Blog

Life Insurance at Various Life Stages

Myths and Facts About Social Security

Invest in Your Financial Education During Financial Literacy Month

Credit Education Month: 4 Ways to Boost Your Credit IQ

Women's History Month: 4 Female Financial Pioneers

Social Security to Run Out of Money Much Sooner

CalSavers – Everything You Need to Know

How to Manage Savings for Retirement

Outlook 2022: Passing the Baton

The Only Holiday Budget You Need

We all want to gift our loved ones something special for the holidays. But even if your heart says give, your wallet could be saying otherwise. It’s a challenge to know how to divvy up your spending, but if you want to come out...

A Season of Giving: 5 Different Ways To Give During the Holidays

With the holidays here, now is the time to get into the giving spirit and help to change others' lives for the better. Whether you are looking to make a difference in a specific person's life or the life of many, there are many ways to...

3 Financial Moves to Consider Before Ringing in the New Year

Although you don't have to wait until January to begin working on your financial goals, a new year may bring a much-needed fresh start on your spending and saving goals. Read on for three financial moves you may want to consider before...

Your 2021 Year-End Planning Checklist

It may be easy to forget we're nearing the end of the year. Even during the busy end of year rush, it's a good time to reevaluate your 2021 finances and turn an eye toward 2022. What can you do now to potentially improve and streamline...

A Woman’s Guide to Long-Term Care

Women face unique financial challenges as they age. When compared with men, women live longer, earn less, and spend fewer years in the workforce. Financial concerns are often more acute for older women who are divorced, widowed, or...

What Are Women's Biggest Financial Regrets?

Merrill Lynch recently released the results of a comprehensive survey on women and financial wellness, with some surprising observations.1 The top financial regret for the women surveyed was that they weren't investing more—and...

Everything You Need to Know about the FAFSA for 2021

One of the most important pieces of the college financing puzzle is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Without the FAFSA, a college student is unlikely to be able to apply for or receive certain types of federal...

How To Financially Prepare for a Disaster

Natural disasters like wildfires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, and long-term power outages don't discriminate—they may impact anyone at any time. However, you don't need to live your life under the constant stress of expecting...

3 Ways To Improve Your Finances for Self-Improvement Month

September is self-improvement month and a great time to work on your financial health. When you think of self-improvement, you likely think of your health or career but may pay little attention to your finances. Getting your financial...

Midyear Outlook 2021: Picking Up Speed

LPL Research Midyear Outlook 2021: Picking Up Speed is designed to help you navigate the risks and opportunities over the rest of 2021 and beyond. While the speed can be exhilarating as economic growth accelerates, it can also be...

What Can A Financial Professional Do for Non-Profits?

As of 2017, about two-thirds of all nonprofit organizations in the U.S. had annual budgets of less than $1 million.[1] For these non-profit organizations where every penny has a purpose, having the services of a financial professional...

The Cost of College is Up 1,200% Since 1980

Did you know you could fund a 529 plan with UGMA/UTMA assets? Due to the shift to online classes over the past year, 2020 saw the lowest tuition increase in the last four decades. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the...

Are You Stressed About Money? You’re Not Alone.

Many Americans are stressed over money issues related to COVID-19, according to a 2020 Survey by The National Endowment for Financial Education. The media may report a strong U.S. economy is emerging, but many people experience stress...

Five Factors that Impact Your Retirement

Retirement can be a risky business if you don’t consider all the factors that can impact your retirement during your planning process. Although it’s hard to know what will happen in the future to you or your investments,...

4 Reasons to Consider a Life Insurance Policy

Buying a life insurance policy is something that many people push off, sometimes until it is too late. For many people, the thought of buying life insurance means thinking about their death, which is something that most people wish to...

A Checklist for Your Retirement Planning

Remember, it is never too early to start planning for your future The time to begin planning for your financial future is now. So, when it comes to preparing for retirement, the earlier you start, the better. Here are some steps to...

How to Request a Federal Income Tax Extension

With so many tax provisions tweaked in 2020—from the CARES Act in March to the Consolidated Appropriation Act in December—some taxpayers may find it challenging to get everything together in time to file their taxes by the...

Now is a Great Time to Revisit Resolutions

Key Considerations as You Start Receiving Social Security Benefits Did you make a New Year’s resolution at the start of the year? For 2021, many Americans are making the resolution to adopt healthy habits – concerning their...

Key Considerations as You Start Receiving Social Security Benefits

As your retirement draws closer, you will probably start to have lots of questions such as: How much Social Security will I receive? When should I retire? How will I know when to retire? Do I have enough saved? What will I need to do...

