Planning

In this month’s recap: Stocks, gold, and oil all surge, a door opens for U.S.-China trade talks to resume, and the Federal Reserve suddenly sounds dovish.

Sometimes simple is best. Many of us tend to complicate our financial situation; overthinking our options while ignoring the basics.

But like anything else, the simplest rules are often the most important ones; and the ones most likely to be ignored. How many of these rules do you follow?

Data breaches, once a fairly rare occurrence, have become more frequent as hackers become more skilled in their ability to extract personal data from popular social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

If you’re new to investing, some of the information on the Internet can be downright confusing. While investing itself is fairly straightforward, many people find themselves shying away from the entire process because they simply don’t understand the terminology, which can be somewhat overwhelming.

Throughout history people have made inheritance choices that are inexplicable to others. In 1926, Harry Houdini left his magical equipment to his brother, his pulled-from-the-hat rabbits to the children of friends, and a series of random words to his wife. The words were a code that would let her know when he was in touch from the afterlife.¹

There are many ways that we support our favorite charitable causes. However, one of the most beneficial ways to support a favorite charity now and in perpetuity is through planned giving.