Protecting assets

It’s normal to feel anxious about uncertainty

Times like these tend to make us reassess everything, including investment risk tolerance. Big market pullbacks are scary. The recent one was compounded by liquidity issues as people had trouble getting their money when they really needed it. It’s no wonder some are reconsidering mattress cash stashes. This pandemic has forced us all to reflect on what it’s like to go without pay. Whether you’re still gainfully employed or on the unemployment rolls, you can’t help but wonder how you might do things differently in the future. That’s not a bad thing. Experian reported 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. That was before an additional 30+ million people filed for unemployment. With Americans shouldering an average credit card debt of $5,700, according to the Federal Reserve, situations like these make it tough to dig out. Changing money habits These numbers are grim, and don’t account for what’s happened since […]

Hedge Your Bets Against Identity Theft

It seems every day there’s another news story about some thief stealing proprietary information. Twitter’s 336 million users compromised in May is cause for pause. Retailers, credit bureaus and even the IRS have all been recent targets donning egg on their face with admissions of vulnerabilities. Fortunately, there are some easy ways you can manage your household to reduce your risks as the hackers go trolling. Change your passwords often. This sounds simple, but you’d be amazed how many people (not you, of course) fail to do this. Banks require it for a reason. Set up a regular practice of switching things up to make access harder and you’ll reduce risk significantly. Set up a two-factor authentication. This requires an extra piece of information beyond username and password. The hassle you face with this confirmation requirement pales in comparison to a potential hacker’s plan. Secure password reset. This ensures you […]

Change channels to eliminate cable costs

Think you’re alone in wanting to cut the cord? Tons of U.S. citizens (*500,00 and 750,000 in the last two quarters respectively according to DirecTV and Fortune.com) are saying goodbye to cable services. Ok, by weight, tons of tons of tons with our country’s obesity problem, but you get my drift. It’s easy to eliminate cable costs – or at least reduce them. Right now, Amazon Prime is doubling subscribers, Netflix has amassed 50 million customers (*according to Fortune.com) and Apple plans to spend $1 billion this year on content. That’s telling when it comes to guessing how subscribers are voting with their wallet. Hint to cable providers smiling over their market monopoly tactics: it’s not with you. When cable bills add up to $2000 a year or more for Roanoke residents, go figure, locals and those across the country are thinking – do I need this? Maybe not. You […]

Tightwad Travel Secrets

My wife and I are frugal at heart. This means, over the years, we’ve found deals and tricks that have us vacationing at a fraction of the cost of what most expect to spend. Last year, we honeymooned with our daughter in Gatlinburg while the Smokey Mountains were literally smoking. You’d be amazed at how much room and attraction rates get reduced when an area is battling wildfires. Of course, when we decided on this destination, we didn’t plan on the flames. We were glad we decided to stay the course, though, because our being there seemed to brighten the day of every merchant we encountered. It meant personalized attention and more fun for much less than we imagined. Thinking different than the usual is what we find works best. Most go to amusement parks when it’s warm. You can enjoy the rides a lot more without the lines and […]