Top Financial Living Blogs of 2019 for the New Year

As we enter 2020, we would like to start off the new year by expressing our gratitude to everyone who has enjoyed Advance Capital’s Financial Living Blog. It was one of our best years yet, with well over 100,000 readers. Without the support of readers like you, none of this would be possible.

And, if you haven’t subscribed to the blog yet, what are you waiting for?

Our goal is to provide easy-to-understand, enlightening and actionable information to help you make the smartest financial decisions possible – tips and advice for your financial challenges today, tomorrow, whenever.

Therefore, we’re going to say goodbye to 2019 by sharing our top blogs of the past year – things you may have missed or want to revisit – that will get you ready for the new year, the new decade and beyond.

The 9 Types of People You'll Meet in Retirement

Everyone’s experience in retirement is unique. But there are some characterizations we can draw from data collected in various surveys and studies of retirees.

Transformative Power of ‘Framing’ on Your Money – and Life

The happiness we feel about our money, work, relationships, life in general, isn’t derived by only what happens, but also how we perceive what happens.

How to Save for Short-, Medium- and Long-Term Financial Goals

Not all financial goals are alike, so the way you save for each one should be different, too.

26 Must-Know Statistics about Estate Planning

Do you have a will or an estate plan? Around half of you reading this said “no.” And of those of you who said “yes,” most haven’t updated their will or plan in some time.

Reasons Not to Delay Social Security

If there’s one thing everyone should learn about money is to never make financial decisions based on generalizations. Everyone’s situation is unique, which requires unique choices.

Major Misconceptions about Health Care Costs in Retirement

Health is wealth. At no other time may this be truer than in retirement. Whereas many of your expenses decline once you retire (hopefully you don’t have to commute, the mortgage is paid off and the kids are financially independent), health care costs will generally rise as you age.

Navigating 529 Plan Rules for Grandparents

They say it takes a village to raise a child. With the rising cost of college, students can use all the help they can get. And grandparents are stepping up.

Overcoming 7 Hard Things About Hard Money Things

There are common “hard things” everyone must overcome to reach their financial goals. For which, your emotions wrestle with your logic and there are no easy answers or recipes.

8 Painless Lifestyle Moves to Help Free Up Retirement Income

The trick to any great challenge is to prepare well enough so that it becomes almost boring, even when things don’t go according to plan. In other words, don’t go seeking adventure.

Ways You May Not Know a Financial Adviser Can Help

What things in your life may have you overlooked? Have you ever wondered if you’re taking full advantage of your financial adviser’s services? Or, if you’ve been handling money on your own, do you know how a financial adviser can help?

Preparing Your Portfolio for a Recession

On the Richter scale of financial fears, most people would put a recession near or at the top. From job loss to market downturn, the potential magnitude of financial dangers can be severe. But just how fearful should investors be of the next recession?

Feel More Confident with This Retirement Planning Checklist

Preparing for retirement can feel less daunting when you take it step by step. As Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said: “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” So, we’ve compiled a basic checklist to help you on your way.

Behavioral Tricks to Make Smarter Financial Decisions

You have the freedom to design your financial future. But, you’re not free from the human tendencies that can trip you up along the way.

3 Keys to Keeping Your Financial Identity Secure

In a world of major data breaches, where millions of people have their personal data compromised, it is more crucial than ever to make security a part of your financial planning process.

How Often Should You Check Your Investment Portfolio?

Today, with smartphones and tablets, you have an endless sea of information literally at our fingertips. As it pertains to your investments, instant access to all that information can do more harm than good.

What Investors Don’t Know Can Cost Them

Benjamin Franklin famously said: “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” Another way to put it would be to say, An indifference to ignorance charges the most interest.

The Positive Effects of Gratitude on Your Financial Life

The truth is your behavior will have a greater influence on your wealth than any product. Given that, it’s worthwhile to consider the benefits of gratitude and how they can ultimately make you a better steward of your money – for the benefit of yourself and for others.

Where to Get Help with Caregiving

Though it is a part of life for many people, caregiving is not a certainty for everyone. Therefore, it doesn’t always make it into financial planning conversations. But, when you consider how much caregiving can affect your life, you may realize how important it is to explore your options.

Overcoming Financial Challenges Women Face

Society has come a long way in improving gender equality, but there are still many roadblocks that are unique to women when it comes to planning for retirement – earning less, spending more time out of the workforce and living longer, to name a few.

How to Become a Successful Investor in Under a Minute

Natural tendencies such as fear and overconfidence can cause us to make bad investment decisions, such as chasing market fads and not diversifying. It explains why the average investor often earns below average market returns. So, why not take just a minute to learn what it takes to become a successful investor.

Thanks for reading!