Author: troyashbacher

[EDITOR’S NOTE: One of WCI’s missions is to help doctors and other high-income earners become financially literate. We also want you to feel empowered to teach those around you. That’s why WCI offers discounted bulk book orders for people who order 25 or more books. That allows you to save some money on each book. Whether you’re ordering for your medical school class or you’re giving the gift of financial literacy to a couple dozen of your friends and family, take advantage of discounted bulk book orders to become the hero those around you deserve.]   By Dr. Julie Alonso,…

Here’s a startling truth: Two retirees with identical portfolios and withdrawal rates could experience the same average annual return and end up with vastly different outcomes.In the worst-case scenario, one might run out of money, while the other sails through retirement comfortably.This isn’t a coincidence; it’s a critical retirement threat known as sequence of returns risk. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more – straight to…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — if being inundated with deals brings you joy. If not, it can be kind of overwhelming. Officially, Black Friday is Nov. 28. But many sales are already underway. Some examples: Target has daily deals happening now, and Best Buy is offering “early Black Friday deals,” too. Other retailers are planning for “Black Friday week” with sales starting Nov. 20 or sooner. Manage the madness without marking up your calendar by simply knowing what a good price is for the items you want to buy.You can also narrow down your list to…

KEY TAKEAWAYS A proposed bill would increase Social Security benefits by an extra $200 for the first six months of 2026.Lawmakers say this tax-free boost would help beneficiaries afford rising costs for essential expenses, such as medication and groceries. Your Social Security check could be a couple of hundred dollars bigger in the first half of 2026, if a proposed Congressional bill passes. Several Democratic lawmakers introduced a bill to the Senate at the end of October that would raise monthly Social Security payments by $200 starting in January and ending on June 30. They say these additional benefits would help…

I wasn’t always a personal finance nerd, but I gradually became one out of survival. This is my story — and my observation over the past 27 years — of why being an “American nerd” has become more important than ever if you want to rise in your career or achieve financial freedom sooner. For context, I no longer view the word nerd pejoratively as I did in high school, when I was encouraged to play sports, workout, find a girlfriend, and do well in school. I liked dating too much to be cast as a nerd. As a parent now, I’d…

Financial advisors are used to having close and trusting relationships with their clients, given the advisor’s involvement in the intimate details of the client’s financial life and the long-term nature of many advisor-client relationships. And it therefore occasionally happens that a client asks their advisor to serve as trustee for a trust they’ve created. But while being asked to serve as a client’s trustee may be a testament to the depth of the relationship, advisors should think twice in most cases before accepting such an appointment. Because while no regulations outright prohibit advisors from acting as trustees, the ethical, fiduciary,…

Optimism about a deal in Washington, D.C., to reopen the federal government provided an early boost on Wall Street Wednesday, though questions about valuations continue to dog mega-cap tech names. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, relatively light on tech exposure, added to its impressive run during the shutdown and closed at another new all-time high.The Dow is now up more than 6% over the trailing month. UnitedHealth Group (UNH, +3.6%) led the 30 Dow Jones stocks higher today after Chief Financial Officer Wayne DeVeydt reaffirmed management’s expectation that performance will improve in 2026 before new strategic initiatives begin to pay…

Key Takeaways Advanced Micro Devices hosted its first analyst day yesterday, where the chipmaker unveiled rosy new targets fueled by booming AI demand.AMD said it now believes its total addressable AI market could be over $1 trillion by 2030, up from a previous target of $500 billion by 2028. Advanced Micro Devices shares are getting a boost from its outlook. The stock was up about 10% in early trading Wednesday, leading gains on the S&P 500 after the chipmaker yesterday unveiled ambitious new targets at its first analyst day. (Read our daily markets coverage here.) Chip stocks were broadly rising, too, with…

January 20Presidential Executive Orders precipitate removal of some HHS websites and health data. – In the first days of his second term President Trump issued a number of Executive Orders (EOs), including EOs that revoked many Biden administration orders and programs, and instituted new federal guidance related to “gender ideology,” “diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI),” and “merit-based opportunities.” These EOs have implications for public health, particularly related to the collection and presentation of data and websites by the federal government. For example, in response to the EOs, HHS began to remove thousands of websites and numerous federal databases with public…

In early July, like they’ve done so often before, investors focused on Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) and their latest 13F filing. A 13F is a quarterly disclosure of equity holdings by institutional investors with more than $100 million under management.Most headlines focused on Buffett’s new position in the troubled health care giant UnitedHealth Group (UNH), which was dealing with the assassination of a business unit CEO and a Department of Justice probe.What caught some investors off guard, however, was new exposure to major U.S. homebuilders. The filing revealed roughly $800 million invested in Lennar (LEN) and about $190 million…