Finerate

In this episode, Anastasia shares the breadth of research she compiled on maternity leave policy in the United States. What is the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)? How does family leave policy differ in the U.S. from other countries? What are the benefits of maternity leave? What should you look for in a parental leave policy? Is it generally paid or unpaid, how long is it, and is it flexible when...

Anastasia and Bill cover the psychology of investing aka behavioral finance. Anastasia explains how behavioral finance differs from traditional finance, and Modern Portfolio Theory, before diving into a discussion of common biases and how they can affect individual investors' decisions. Why is it important to be aware of potential biases? Bill relates several biases to what he has seen in his care...

Bill and Anastasia cover a listener requested topic regarding the student loan debt crisis in the U.S. They tackle this issue through the lens of financial advisors looking at it on a macroeconomic scale--addressing how student loans grew into a crisis, the contributing factors, consequences, potential solutions, and what they think consumers should know. Bill and Anastasia debate the policy sugge...

There are over 200 designations and certifications that a financial services representative can hold, making it difficult for consumers to understand the differences between them. When did advisor credentials become so popular and why? What is the difference between a securities license and a certification? What should you be aware of when hiring a financial services rep? Anastasia explains the ba...

Bill and Anastasia cover a concept everyone is familiar with but might not know how to explain - specifically, what are corporations? How are they related to other business entities like sole proprietorships, LLCs, LPs, etc? Who runs a corporation? What's the difference between a CEO, a COO, and a CFO? What power do shareholders have? Bill also provides insight into what he considers about a corpo...

From the perspective of a financial advisor, Bill and Anastasia tackle the meaty topic of U.S. health care in this two-part episode series. In Part Two, Bill offers strategies that consumers can use to help mitigate the cost of health care. Bill and Anastasia touch on different health insurance options and the benefits of a HSA (Health Savings Account). If you haven't yet, be sure to listen to Par...

From the perspective of a financial advisor, Bill and Anastasia tackle the meaty topic of U.S. health care in this two-part episode series. In Part One, Bill covers reasons why the U.S. spends more on health care per capita than any country in the world. Additionally, why are Anastasia's friends receiving bills before insurance kicks in of $38,000+ for a baby delivery without complications? Why is...

With the recent stock market volatility, Bill and Anastasia set out to provide some perspective on persevering during the ups and downs. Bill discusses how investors and the overall market are feeling, how he is feeling personally, and how this volatile period compares to the rest of his career. Bill analogizes Mito Pereira's recent PGA Championship loss to what is needed to weather difficult mark...

Bill explains the basic concept behind inflation, why core CPI is lower than actual inflation, how often inflation occurs, and how governments may stop it, before outlining steps that individuals can take to reduce the impact of inflation on their budgets. Bill answers the question of whether investing in the stock market is still a good way to combat inflation while markets are trending downward....

Bill and Anastasia continue answering listener questions in this second of a two-part series. In Part Two, they discuss what to do if your significant other has different spending priorities, why a 401(k) plan is named "401(k)," how to know whether you are saving enough for retirement, when is a good time to set up a checking or savings account for children, and what exactly is an inverted yield c...

Bill and Anastasia tackle several questions from listeners in this two-part series. In Part One, they discuss rolling over a 401(k) account, how to prioritize credit card repayment, contributing to a Roth vs. a traditional IRA and how to prioritize contributions to various retirement accounts, and whether to get a second credit card. Bill and Anastasia have covered each of these topics generally i...

Bill and Anastasia discuss the many different kinds of stocks (stalks?) out there. For questions and comments, you can email us at  askcreatingwealth@taberasset. com .

What are paper hands versus diamond hands, and is it effective to think in these terms when it comes to investing? Bill and Anastasia use these terms to dive into several recent questions they've been receiving from nervous or curious investors. Should you change your investment strategy in anticipation of a downturn? Are there certain strategies that work better in an upmarket than a down-market?...

What should you know about credit scores? What actually affects your credit score, and what doesn't? Bill and Anastasia dive into the evolution of credit lending and offer advice and information for those with credit or looking to start. Bill and Anastasia also briefly covered this topic in "Life Advice From Financial Experts," as well as the pros and cons of credit cards in "Cash vs. Credit," so...

Bill and Anastasia take advantage of Anastasia's recent personal experience to talk weddings. How much money do you need to plan a wedding? What vendors do you need and how much do they cost on average? How do you find out if your family will help pay for the wedding? How do you prioritize the cost of a wedding vs. a down payment on a first home? What items are worth spending more on, what are wor...

Bill and Anastasia answer questions they have been receiving from individuals recently related to the U.S. stock market downturn in January 2022. Was the market drop a correction and how often does this happen? What does the level of volatility in the market mean for you? Is it time to buy the dip? Why are these questions arising now? Bill and Anastasia also address the recent Bitcoin downturn and...

In this follow up to last year's episode, "Forming an Annual Budget," Bill and Anastasia cover more tools that are available for budgeting. What is an income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement, and why are these important in creating a budget? Bill and Anastasia also discuss what software programs they prefer to use and tips for those who have gotten a year or more of budgeting unde...

When can you retire? What savings rate is needed to achieve a secure retirement? What impact will Social Security have on your retirement? What are the different retirement accounts that may be available to you? How do you balance other life expenses with saving for retirement, and how should you prioritize them? Bill relates his answers to his decades of providing advice to individuals nearing or...

In practice of having an abundance mindset, Bill and Anastasia return to their end of year tradition in taking stock of what they and others are grateful for in the past year. A special thanks to those who shared their messages of gratitude with Creating Wealth, and to healthcare workers who continue to save lives. For questions and comments, you can email us at  askcreatingwealth@ taberasset.com...

What is an interest rate and why do investors pay close attention to them? In this episode, Bill and Anastasia discuss how interest rates affect stocks, bonds, and how the Federal Reserve's actions impact the broader economy. They cover what is going on with today's interest rates, how that compares to the historical average, and what investors should keep in mind with the Fed's announced interest...

This is a continuation of the conversation on investing styles from the previous episode (How Do You Invest?). In this second part, Bill and Anastasia cover several other concepts - sector funds, dollar cost averaging, margin of safety. And investing styles including momentum and contrarian investing. They discuss the importance of where you get your information - Bill shares a few sources he uses...

When it comes to investing, what are your guiding principles? Bill and Anastasia discuss several different investing strategies including value vs. growth investing, active vs. passive investing, and using fundamental vs. technical analysis to determine the value of a stock. Bill provides perspective on the current strong bull market and whether value investing is possible right now. He explains w...

What are the common obstacles that small business owners face? This is the second of a two-part series on starting and running your own business with special guest speaker, Bob Clements--Cofounder, Partner, and General Counsel of Benchmark Business Group. Part Two covers the obstacles that owners typically face as their business grows: For example, a lack of funds, lack of time, trouble managing e...

This is a two-part series on starting and running your own business with a special guest speaker, Bob Clements--Cofounder, Partner, and General Counsel of Benchmark Business Group. Part One covers what people should consider if they want to start their own business. Why would an individual prefer to be self-employed vs. work for someone else? In what situations does being self-employed make sense,...

What is going on in the stock market? Before diving into the topic, Anastasia provides news updates relating to topics discussed in previous episodes: The Rise of GameStop (GME) Stock, Investing in Common Stock Part Two, and How to Pay for College. Bill and Anastasia then discuss inflation concerns, what the autumnal dip is and why it happens, the effects of crypto trading on the markets and how m...