With the first half of the year in the rearview mirror, summertime is a great chance to check in on your finances. A mid-year financial review can help you take stock of your entire financial picture and how it’s lining up with your year-end goals. While conducting a thorough analysis of your wealth may sound intimidating, below are a few ways to check your financial health as summer ends.

In today's rapidly changing world, planning for retirement can seem daunting. However, as a financial advisor, I often recommend one powerful tool to my clients: funding a Roth IRA. Whether you’re just starting your career or are well into your working years, understanding the benefits of a Roth IRA can significantly impact your financial future.

Consumers make purchases for a variety of reasons ranging from personal interest in the item to viewing the item as an investment based on perceived future value. Unlike more conventional investments where valuation is more closely related to the business' financial strength or projected future earnings, the markets for collectibles are often impacted by more tenuous factors. These factors can include trends and fads, technological advances, abundance (or lack) of disposable income, and scarcity. So why would one choose to invest in this way? Where there is risk, there is often opportunity. Understanding which fluctuations in price are a sign of things to come and which indicate a more temporary market shift may make the difference between great success or being left with a beautiful, albeit less-valuable, timepiece.

In honor of National Insurance Awareness Day on June 28th, it is worthwhile to know what to look for when choosing a life insurance policy. Leaving your loved one’s money when you pass is important, but you also want to be sure you are able to fit the premiums into your budget. Doing research while also working with a financial advisor can really help the process of obtaining a life insurance policy and maintaining it to get the most benefits for you and your family.

Congratulations, Grad! Now that all your hard work and long study hours are behind you, it’s a great time to start thinking about taking control of your finances. Whether you are starting to pay rent on an apartment in a new city or are planning to start repaying your student loans, you should start tracking your finances and understand how to maximize them. Keep reading to discover tips and tricks to help you as you enter the “real world” and start your journey toward financial independence.