Three Ways to Safely Celebrate the Start of the New Year

The COVID-19 pandemic put quite a crimp on large parties or even smaller gatherings in close quarters, and now, holiday gatherings and events are likely to look very different in 2020. But different doesn't necessarily mean bad, and...

Getting a Jump on January Tax Season

From pandemic-related stimulus payments to job losses and furloughs, for many taxpayers, next spring's tax season may be more complex than usual. With the end of 2020 rapidly approaching, you should take some time to review your tax...

End of Year (EOY) Deadlines Checklist

2020 has been one of the most unprecedented years in recent history, but some things—like tax contributions and retirement deadlines—don't change much, if at all. And with the uncertainty surrounding just about everything,...

Investing in an Election Year

The world's events always affect the markets, and making smart investment choices requires you to look at what's happening around the world. But what about during an election year? How should you invest while the country is deciding...

12 Estate Planning Must-Dos

Many of you already have estate documents, probably executed many years ago. You need an estate attorney to look over your documents every 10 years or so. Here are a dozen points to review. Do you have a will and powers of attorney for...

Beyond Retirement: Consider Your Other Goals

When it comes to financial stability, people tend to focus on paying off debt and saving for retirement. In reality, many other financial goals beckon to individuals during their lifetime. Because of this, it’s important to look...

Financial Consciousness 101: Fire in the Mountains

This week I’d like to acknowledge the deep suffering, loss, fear, and disruption experienced by our dear friends and neighbors here in Santa Cruz County in recent weeks. The devastation has been total for many and my heart goes...

Financial Consciousness 101: The Four-Legged Stool

By Kristina Kuprina, Founder & CEO, Sequoia Wealth Advisors One of the key components to a rich and meaningful life is balance. To that end, we all sit on a four-legged stool supported equally by our physical health, our emotional and...

Financial Consciousness 101: Metamorphosis

By Kristina Kuprina, Founder & CEO, Sequoia Wealth Advisors The world is undergoing a major metamorphosis. These are astonishing and inspirational times. As a species, we are changing behaviors and thought processes in real-time....

Financial Consciousness 101: Wealth Vs. Prosperity

By Kristina Kuprina, Founder & CEO, Sequoia Wealth Advisors The words ‘wealth’ and ‘prosperity’ are often used interchangeably, but what do they really mean? Wealth is your money, your assets, your material...

Financial Consciousness 101: Money Is A Tool

By Kristina Kuprina, Founder & CEO, Sequoia Wealth Advisors Humans love to project human characteristics upon money. We mythologize it. We describe it as good or evil. Some worship money. Others fear it. We vilify those who have a lot...

Financial Consciousness 101: Your Retirement Purpose

By Kristina Kuprina, Founder & CEO, Sequoia Wealth Advisors Forget what most financial advisors tell you. There’s no magic retirement number. There’s only a retirement purpose. Take money out of the equation for a moment....

Financial Consciousness 101: Uncertainty Leads to Stress

By Kristina Kuprina, Founder & CEO, Sequoia Wealth Advisors If any single word defines 2020, it’s uncertainty. While there’s no predicting what the world may look like in five years, you can still determine what you need to...

Financial Consciousness 101: The Definition of Insanity

By Kristina Kuprina, Founder & CEO, Sequoia Wealth Advisors They say the definition of insanity is to continue to use a strategy or behavior and expect a different result. A vast number of investors are trapped in this financial loop....

Financial Consciousness 101: Comparison Kills Contentment

By Kristina Kuprina, Founder & CEO, Sequoia Wealth Advisors I had a long-term client who dreamed of buying his own boat and fishing the California coast. We built a plan. He saved, invested, and did well. Eventually, he made enough to...

Financial Consciousness 101: The Road to Happiness

By Kristina Kuprina, Founder & CEO, Sequoia Wealth Advisors. Like nature, money doesn’t operate in a vacuum. It affects nearly every aspect of our lives. It’s not only a direct reflection of the things we value, but our...

Financial Consciousness 101: Take A Long Look

By Kristina Kuprina, Founder & CEO, Sequoia Wealth Advisors (CA Insurance Lic. #0F11184) To be financially conscious is to understand how the manifold aspects of your money fit together. It’s an awareness of how your personal...

Financial Consciousness 101: Marie Kondo Your Finances

By Kristina Kuprina, Founder & CEO, Sequoia Wealth Advisors (CA Insurance Lic. #0F11184) “Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest,” writes Japanese home decluttering...

Can Socially-Responsible Investing Help Combat Climate Change?

