Tip of the Week

The Blog at â€‹â€‹â€‹Wiegand Financial

How bad is $1 trillion of credit card debt?

Growth of US credit card debt lags behind that of GDP and personal income
US credit card debt is approaching a big milestone. But the real question is how much it has increased compared to other things. Read more
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A big estate tax break is about to shrink

The lifetime exclusion amount determines how much money you can give away or bequeath during your life without incurring taxes.
If you hope to leave behind a large chunk of change after you die, you should know about the lifetime exclusion amount. Read more
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Is infinite banking a scam?

Even if you have never heard of it before, the term “infinite banking” is probably enough by itself to set off alarms in your head. Is it for real? Read more
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How bad would a US credit rating downgrade be?

Instead of increasing, interest rates decreased after the US credit rating downgrade in 2011.
Despite the headlines, a US credit rating downgrade may seem like much ado about nothing. After all, how bad can AA+ possibly be?   Read more
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America is great, but it isn’t everything

International indexes like those of MSCI can help investors expand beyond the US stock market
The US stock market is so huge that it is easier to forget the rest of the world exists, at least when it comes to investing. But that would be a mistake. Read more
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Covered call writing: a fancy trick for simple investors

If you want to generate some extra income from your portfolio - without getting too risky or complicated - you may be interested in this technique. Read more
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How to save your money from the nursing home

"Keep your savings and still qualify for Medicaid!” Sounds great… but how is this actually accomplished? And what is the catch? Read more
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Should you “Sell in May and Go Away”?

"Sell in May and go away" made sense in 19th-century finance – but not so much today.
I hear this old investment proverb every single year around this time. Is it a reliable rule of thumb?  Read more
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There is more than one type of investment risk

People can fall into black-and-white thinking with investment risk. They will ask if a given asset is risky, when they should be asking *how.* Read more
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Do I need a financial advisor for estate planning?

An advisors wider perspective can be invaluable in helping clients work through three critical questions about their estate. Read more
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