.Social Security Card and 4 Other Things You Should Never Keep in Your Wallet

Cameron Huddleston Wed, October 6, 2021

Years ago, while I was at a crowded outdoor market, someone reached into my purse and plucked my credit card and debit card from my wallet. I didn’t even know they were missing until I got home and discovered a message on my answering machine from my card company, alerting me that there had been suspicious activity on my account.

I quickly canceled my cards, contested the fraudulent charges and recovered — without a financial loss — from the incident. However, I consider myself fortunate. The situation might have been far worse if I’d been carrying other things in my wallet — items that could have created a financial nightmare for me if thieves had gotten their hands on them.

.Signs You’re Wealthier Than You Think

Cameron Huddleston Last updated: Oct. 4, 2021

When most think of wealth, they think about money," said Tom Corley, author of "Rich Habits" and "Change Your Habits, Change Your Life." "The thinking goes, the more money you have, the wealthier you are. But wealth is about much more than money." You might want to become the next Warren Buffett, but there's a good chance you already have more wealth than you realize.

See how and some of the steps you can take to start building more wealth today.

.Dangerous Feelings

Sep 30, 2021 by Morgan Housel

“I sat down at my fancy desk on the edge of my chair waiting for the market to open, ready to have another $50,000 day, and thinking life couldn’t get any better than this. This time, I was right. It didn’t.”

– Investor Jim Paul describing the moment he went from cocky and overconfident to broke and unemployed.

Success has a nasty tendency to increase confidence more than ability. The longer it lasts, and the more it was tied to some degree of serendipity, the truer that becomes.

It’s why getting rich and staying rich are different skills. And why most competitive advantages have a shelf life. Jason Zweig put it: “Being right is the enemy of staying right because it leads you to forget the way the world works.”

.What Does An Estate Executor Do?

By Bill Bischoff Last Updated: Oct. 4, 2021

Here’s a checklist of the most important financial duties

There are plenty of tax questions when a loved one passes away, but what other financial issues could arise? Tax Guy walks you through them. When a loved one who was financially comfortable passes away, there will most likely be tax issues. You may be the heir responsible for dealing with them, and major bucks could be in play. In three earlier columns, I explored the potential tax considerations. See here, here and here.

This column addresses some other important financial issues. Here goes.

What Is The Role Of The Executor?

When a loved one (the decedent) passes away, someone must take on the job of winding up the financial aspects of the estate. That person may be identified in the decedent’s will as the executor of the decedent’s estate.

.What Your Real Estate Agent Wishes You Knew

Laura Woods Tue, September 28, 2021

Buying or selling a home is a very big deal. Most people only go through this process a handful of times in their life — if that — but real estate agents guide clients through it for a living.

Therefore, they’ve seen just about everything on both sides of the transaction and have plenty of wisdom to impart to their clients. No matter which side you’re on, it’s important to trust the agent you’ve enlisted to help and listen to their advice. For example, when searching for a new home, buyers often rely on price estimates from real estate sites like Redfin and Zillow to understand what different properties are worth. However, Mary Fitzgerald, a real estate agent with The Oppenheim Group, based in West Hollywood, California, said this isn’t the best approach.

.7 Areas Where You Should Continue To Be Financially Conservative While the Economy Recovers

Andrew Lisa Wed, September 29, 2021

The pandemic forced people to regroup financially and reassess what they were doing right with their money and what they were doing wrong. In most cases, the answer was to be more conservative — to pare back spending, increase savings, be wiser with their investments and take fewer risks.

Now that places are reopening and things are changing, many people are letting their guards down — the problem is that “over” is an overstatement. Millions who could and should be vaccinated are not, the Delta variant is now raging across several states and new lockdown restrictions are being imposed.

.Americans’ Biggest Financial Regrets of the Decade

Laura Woods Mon, September 27, 2021,

The old saying often rings true — hindsight is 2020. Everyone makes mistakes, and many of these blunders involve money. Many financial decisions seem like a good idea in the moment, but a few weeks, months or even years later, you realize they weren’t the best choice.

A 2019 survey conducted by Policygenius highlights Americans’ biggest financial regrets of the decade. If you’ve ever made a major purchase you regret or opted to spend money when you should’ve been saving — admit it, you have — you’re not alone.

.What Is a Probate Sale? – Estate Planning

Ashley Kilroy Mon, September 27, 2021,

More often than not, people want to leave their assets and property behind to people they care about when they pass. But sometimes individuals don’t make a will or die with debts. In such cases (among others), their property has to pass through a probate court. It’s possible that you may have to act as an executor of an estate holding one of these properties. Or, there may be an option for future homeowners who want to buy lower-priced real estate. Either way, you’ll have to understand the process of a probate sale. Here’s a rundown on how it works.

Working with a financial advisor can help you execute your estate plans as efficiently and correctly as possible.