Loss aversion, or the phenomenon of experiencing losses much more severely than gains, can lead to unwise investment decisions. Whether you're hanging on to a loser of a stock for longer than you should or are afraid to invest at all for fear of purchasing at a high point, making emotion-based investment decisions could mean leaving money on the table.

You often hear people discuss "saving for retirement,” but in many cases, they're actually referring to their investing. The adage "you can't save your way to wealth" is simplistic, but has a kernel of truth; putting your money in a savings account often won't be enough to outpace the rate of inflation, which can erode the value of your savings over time.

Deciding on which college to attend is an exciting time. Still, it can also be stressful. The Department of Education has been working to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application process with a few modifications. Here are seven notable changes that could impact you:

When it comes to financial planning, people often think of financial professionals as people who assist with strategies for retirement planning. That is one aspect of their job; however, financial planning and working with a financial professional can benefit anybody who experiences life-changing events, including getting a new job, marriage, debt repayment plans, buying a house, and more.

September was a challenging month for stocks as the S&P 500 pulled back almost 5%, while the 10 Year Treasury Yield rallied over 4.6% its highest level since 2007.  The increase in rates was likely driven by the September Fed meeting where the Fed held rates steady, but hinted that we could see another hike before the end of the year. (YCharts)

While volatility can be uncomfortable, we believe that this type of market pull-back is normal and healthy, particularly after a prolonged move higher.  From the lows in October, 2022 to the end of July the S&P 500 had rallied almost 30%.  (YCharts)

We may continue to see more volatility in the short-term but we believe that the recent market move is likely not the beginning of a longer-term downtrend as the underlying trend of the market continues to be positive. As such, we expect to see stocks move higher over the next 9-12 months. 

Coming into August the S&P 500 had been strong, up almost 20% for the year; however, August brought with it a little weakness as stocks took a breather and the S&P 500 closed down about 1.6% for the month. (YCharts) We believe that this type of volatility is normal and healthy for stocks, particularly after a prolonged move higher. 

One potential factor that impacted markets was a jump in interest rates.  The 10 Year US Treasury Yield jumped, peaking at a 15 year high of 4.35%, before closing the month at 4.09%. (YCharts)  Higher rates have the potential to be a headwind as borrowing costs may increase. 

This is something we’ll keep a close eye on.  Below, we’ll outline a few factors that could impact interest rates for the rest of the year:

Every year, around 3 million Americans are required to evacuate their homes due to a natural disaster.¹ What's more, this figure does not include the millions of other individuals who are temporarily displaced as a result of fire, flood, or other damage to their homes.

Credit can be a scary subject to approach, whether or not you want to jump into it isn’t an option in most cases; credit determines a lot, but it can also be a great financial tool when used properly. When your credit score is good, your rates, loans, and other financial endeavors will be good, too.

Introduction

A recent survey by Caring.com found that a whopping two in three American adults do not have an estate plan1—an alarming statistic, considering that an estate plan can protect your assets and ensure that they go to the right people. If you have not begun to prepare an estate plan, or if your estate planning efforts have stalled, what can you do to get back on track?