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In general, Americans are not sufficiently prepared to pay for long-term care. Many of them go through their lives simply hoping that they won't ever need it. Unfortunately, in the event that you or a loved one does need long-term care, hope won't be enough to protect you from potential financial ruin. Self-insurance as an option To self-insure,that is, to cover the cost yourself, you must have a sufficient income.

Why Small Businesses Should Pay Attention to Accessibility The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which passed more than 30 years ago, made it illegal to deny job opportunities to people based on their disabilities, mandated reasonable accommodations to make buildings accessible, and required most private businesses to offer equal service to disabled customers. About 61 million people in the United States & one in every four adults live with a disability.

Are You Ready to Cancel Your Cable TV? An explosion in the number and variety of streaming services, coupled with the high cost of cable and satellite television packages, might have you wondering whether it’s time to cut the cord. But streaming costs money, too, and you may have to subscribe to multiple services to access all your favorite programs. You might also need to buy a streaming device and pay for a pricey high-speed Internet connection.

Homebuyers braving the hot U.S. housing market have run headlong into a striking transition. The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage jumped from around 3.2% at the beginning of 2022 to 5.3% in mid-May, the highest level since 2009.

BNPL plans are more popular with younger consumers trying to stretch their paychecks, partly because they are more comfortable shopping online (and particularly on smartphones). At first glance, it may seem like a worthwhile convenience, but there are good reasons to think twice before committing to installment purchases.

Are you saving for retirement? For your children’s education? For any other long-term goal? If so, you’ll want to know how inflation can impact your savings. Inflation is the increase in the price of products over time. Inflation rates have fluctuated over the years.

An estimated 102.5 million investors — representing almost 46% of U.S. households — owned mutual funds at the end of 2020 (most recent data). These individual retail investors held about 89% of the $23.9 trillion in assets invested in U.S. mutual fund companies.1

Since your home is one of your greatest assets, you should make sure it is adequately protected. That's where homeowners insurance enters the picture. Homeowners insurance protects against liability (in case someone is injured on your property), damage to the structure of your home and/or personal belongings, and theft.

When Two Goals Collide: Balancing College and Retirement Preparations You've been doing the right thing financially for many years, saving for your child's education and your own retirement. Yet now, as both goals loom in the years ahead, you may wonder what else you can do to help your child (or children) receive a quality education without compromising your own retirement goals.

What's the Difference Between Medicare and Medicaid? It's easy to confuse Medicare and Medicaid, because they have similar names and are both government programs that pay for health care. But there are important differences between the programs. Medicare is generally for older people, while Medicaid is for people with limited income and resources.

Is the Russia-Ukraine War a Threat to the Global Economy? Before Russia stunned the world by invading Ukraine, it was widely believed that the economic ties formed through globalization would help promote peace. But the war is testing that assumption and drawing attention to the vulnerabilities in far-flung supply chains, which were already under pressure because of the pandemic and recovery.

Colliding Forces: Russia, Oil, Inflation, and Market Volatility The Russian invasion of Ukraine has drawn condemnation and punitive sanctions from the United States, Europe, and their allies. The humanitarian cost of war cannot be measured, and the long-term economic effects could take months or years to unfold. However, the early stages of the conflict pushed oil prices upward and sent the U.S. stock market plunging, only to see stocks bounce back and drop again.

In Season 1 of Ken Burns documentary series on the Vietnam War entitled, “The Vietnam War: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick (Vietnam: Burns and Novick),” his narrative helps illustrates mistakes the United States made in managing a war we intentionally provoked...

Inflation, in the basic sense, is a rise in price levels. Economists believe inflation comes about when the supply of money is greater than the demand for money. Inflation is viewed as a positive when it helps boost consumer demand and consumption, driving economic growth. Inflation is one of the greatest threats to a healthy economy. Inflation eats away at our standard of living if our income doesn't keep pace with rising prices over time.

I am writing today, during this turbulent and historic time, to try to provide an objective perspective on some of the effects current major geo-political events are having on the “market’s” performance, and how we are trying to address these concerns for our clients over the balance of this year...

What Tax Deductions Are Still Available to Me? Tax reform measures are enacted frequently by Congress, which makes it hard for U.S. taxpayers to know which deductions are currently available to help lower their tax liability.

The Fed Pivots to Fight Inflation On December 15, 2021, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve System made a significant shift in monetary policy in response to rising inflation.

Help Wanted: Why Can't Businesses Find Enough Workers? The headline U.S. unemployment rate fell from 6.7% at the end of December 2020 to 3.9% in December 2021.

Frank Deptola was recently notified by Five Star Professional that he has again been selected as a 2022 Five Star Wealth Manager - one of the top financial advisers and wealth managers in Orange County, CA.