If you have kids approaching college age or you’re planning to pursue a college degree yourself, it makes sense to wonder if your efforts will even pay off in the end. Not only are there college costs to contend with, but a frighteningly high percentage of degrees have been shown to have a negative return-on-investment (ROI). If you’re planning to pursue most liberal arts degrees, for example, you would be financially better off for life if you skip college and do something else instead. Then there’s AI, which is expected to have profound impacts on nearly every industry and potential…

Social Security Reform Should Include Private Investment Accounts, Says Fink BlackRock CEO Larry Fink put Social Security reform in the spotlight, suggesting a potentially controversial change: let Americans invest part of their Social Security taxes into private accounts for retirement. Speaking at BlackRock’s retirement summit, Fink argued this would allow workers to earn higher returns through the market. “The problem we have now, we have a plan called Social Security that doesn’t grow with the economy,” Fink said​ as reported by Semafor, pointing out the current program’s meager bond-bound growth. Social Security Reform: Fink’s Vision Links Retirement To Economic Growth…

Owning a small business can be a solitary grind. Rand Larsen’s SMB Community peer groups give entrepreneurs a place to vent, swap advice, and learn how to survive the chaos. Rand Larsen’s small business is small business. More specifically, his business is providing something like group therapy for other small business owners–over Zoom, and with a yearly $3,000 membership fee instead of an hourly rate. To join, a business must have at least $1 million in revenue. Most members are men in their 30s and 40s, ambitious and family-oriented, trying to build something bigger. The group helps them do that,…

Especially in times of market uncertainty or volatility, our attention tends to be sucked into the bottomless vortex of pointless prognostication and aimless activity. Yet, if you have a good plan in place, educated apathy is generally the most profitable move. As the sage Warren Buffett reminds us, “The stock market is designed to transfer money from the active to the patient.” But investing is just one part of wealth management—and it’s likely the element over which we have the least control. Therefore, regardless of the markets’ machinations, we can absolutely continue to make progress in our financial plan beyond…

Imagine paying insurance premiums for years, expecting financial protection in times of need, only to discover that your insurer has been deemed insolvent. While rare, insurance company failures do happen. For example, according to data from National Organization of Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Associations, there have been over 90 insurance company failures from 1988 to 2023. Given the crucial role insurance plays in financial security—whether for life, health, property, or disability—understanding what happens if an insurer fails is essential. This article explores the factors affecting an insurance company’s solvency, the regulatory safeguards in place, how state guaranty associations protect…

There’s a general belief that getting an advanced degree, such as a MBA or PhD, is a path towards higher income and more wealth. But that’s not always the case. And when the economy gets tough, there’s a trend of people going back to college to get advanced degrees, in hopes that it will make a difference in the future. While data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows the national unemployment rate is still relatively low (4.1% as of February 2025), that doesn’t mean the job market is strong. In fact, there are numerous signs the labor market…

Recently, 25 Canadians were arrested in a joint Canadian and American law enforcement effort and charged in federal court in Vermont with operating the grandparent scam through call centers in Canada where they contacted elderly victims in 45 American states between 2021 and 2024 during which time they are accused of stealing $21 million from their victims. According to the indictment the accused scammers used voice-over-internet protocol service to place their calls and make them appear to come from locations in the United States. Voice-over-internet protocol enables you to cheaply make phone calls using a broadband Internet connection that converts…

Insurtech is pivotal in reshaping financial opportunities for all communities who have contended with inadequate access to insurance services vital for wealth transfer. This intersection of insurance and technology has prompted Jay Maska, founder of Nonstop Financial and agency owner of Family First Life, to empower entrepreneurs in the insurtech space with the information needed to build multi-million dollar businesses. With 52% of the total U.S. population owning life insurance, there is a burgeoning opportunity for insurtech to democratize financial inclusion and secure generational wealth. The Breakdown You Need To Know: Insuretech is about agents leveraging unique perspectives to serve…

As we enter tax season, you may wonder what else you can do to pay fewer taxes. Perhaps your CPA or financial planner has been telling you to set up a cash balance plan or 401(k) for years, and you don’t know how to do it. Running a retirement plan can be a bit of work, but the tax savings are huge. Make 2025 the year you at least look at what a cash balance plan could do for your march toward financial freedom, or if nothing else, how it can reduce your taxes each year. What Is A Cash…

Student loan borrowers are starting to see dramatic increases in their monthly payments, as the Department of Education and its contracted loan servicers struggle to operate a repayment system impeded by court orders and staff reductions. The issues may also derail borrowers who are pursuing student loan forgiveness. Last month, a federal appeals court issued a ruling broadening an existing injunction that has blocked the SAVE plan, a Biden-era income-driven repayment program, since August. In response to that ruling, the Trump administration quickly cut off access to all income-driven repayment plans (including plans not directly subject to the injunction) by…