News & Insights

What, exactly does your credit score mean? Briefly, a credit score is a number used to predict how likely you are to pay your bills, or make loan payments on time. It is a three digit number, typically between 300 and 850, with the higher score associated with better credit terms.

Well… the stock market finally pulled back. After three years of fantastic performance, the market is down so far this year. In times of uncertainty and market volatility, some may be inclined to react and need guidance or reassurance based on their situation, history, and current economic data.

That is the question. And in order to answer the question effectively, one must assess both current and future potential tax situations. Taxes are one of very few certainties in life, and they are top of mind this time of year. Usually, we try to delay paying taxes as long as possible.

I came to work at West Financial Services just over 24 years ago. Joining a small, financial planning and investment management firm with less than 10 employees and approximately $250 million of assets under management was a definite mid-life, career change event for me.

As we start a new year, I enjoy a reprieve from the holiday season sprint we all seem to go through from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve – and this year with the added pleasure of locating rapid antigen tests!

Since the election in 2020, there has been a lot of time and attention spent reporting on potential tax changes that might be passed into law by Congress.

Target date funds represent the ultimate, “leave it to the experts” choice for individual retirement plan investments. They are increasingly and overwhelmingly the default fund of choice for plan sponsors, due to their evolving asset allocation strategy that attempts to cater to every person’s retirement goal.

In her book Thinking in Bets, the former professional poker player, Annie Duke says “What makes a decision great is not that it has a great outcome. A great decision is the result of a good process, and that process must include an attempt to accurately represent our own state of knowledge.” When interviewing asset managers, process is a key pillar of focus for West Financial. There are countless ways to manage money.

Act like an antique British car owner when it comes to your portfolio. Our Military Kids, a charity that helps children of military men and women that are deployed overseas, recently held a car rally fundraiser. As part of our sponsorship, I was lucky enough to spend a Saturday driving around backroads in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania with a bunch of British antique car aficionados.

Oops! She did it again. Britney Spears is back in the media, bringing conservatorships into the spotlight. While Britney’s situation is atypical and somewhat controversial, this article outlines fundamentals of conservatorship, why a conservatorship may be needed and, as is the question in Britney’s case, when a conservatorship can end. “Conservator” and “guardian” are roles that can be confusing.