Some investors see the current investing environment—which depends heavily on the stability of oil companies, insurance providers, and large financial institutions—as unsustainable in the wake of climate change. As stricter...

Pulse Check: Should You Ignore the Economic Data and Pullback Odds Are Increasing

More bad economic data A record 20.5 million people lost their jobs in April, well above the previous record of 2 million during World War II. This is further confirmation of how quickly our economy stopped, and the LPL strategists...

Recipes for Home-Cooked Meals

We are currently living in a confusing time where most of us cannot leave our homes. At first, this sounds great, but then you are hit with reality. You, and probably your spouse are working from home, and your kids’ school has...

Amidst Stay-At-Home, Learn Money Mindfullness

Using money to enhance your life and the lives of those around you Money matters are complex and even scary. How you choose to approach finances mentally is key to mastering them. Financial advisors call this “money mindfulness...

Maintaining Your Mental Health in the Time of Coronavirus

Even if you're not one of the 36 percent of Americans whose mental health has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, it's important to be proactive when it comes to maintaining a positive emotional state during these turbulent...

Have Stay-At-Home Growth Stocks Peaked?

Over the past couple of weeks, we have thankfully witnessed new cases of COVID-19 in the US trending lower. Increasingly, we are also seeing governors implementing plans to re-open their state economies in phases. If the US economy...

When Will The Recession Officially Start?

With 22 million jobs lost in the past four weeks, a record drop in retail sales, and huge drops in industrial production and housing starts, it is safe to say we are likely in a recession. Even the Federal Reserve (Fed) in the recent...

Putting Things in Perspective

The economic data keeps getting worse, yet stocks have been in the midst of one of the greatest multi-week rallies ever. As the LPL Chart of the Day shows, the S&P 500 Index gained 27.2% in the 15 days after the March 23 lows, the...

Big Annual Declines Are Rare

Stocks have rallied nicely off the March 23 lows on the back of a bold policy response from the Federal Reserve (Fed) and lawmakers in Washington, DC, which was followed by signs that a peak in growth of COVID-19 cases may come soon....

Retirement Plans and Estate Planning

When you die, what will happen to your retirement plan benefits? In general, your retirement plan benefits pass to the beneficiaries you designate on the plan beneficiary designation form. Your benefits will generally be subject to...

Is a Depression Coming?

“Could there be another depression” is one of the top questions we’ve received over the past week. “Yes, we are in a recession and many are worried if things may get much worse before they get better,”...

What Is in the $2 Trillion Relief Package?

The United States has more cases of the coronavirus than any other country, and in an attempt to stop the spread of this disease, states have closed schools and businesses throughout the country. These unprecedented shutdowns have...

Market Volatility Stresses Liquidity

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented volatility in recent weeks that has investors and traders scrambling to assess the economic and market impact of the aggressive containment measures. This past week the CBOE Volatility...

How Quickly Can Stocks Recover From COVID-19?

The market volatility continues, as the S&P 500 Index has closed either up or down 4% or more for a record 7 consecutive days. With the S&P 500 Index down 30% from the highs, it has officially moved into a bear market. Yesterday, we...

Low Valuations Imply Better Long-Term Performance

The dizzying volatility over the past few weeks has left all of our heads spinning as we wait for containment efforts in the United States and elsewhere to help slow new cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus). Public health is of course our...

Family Business—Laying the Groundwork for Potential Success

Is your growing business still a one-person operation? As your company continues to grow and the workload increases, it is easy to find yourself wearing too many hats and not having enough hours in the day to accomplish everything that...

Maintain a Good Credit Rating

Installment debt, in itself, is not a bad thing. It enables us to make major purchases that would be nearly impossible to finance up front. In this consumer society, however, we're bombarded with advertisements for literally thousands...

Women: Make a Financial Plan -- the Secret of Your Success

Financial planning is more than just a good idea. Research has consistently shown that people who have financial plans -- and who work with financial advisors -- save and invest far more and are nearly twice as likely to feel on track...

Coronavirus Pullback Continues

The global equity weakness continued yesterday, with consecutive 3% drops for the S&P 500 Index for the first time since August 2015. It might be hard to believe, but exactly one week ago today the S&P 500 was making a new all-time...

Earnings Season Observations

The recent news that technology giant Apple would miss its fourth quarter 2020 revenue targets has understandably increased investor anxiety surrounding the potential economic impact of the coronavirus (now called COVID-19). Lost in...

Closer Look At February

A late month selloff in January saw the S&P 500 Index close marginally lower for the month. But stocks have taken off in February, with the S&P 500 up nearly 4% this month, as US economic data remains strong and fears over the...

