fund

Elm3’s Guide to Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)

2023-05-11T14:59:37-04:00July 28th, 2022|Blog, Investments|

Elm3's Guide to Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) By: Stacey Nickens As investors, we are always inundated with reminders to diversify our portfolios. Diversification involves adding lots of companies to your portfolio, such that your portfolio is exposed to a variety of company sizes, company styles, and sectors. Diversifying your portfolio helps create stability. If one [...]

Is Your Emergency Fund Too Small, Too Big, Or Just Right?

2023-05-11T15:03:12-04:00July 7th, 2022|Blog, Financial Planning|

Is Your Emergency Fund Too Small, Too Big, Or Just Right? By: Stacey Nickens Goldilocks didn't have to build an emergency fund. She knew that she could break into any number of bears' homes and have as much porridge as she needed, but the rest of us aren't so lucky. How much porridge do [...]

Choosing the “Best Fit” Pension Plan for You

2023-05-11T15:17:00-04:00December 13th, 2021|Blog, Financial Planning, Retirement|

Choosing the "Best Fit" Pension Plan for You By: Stacey Nickens American Express was the first company to offer pensions to their long-term employees. Beginning in 1875, employees who served the company for more than 20 years had access to half of their annual salary upon retirement. While pensions expanded in popularity during the [...]

Goals-Based Savings Can Help You Withstand Market Volatility

2023-05-11T15:21:45-04:00October 29th, 2021|Blog, Financial Planning, Investments|

Goals-Based Savings Can Help You Withstand Market Volatility By: Stacey Nickens Financial planners and investment advisors have traditionally advocated for a bucket-approach to savings. With the bucket approach, you segment your savings by time until withdrawal. A goals-based approach to saving is a twist on this method. Rather than segmenting your savings by time [...]

How to Survive a Bear Attack: 6 Strategies for Embracing a Stock Market Downturn

2023-05-11T15:24:22-04:00September 27th, 2021|Blog, Investments|

How to Survive a Bear Attack 6 Strategies for Embracing a Stock Market Downturn By: Stacey Nickens I love heading out to nature for a hike or a camping trip, but enjoying nature doesn't come without risks. You may face dehydration, mosquito bites, and even bears. A bear attack is certainly the worst case [...]

Creating Money Harmony in Your Marriage

2023-05-19T13:38:40-04:00September 14th, 2021|Blog, Financial Planning|

September is the perfect month for pumpkin spice lattes, the return of Target's Halloween section, and marriage. Traditionally, more couples get married in September than in any other month. June and October take second and third place, respectively. If wedding bells are on your horizon, you may be caught up in dress adjustments or [...]

4 Ways to Manage Market Volatility

2023-05-11T15:26:34-04:00August 2nd, 2021|Blog, Inflation, Investments|

4 Ways to Manage Market Volatility By: Stacey Nickens Every couple of days, I get an email from a client wondering if they should be worried about market volatility, rising inflation, or some other catastrophic financial event. Often times, investors in the midst of panic wonder if they should move their money entirely into [...]

Caring for Your Financial Garden

2023-05-11T15:32:37-04:00April 19th, 2021|Blog, Financial Planning|

Caring for Your Financial Garden By: Stacey Nickens To me, freshly-grown flowers fill me with so much hope. As Audrey Hepburn once said, "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow." Each Spring, I reserve my spots at the community garden. I pick out what seeds I will plant, and then I carefully [...]

Investments That Could Benefit From Biden’s Infrastructure Plan

2023-05-11T15:33:36-04:00April 5th, 2021|Blog, Investments|

Investments That Could Benefit From Biden's Infrastructure Plan By: Stacey Nickens Last week, President Joe Biden revealed his American Jobs Plan. This plan would invest over $2 trillion into American infrastructure projects, including improving highways and modernizing state and federal facilities, amongst other goals. While the plan still needs to pass Congress, many analysts [...]