 | | Chris Locher,CFP |
'Committed to your personal financial freedom and the financial security of your family.'
We strive to provide an independent solution that integrates tax preparation/planning, investment management and lifestyle and family protection to help simplify your financial life. Imagine what you could do with financial freedom? |
Say hello to the new health care law....
And say goodbye to Flexible spending accounts! |
The new health care law eliminates your ability to buy over the counter medications with pre-tax dollars. You might know them as flexible spending accounts you have through your employer. You fund the account with pre-tax money and then you can buy over the counter medication with your contributions. After Dec. 31 2010 flexible spending accounts can only be used for prescriptions and insulin. This also applies to health savings accounts and archer MSA's. There is no 2 ½ month grace period for 2010 purchases so you have to spend the money by the end of the year to get the benefit. However if you use a debit card to make these purchases you have until Jan, 15th 2011. Please contact your HR department for more details! |
Inflation, inflation, inflation...
Calculate your personal inflation rate |
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Inflation is defined as the long-term, sustained rise in the general price level of goods and services. The most popular measure of inflation is the Consumer Price Index. Great, but how does this affect you and your family? Think of the price of a stamp just a few years ago or when a can of soda was only 50 cents. What could happen to your purchasing power if your investments do not keep pace with inflation?
You can't avoid inflation...but you can fight it!
Click here to calculate what the price of any item could be in a few years with different inflation rates.
Also you can calculate your family's personal rate of inflation here. |
What are these stocks made of?
See the difference between two common types of stocks
It's mentioned above growth stocks are one way to fight inflation. If you own growth stocks, as most investors do,  take a minute to find what makes a growth stock a growth stock. Also compare growth stocks to value stocks, and see why having exposure to both growth and value stocks are part of most asset allocation strategies.
Which type of stock is most likely to pay you a dividend or be the next Google? |
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