Manufacturing on the Mend

Monday’s strong manufacturing report caught our attention, even as the coronavirus outbreak dominated the financial media. At 50.9, the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing purchasing managers’ index...

Protect Your Assets With a Trust

A trust is a legal entity that is central to a three-part agreement in which an individual — the trust’s "grantor" — transfers the legal title to an asset to that trust for the purpose of benefiting one or more...

Financial Wellness: Establishing an Emergency Fund

First the car broke down, then the dishwasher stopped working, and now the dog is sick. Sometimes the old proverb, "It never rains but it pours," seems to ring a little too true. When you need money to pay large, unexpected bills,...

Viral Outbreak Ends Period of Market Calm

Fears that the deadly coronavirus would spread further around the globe intensified Monday and led to the biggest one-day drop in the S&P 500 Index since October 8, 2019. In fact, it was the first time the index moved 1% in either...

Breathe for Your Life Health and Well Being

Breath is life. Life is breath. The yoga sages of India have embraced this link for centuries, where conscious breathing has long been an integral part of daily life. More recently, Western researchers have also begun to acknowledge...

Q4 Earnings Season is All About 2020

Fourth quarter earnings season kicked off this week with 24 S&P 500 Index companies slated to report results. Our expectations are for a marginal increase in S&P 500 earnings per share (EPS) on a year-over-year basis, based on current...

10 Ways the Secure Act Will Impact Your Retirement Savings

With the decline of traditional pensions, most of us are now responsible for squirreling away money for our own retirement. In today's do-it-yourself retirement savings world, we rely largely on 401(k) plans and IRAs. However, there...

Why The First Five Days Of 2020 Could Have Bulls Smiling

The first five days of 2020 are in the books. Although the headlines have been quite scary, equities have picked up right where they left off last year. In fact, after the first five trading days of the new year, the S&SP 500 Index is...

Put Savings (and Yourself) First with a Budget

Americans, it seems, are spenders. Personal savings rates are low and many people spend beyond their means. If you're among those Americans who can't seem to save, it might be time to create a budget. A budget allows you to understand...

Market Update - Don't Fear the Repo

The fourth quarter is winding down, and investors are getting nervous that volatility in the short-term lending market could flare up once again. Rates on repurchase agreements (repos) jumped in September 2019 amid a shortage of cash...

Charitable Giving: Good for Your Heart and Your 1040!

It may be better to give than to receive, but it may be even better to give and see your generosity rewarded. Charitable giving can play a valuable role in your financial and tax strategies. A well-planned gift to charity could provide...

Market Update - Consumer Inflation Hovers Around Cycle High

The core Consumer Price Index (CPI), which excludes food and energy prices, rose 2.3% year over year in November, just below a cycle high of 2.4% growth last reached in September 2019. Inflationary pressures have recovered noticeably...

Market Update - Reasons We Still Believe In December

It has been a rough start to the most wonderful month of them all, with the S&P 500 Index down each of the first two days of December. Don’t stop believing just yet, though. Everyone knows December has usually been a good month...

Giving Thanks for the U.S. Consumer

This Thanksgiving, we’re thankful for solid consumer confidence, even though it has wavered in recent months. Consumer confidence fell for a fourth straight month in November, according to preliminary Conference Board data. Even...

Putting The Bull In Perspective

The S&P 500 Index has closed higher five consecutive weeks, making six new all-time highs along the way. There now have been 19 new highs in 2019, tying the number we saw last year. There’s no doubt that this bull market has been...

Tax Planning for the Self-Employed

Self-employment is the opportunity to be your own boss, to come and go as you please, and oh yes, to establish a lifelong bond with your accountant. If you're self-employed, you'll need to pay your own FICA taxes and take charge of...

The U.S. Economy Chugs Along

Gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed for a third quarter, but the U.S. economy is still chugging along at an average pace. GDP grew 1.9% in the third quarter, its slowest pace of growth since the fourth quarter of 2018, as shown...

2019 May Be One of the Best Years Ever

“Everything is awesome, when you’re living out a dream.” The Lego Movie As the S&P 500 Index continues to flirt with new record highs, something under the surface is taking place that is making 2019 extremely special....

5 Key Estate Planning Documents You May Need

There are five estate planning documents you may need, regardless of your age, health, or wealth: Durable power of attorney Advance medical directives Will Letter of instruction Living trust The last document, a living trust, isn't...

