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Christine Williams

Personal Finance Expert

Posts by Christine Williams:

by Christine Williams Nov 16, 2022

Building wealth has grown more accessible than ever, thanks to declining trading costs and fractional share investing. Many brokerage firms already offer zero-commission online and exchange-traded fund (ETF) trading, and now, behemoth financial firm Fidelity Investments has brought one more such tool to the masses. Fidelity Investments, which administers $11.1 trillion in assets, filed documents with the Securities & Exchange Commission on January 19, 2022, to launch the first professionally-managed direct-indexing product for retail investors. Called Fidelity Managed FidFolios, Fidelity’s newest offering aims to combine direct indexing with fractional shares – opening a once capital-heavy investment strategy to any investor who can meet the $5,000 account minimum. Investors often leverage direct indexing to reduce their tax burden or implement a specialized investment strategy, enabling them to save more for retirement and build wealth faster. A qualified financial advisor can help… Read more

by Christine Williams May 17, 2023

Long-term financial planning can be difficult, and while new automatic enrollment and contribution escalation make it easier than before to save for retirement, actually reaching retirement can be even more stressful. Switching from saving mode to the active retirement phase not only requires a shift in mindset but a change in how you manage your finances. Investment advisor Edelman Financial Engines have a new product aimed at helping savers transition through that major life event. Here’s how this new program could help. Read more

by Christine Williams May 27, 2023

Retirement plan participants broke record levels of savings in 2021, with higher levels of participation and contributions leading to an average 10% increase in account balances over course of the year. Yet, confronted with increasing inflation and uncontrolled healthcare costs, Americans are faced with growing concerns about retirement viability. Even changing jobs and pursuing a higher salary might not be enough, as a third of workers earning more than $250,000 still live paycheck to paycheck. But what if you could save $90,000 or more by avoiding one simple mistake? Read more

by Christine Williams May 27, 2023

Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) can prove a powerful tool in your retirement plan, so it may come as no surprise that Roth conversions are a popular method of bypassing Roth IRA income… Read more

by Christine Williams May 27, 2023

Investors interested in non-retirement investment accounts have likely heard of or already have a brokerage account. However, in recent years, many brokerage firms have also begun offering cash… Read more

by Christine Williams May 17, 2023

One of the most popular and enduring government programs in U.S. history, Social Security has funded the lives of senior citizens for more than 80 years. As a result, today the senior poverty rate… Read more

by Christine Williams May 27, 2023

Regularly meeting with a financial advisor can help you maximize your money and keep on top of your long-term financial goals. Financial advisors can help you save more, reduce your debt and invest… Read more

by Christine Williams Apr 06, 2023

The key to gaining financial security is to set financial goals and keep re-evaluating your progress. Without working toward anything specific, you’re likely to spend more than you should without… Read more

by Christine Williams May 27, 2023

Deciding between a traditional individual retirement account (IRA) and a Roth IRA can be difficult. Choosing when or if you should convert your IRA funds to a Roth account can be even more daunting.… Read more

by Christine Williams Jun 09, 2022

Financial advisors are people and services that help you create a plan for meeting your financial goals and manage it along the way. With the help of a financial advisor, you could reduce your debt,… Read more

by Christine Williams Mar 18, 2023

Sometimes it feels like you’re spinning your wheels and every paycheck is gone before you’ve spent it. You might wonder why you try so hard to save but that number never seems to grow. The key to… Read more

by Christine Williams May 17, 2023

After beginning the year at record levels, global events have caused market volatility to jump and equities to fall. The S&P 500 Index is experiencing its first major correction since 2020, so… Read more

by Christine Williams Mar 20, 2023

When it comes time to buy a house, you need to have certain types of insurance in order to secure a mortgage. As part of the lending process, your mortgage provider may ask for proof of those… Read more

by Christine Williams May 27, 2023

Investors who buy and sell stocks and options usually know how much they pay their broker per trade, but many people don’t know that bond trades also carry broker fees. Commonly called “markups,”… Read more

by Christine Williams Mar 17, 2023

With market volatility running high, even seasoned investors may feel the need to reduce their equity exposure in favor of less-risky investments. Some may have already moved their assets into money… Read more

by Christine Williams May 19, 2022

With bonds and stocks selling off side by side, retirees may have a reason to fear their well-diversified portfolios may not prove enough for retirement. Fixed-income investments are experiencing one… Read more

by Christine Williams May 18, 2022

High inflation has pinched many wallets this year, but perhaps none so much as retirees’. Not only do rising healthcare costs rank as one of the most pressing concerns for Americans on a fixed income… Read more

by Christine Williams May 17, 2023

Cash serves a valuable purpose in many investment portfolios, but when the stock market dives, many investors turn to cash in a knee-jerk reaction to avoid losses. However, depending on the reason,… Read more

by Christine Williams May 12, 2022

Retirement is a big milestone for many, and planning for retirement can constitute a large financial goal that takes years to reach. In fact, data from the Federal Reserve indicates that the majority… Read more

by Christine Williams May 09, 2023

When you’re in the market to buy a home, there is a good chance you’ll need to finance your purchase with a home mortgage loan. From start to finish, you’ll likely speak to many people before finally… Read more

by Christine Williams May 10, 2022

U.S. savings bonds are a low-risk investment product backed by the U.S. government. Used by generations of Americans to generate a stable return on cash savings, savings bonds are purchased through… Read more

by Christine Williams May 27, 2023

In an effort to streamline the regulation that governs how retirement accounts can be used, the IRS has proposed a change for 403(b) plans — a type of workplace retirement plan used mostly by public… Read more

by Christine Williams May 03, 2022

Healthcare ranks as one of the most pressing concerns for retirees, and with medical expenses rising every year, two out of three Americans worry about high healthcare costs in retirement. Models… Read more

by Christine Williams May 17, 2023

Roughly 80 million U.S. investors own or have invested in digital currencies, and with a growing appetite for such alternative investments, retirement savers can now benefit from yet another way to… Read more

by Christine Williams May 09, 2023

When you first opened your account, you hopefully thought long and hard about how to allocate your money, putting a certain percentage towards riskier stocks and other money towards safer investments… Read more