Since every financial situation is unique, every...
Who Are You Talking to About Your Diversification Strategy?
I welcome good advice and assistance. Sometimes, I think that we as Americans have a tendency of thinking we need to “go it alone” in order to truly earn our success. But the truth is that while much can be attributed to a positive attitude and, more importantly, lots...