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08 May 2020 Is College a Good Investment?

Posted at 08:00h in The Friday Brief by Ryan Smith, CFP®, RICP®, CTS™, MSFP

There has a been a lot of talk the last few years about whether a college education provides a good return on investment (ROI). High tuition, absurd annual increases, and stagnant employee wages (not to mention the rise of the Gig economy) over the past...

10 Apr 2020 Should You Refinance Your Mortgage? Here’s Why Emily and I Did.

Posted at 08:02h in The Friday Brief by Ryan Smith, CFP®, RICP®, CTS™, MSFP

In today's brief we're taking a break from discussing the current state of the economy and the stock market, two things out of our control, to turn our attention to something we can control: the interest rate on our mortgage. This isn't to diminish COVID-19...

13 Mar 2020 We Are in a Bear Market

Posted at 14:00h in The Friday Brief by Ryan Smith, CFP®, RICP®, CTS™, MSFP

Yesterday, we officially entered a bear market when the stock market closed more than 20% from its recent February highs. On average, we experience bear markets every three years, but this one stands out in the speed with which we entered it. In fact, it’s...

14 Feb 2020 Your Home is Not An Investment (You Probably Won’t Downsize)

Posted at 08:00h in The Friday Brief by Ryan Smith, CFP®, RICP®, CTS™, MSFP

Home prices, both nationwide and in the Triangle, have surged over the past few years. The escalation in prices across the country brings back memories of the boom period prior to the financial/housing crisis of 2007-2009. There isn't evidence to suggest that is what's taking...