AFP Staff
Financial Planning, Life Planning

How 5-10 Minutes of Planning Can Drastically Change Your Life

People often plan more for their vacations than they do for their lives, and that’s a problem. By taking some time to be more intentional about your short and long-term goals through simple life planning exercises you will sleep better at night. By planning with the end in mind you’ll be more focused and passionate in your efforts toward achieving your dreams. Life planning can be such an intimidating term. It sounds so weighty and so difficult to do, but…

AFP Staff
Financial Planning

Win With Money in 2019: Discovering the “Why” Behind Managing Your Finances Well.

purpose

The reason I love my job is not because I love spreadsheets, formulas, or ratios, although I enjoy the technical aspects of my job just like a barista enjoys knowing the difference between French and Italian roasts. The real reason I love my job is not because I help rich people get richer, although certainly I do that. The real reason I love my job is that I help people achieve their dreams and that’s what this post is about—engaging…

AFP Staff
Financial Planning

Affected by Flooding: You May Be Eligible For Low-Interest Federal Loans

Federal Loans

We at AFP recently received this helpful information from Roanoke City (via the https://nextdoor.com/) and wanted to pass it along to you. If your business or residence was affected by the disastrous flooding this past October then you may be eligible for low-interest federal loans. Read below for more information. Was your business, nonprofit, or property physically damaged by Tropical Storm Michael between Oct. 10 – 15? The U.S.Small Business Administration encourages businesses of all sizes, nonprofit organizations, homeowners and…

AFP Staff
Financial Freedom, Financial Planning

5 Ways to Save This Holiday Season

Success in your personal financial goals is impossible without the all-important practice of sticking to a budget. Even if you have a massive source of income, you won’t be able to succeed without formulating a budget and then consistently sticking to it. Part of this process involves planning for annual expenses by putting away monthly amounts to prepare for them, paying yourself first by putting money in savings during each paycheck to grow your net worth, and having an emergency…

AFP Staff
Financial Planning

5 Ways To Reduce Your Insurance Premiums Today

Insurance

Whether we like it or not, we all carry risks with us throughout our daily lives. We carry with us the risks of death, disability, accident, lawsuit, “acts of God”, and many others. Some of these we can live with, some we can minimize, and some we can insure against. Here are 5 action steps you can take today to lower the costs of your insurance and/or the probability of needing to report a claim. 1. Shop around. Insurance is…

AFP Staff
Financial Planning

Avoid These 5 Financial Biases to Grow Your Wealth

behavioral finance

Behavioral finance refers to the ingrained aspects of human decision-making processes. They do a good job of helping us make decisions in our daily activities, but can sometimes lead us down the wrong path when it comes to investing. When these biases are widespread it can create bubbles in the markets. When these bubbles eventually “pop” it isn’t a pretty sight. Here are the most common behavioral finance biases. Uninformed decisions. Investors sometimes act on instinct without a full view…

AFP Staff
College Planning, Financial Planning

College Planning Strategies

College Planning

As of October 1st the Department of Education began accepting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is important for those attending college next year or those with children who will be. The FAFSA must be filled out by anyone wishing to qualify for federal student aid (via loans or grants), state aid, and school scholarships. It’s also required for those wishing to qualify for subsidized and unsubsidized student loans as well as parent PLUS loans. It’s a…

AFP Staff
Financial Planning, News

Lessons from Hurricane Florence: Prepare for the Inevitable and Help Others When it Happens

In the days after hurricane Florence it was discovered that only about 10% of residents of the coastal towns hit hardest by the storm had flood insurance. This means that most homeowners will have to rebuild their homes with their own funds or with FEMA aid typically less than $5,000.[i] Flood insurance is not covered under a typical homeowner’s policy. It must be bought in addition, a lesson too many homeowners learn the hard way. In the Roanoke valley and…

AFP Staff
Financial Planning

Four Ways To Maximize Your Retirement Savings Right Now

Retirement Plan

If you are receiving wages, tips, or salary, then you’re earning income. You should be contributing to your retirement plan, whether it’s sponsored by your employer, or yourself as a small business owner. Whether you’ve been in the workforce a while or you’re just starting out, it’s never too late to improve your saving and investing habits. Here are 4 steps you should be taking to maximize your savings and grow your wealth, preparing you as much as possible for…

AFP Staff
Financial Freedom, Financial Planning

How the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Will Affect your Charitable Donations This Year

charitable donations

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by congress in late 2017 came with a lot of changes. Among the most notable is the raising of the standard deduction to $24,000 for couples, $12,000 for singles, and $18,000 for household heads. This is almost double what the standard deductions were before the new law. According to Evan Beach, CFP® of Campbell Wealth Management in Alexandria, VA, this raise in the standard deduction makes it so that only about 10% of…