Effective budgeting is one of the most critical components of a financial plan, yet the task is often overlooked.  Many individuals delay investing towards their financial future because they do not understand the power of compounding interest. Estate planning can be...

Debt can have a crippling effect on a financial plan, so it is important to identify the wrong types of debt and pay them off quickly.  The Debt Snowball method focuses on paying off your smallest debt first and then adding those payment amounts to the next smallest...

The Debt Ceiling Drama: A Critical Juncture The Debt Ceiling is the maximum amount of money the U.S. Treasury can borrow. Increasing the Debt Ceiling allows the government to pay for obligations like Social Security, government employee wages, and military spending....

  Employees should never be afraid to ask for a raise if they feel their current pay does not reflect their hard work and contributions to the company. It is important to come prepared to the conversation with a target amount in mind, especially if this can be...

Recent Bank Failure: What Happened and Why? This month, we unfortunately had another bank failure brewing. It was announced that First Republic Bank was seized by regulators, and the bulk of the assets were purchased by JPMorgan, thankfully avoiding another major...

Qualified Dividends receive preferential tax treatment as they are taxed as capital gains.  Non-Qualified Dividends do not receive any additional tax benefit and are taxed as ordinary income.  The majority of dividends that are paid out by companies will be considered...

Are you looking to take control of your finances and learn more about personal finance? Look no further! This month, we've curated a list of our most recommended books. With so many great resources available, we understand it can be overwhelming to choose where to...

We began utilizing our new research partnership in March. If you haven't seen our previous update about our collaboration with the Sherman Group, LLC, please check the middle section of this article.   Mixed Results in March, But April Could Be Sunny We encourage...

The two main types of debt are Secured and Unsecured. The interest rate received and the tax deductibility of the interest are two primary ways to evaluate the quality of debt.  It is hard to retire with a large amount of debt, so we typically recommend clients avoid...

The proposed budget could decrease the nation’s deficit by $3 trillion within the next ten years if approved. The main focus of the debate is the areas of increased taxation to offset increases in budget expenses. It is unlikely this proposition will pass the...

Behavioral Finance is the textbook term used when discussing human psychology as it relates to money management.  Emotions tend to drive the investment decisions of retail investors while large financial institutions rely on technical and fundamental analysis. One of...

A Recession or Depression occurs when the economy declines either a substantial amount or for an extended period of time.  There is commonly an identifiable trigger for the economic pullback, but it also could be caused by the timing of the economic cycle.  A...

The five tax filing status options are Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, Head of Household, and Qualified Widow. The filing statuses available to you will depend on your specific details, including marital status, number of dependents, income...

Special Note: Just a reminder that we offer tax preparation through our tax team at Summit Tax Services/Heemer Klein. If you’d be interested in a quote, as we’re very competitive, please give us a call at 586-459-5340. Our goal is to make tax time easier on you....

Rate of change refers to the acceleration or deceleration of an underlying speed. This data can be used to analyze the strength and direction of an underlying economic indicator, including any possible reversal points.  A high rate of change would indicate a strong...