Setting Financial and Investment Goals

Setting financial and investment goals Setting goals is a very important part of life in general and in financial planning in particular. Before you actually invest your money, you should spend some time considering and setting your...

Estate Planning Checklist

One of the first steps you’ll take in the estate planning process is determining how much planning you’ll need to undertake. Two key components of your initial needs evaluation are an estate analysis and a settlement cost...

Planning For The Expected

Perhaps Bette Davis said it best when she observed, “Old age is no place for sissies.”¹ The challenges seniors have met throughout their lives have made them wiser and stronger, preparing them for the unique...

401(k) Decisions -- You Can Take It With You

If you are preparing to change jobs, do you know what your choices are for managing the money in your current employer's retirement plan? Although many people choose to take a cash distribution, there are other options that may...

Are You Financially Fit?

If you don't have a financial plan, that question may be hard to answer. To achieve financial wellness, you need to define your goals and set a time frame for reaching them. The following steps can help you take control of your...

Investing for Major Financial Goals

Go out into your yard and dig a big hole. Every month, throw $50 into it, but don't take any money out until you're ready to buy a house, send your child to college, or retire. It sounds a little crazy, doesn't it? But that's what...

Planning the Withdrawal of Your Retirement Assets

You've worked long and hard to accumulate the assets that you are using to help finance your retirement. Now, it's time to start drawing down those assets. Exactly how you liquidate your assets will affect your tax and impact how long...

Avoid These Financial Traps

Money. It's hard to get and easy to lose. It doesn't take long for the wealth you've accumulated to disappear if you don't manage your money well or have a plan to protect your assets from sudden calamity. Snares like the ones...

Retiring? Take Control of Your Assets

After years of saving and investing, you can finally see the big day -- retirement. But before kicking back, you still need to address a few matters. Decisions made now could make the difference between your money outlasting you or...

Five Strategies for Tax-Efficient Investing

As just about every investor knows, it's not what your investments earn, but what they earn after taxes that counts. After factoring in federal income and capital gains taxes, the alternative minimum tax, and any applicable state and...

Marriage: Entering a New Investment Life

There are a lot of issues that couples need to think about when tying the knot -- wedding preparations, family, and, of course, finances. Addressing personal finance and investment issues before the big day may help improve your odds...

Making a Charitable Choice

What does giving to charity mean to you? Perhaps you think of dropping your change into a can at a local shop or placing a few dollars into a Salvation Army kettle during the holidays. Maybe you've bought Girl Scout cookies or donated...

Establishing a Budget

Do you ever wonder where your money goes each month? Does it seem like you're never able to get ahead? If so, you may want to establish a budget to help you keep track of how you spend your money and help you reach your financial...

A Financial Plan for All Seasons

Grab your sunglasses -- summer's here, and it's time to kick back and relax. If only it were that easy. It would be great if all your worries disappeared when summer arrived, but that doesn't happen. Actually, if money is stressing...

Midyear Outlook 2019

We are pleased to announce the release of the LPL Research Midyear Outlook 2019: FUNDAMENTAL: How to Focus on What Really Matters in the Markets, with investment insights and market guidance through the end of 2019. LPL Research...

Financial Tips for Younger Generations

Young adults in their twenties and early thirties face a variety of challenges in their quest for financial security. Some of these challenges are similar to those faced by previous generations, while others are unique to the times. If...

Understanding IRAs

An individual retirement arrangement (IRA) is a personal savings plan that offers specific tax benefits. IRAs are one of the most powerful retirement savings tools available to you. Even if you're contributing to a 401(k) or other...

Market Update - Trade Tensions and Tariffs

Trade tensions have interrupted an unusually calm year in U.S. stocks. In May, the S&P 500 Index fell from an April 30 record high as the United States and China failed to reach a trade deal and escalated tariff tensions. The United...

Retirement Plans for Small Businesses

As a business owner, you should carefully consider the advantages of establishing an employer-sponsored retirement plan. Generally, you're allowed a deduction for contributions you make to an employer-sponsored retirement plan. In...

The ABCs of 529 Plans

529 plans are tax-advantaged education savings vehicles and one of the most popular ways to save for education today. Much like the way 401(k) plans revolutionized the world of retirement savings a few decades ago, 529 plans have...

Estate Planning: An Introduction

By definition, estate planning is a process designed to help you manage and preserve your assets while you are alive, and to conserve and control their distribution after your death according to your goals and objectives. But what...

Health Insurance for Travelers

You were having a great time on your vacation--until your toddler woke up from her nap with a fever. If you were at home, you'd take her to the pediatrician right away and rely on your health insurance to pay for her care. But what do...