Budgeting

From Paris to the pump, energy impacts nearly every part of daily life—from travel costs and inflation to transportation and sustainability. Ahead of a trip to France and the French Open at Roland-Garros, Joe Martinez explores how Europe’s approach to energy efficiency and infrastructure offers a different perspective on global energy challenges.

Tax season is over, and it’s tempting to move on. But this is one of the best windows of time in the year to plan ahead. Your financial numbers are fresh, your situation is clear, and small moves now can make a meaningful difference by next April. From reviewing your returns to maximizing tools like 529 plans, HSAs, and charitable giving strategies, a few simple steps today can help make next tax season more efficient, less stressful—and possibly less expensive.

Early financial guidance can shape a lifetime of better decisions. In a recent session with students at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance, we explored how to think long-term, align finances with personal values, and build a strong financial foundation from the start.

For many couples, avoiding financial conversations feels easier than planning together. They rationalize, “There will always be plenty of time to address our finances later, right?” And by postponing the discussion, they may bypass feelings of discomfort or vulnerability.

Whether you’re in your 20s making your first investment, in your 40s balancing family and career, or in your 60s planning your next chapter, the best time to map out your financial future is now. Planning isn’t about predicting the future — it’s about being ready for it.

Inheriting money can be a life-changing opportunity and provide financial stability. On the other hand, it could lead to excessive spending, with a beneficiary quickly exhausting new-found wealth. When you inherit money, which result would you choose?

September is the month many of us associate with “back to school.” September of 2021 is a singular back to school moment for many students who experienced an interruption to their in-person education due to the pandemic. Perhaps that makes this school year extra special and a good time to re-evaluate your child’s financial education. After all, you are preparing your children for a self-sufficient future, not to boomerang back to the care of mom and dad! Our Entrust advisors ...

Uncertainty continues to be a primary characteristic of our current experience, as it has been since the beginning of the spring season. And if you are like many of us, this uncertainty may be causing financial questions to swirl in your mind. We have answers and as our Entrust clients know, we have a structure in place to provide them to those not yet working with us—Entrust’s Second Opinion Service. What about cost? Spending extra money right now for ...

Preparing for retirement is often identified as the number one concern of middle-class millionaires. The implied solution for resolving this concern is rather straightforward: Build a portfolio large enough to generate the income you need for the style of living you prefer, and you are good to go. After all, having a good income during your working years made all the difference. Won’t it be the same in retirement? Well, maybe, but then again maybe not—due to what we, ...

Most of us want to retire—someday. And we aim for our investments to appreciate so that we can distribute income from them throughout our retirement years, without running low on money and equally importantly, without diminishing our style of living. As the capital markets gradually appreciated during 2017, our goals for making work optional—retirement—felt good indeed. Now that volatility has returned with a vengeance, it can take a dose of faith to stay invested. However, there are three things we ...