Discover our approach to personal finance through our library of free articles. Gain the financial knowledge you need to enrich every facet of your life.
Economic downturns are an inevitable part of our financial system. Since World War II, the US has experienced a recession about every 6.5 years, making it a predictable if unwelcome feature of our economy.[1] The Great Recession stands out for its severity and how it fundamentally changed our approach to financial regulation, personal finance, and ... Read more
With economic headlines growing increasingly concerning and inflation putting pressure on household budgets, many Americans are wondering, “Are we in a recession?” or “Is the stock market crashing?” The good news is that the U.S. is not currently in a recession. What is a recession? Before we discuss current conditions, it’s important to understand what ... Read more
A common problem we see among members is how to handle a single stock that has become too large within their portfolio. It is a good problem to have, but presents a real challenge. Here are some general principles for approaching this, applicable whether the stock is from your employer or simply a long-held investment that has appreciated.
Recent warnings from major retailers, like Walmart, suggest that price increases related to newly implemented or proposed tariffs are on the horizon. This raises critical questions for consumers and investors: How high could inflation go? How long might these effects last? And what does this all mean for your money?
The U.S. dollar has declined in value since President Donald Trump announced his tariff plans in early April. Could this threaten the dollar's long-held position as the world's dominant currency? For individual investors living and working in the U.S., what does this mean, and should you be worried?
The Federal Reserve made no changes to its interest rate target during the May 7 meeting, as was widely expected. This meeting comes at a difficult time for the Fed. The economy seems to be slowing, but tariffs are very likely to deliver a bout of inflation this summer. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is putting ... Read more
With tariffs threatening to both pushing prices higher and weaken economic growth, some are warning that a period of stagflation could be upon us. So what is stagflation? Why could tariffs cause it? And what really is the risk to you?
Gold is often touted as a hedge against inflation or other economic challenges. But the data tells a different story. We dive into both the long-term and short-term challenges with investing in gold.
Bear markets can make even experienced investors worry. However if you are going to be a long-term investor, you are inevitably going to go through quite a few down markets. Here are some thoughts on how to navigate investing when the market suffers a significant decline.
It was a tumultuous quarter for markets, with stocks falling amidst uncertainty around tariffs and other of President Donald Trump’s policies. Here are our thoughts on what happened during the quarter, how Facet portfolios fared, and what we see for markets in the coming months.
You are probably aware that the government protects your deposits at your bank through something called the FDIC. However we get a lot of questions about the details: How does the protection work exactly? Who pays for it? Does this protection extend to my investment accounts? Could President Donald Trump make changes to FDIC insurance? ... Read more
While the Federal Reserve took no official action on interest rates at the March meeting, it was still a lively meeting. Up until now, Fed Chair Jerome Powell had been able to mostly avoid questions about President Donald Trump’s policies, usually by saying the Fed would wait to see the impacts. However with the stock ... Read more