White to present "Financial Wellness" seminar

At a Northwest Missouri State University seminar titled "Financial Wellness" on Wednesday, November 30th, Dr. John Baker and Dr. Jason White will present information on how to learn responsible credit card practices, understand credit scores, and how to prevent becoming the victim of identity theft. The event is hosted by the university's Human Resources department and the University Wellness Center.

Both Baker and White teach in the Accounting/Economics/Finance department at Northwest Missouri State University. Dr. White is also Director of Investments at Family Investment Center.

How to stick to a budget

Dan Danford, CFP® and Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Family Investment Center, answers this week's episode of Money Made Easy.

He answers this financial advice question about setting a budget and helpful ways to actually stick to it:

"It seems every time I make a budget I stick to it for a bit and then slowly I start getting away from it. Then the spending gets too much so I sit down and create a budget again and the cycle repeats itself. Do you have any financial tips on how to actually stick to a budget?"

Danford explains why budgeting is similar to dieting: if your budget is too rigid you probably wont' stick with it. Watch the video for Danford's financial tips on how to stick to a budget.

Things Your Wall Street Broker Doesn't Want You To Know

This video, presented by Alexander Efros of Athelon Wealth Management, discusses "7 Things Your Wall Street Broker Doesn't Want You To Know." As a commission-free investment advisory firm, we at Family Investment Center like his message and agree with his conclusions.



Most investment professionals work as sellers, representing specific investment firms or products. They earn sales commissions or transaction fees directly related to their success at selling. Good for their companies, but maybe not so good for their customers. Things are very different at Family Investment Center. We earn our fees by representing clients. We work as a buyer for each client family, matching low-cost and productive investments to their circumstances and goals. Our commission-free platform values expertise and experience above sales ability.

Generation Y, start saving!

Think you'll have enough money saved for retirement? A recent article by Emily Brandon of U.S. News & World Report writes, "Twenty-somethings will need to save much more than their parents did for retirement. To do that, they'll need an early start -- and a game plan."

Read the full article on MSN Money.

White comments on Ginnie Maes

Dr. Jason White, Director of Investments at Family Investment Center, was recently quoted by Financial Advisor magazine's Matt Greco in "Another Look at Ginnies." According to Greco, the 2008 financial crisis and GNMA funds’ investment in mortgages have led many to spurn these investments. But solid returns have caused some to reconsider. He asked advisors nationwide for their thoughts on the investment.


Read the full article.

Small Tips to Save Big this Christmas

By Laura Price, Investment Advisor

It may seem early to start planning for the holidays, but now is the perfect time to draw up a shopping list and budget. Gift-giving and family gatherings can become expensive in a hurry. Here are a few tips for reducing the financial burden this season brings:

Make a gift list. Start by listing all the family members and friends you wish to give something to. Then assign a specific dollar amount to each person and do not exceed that amount. Neglecting to create a gift budget is recipe for disaster.

Take an inventory of your skills and talents. Instead of purchasing gifts for everyone on your list, perhaps homemade gifts (a growing trend!) would be appropriate. What are your gifts? Sewing? Woodworking? Scrapbooking? Baking? Photography? Put those talents to use to please the folks on your list who appreciate sentiment or practicality.

Gift exchanges. With family and friend holiday gatherings, it makes the best sense financially for each person to draw one name and set a price limit. That way, you’re only buying one $50 gift for Grandma instead of buying $20 gifts for ten people. You save money and Grandma gets a better gift.

Keep an eye on the ads. Clip out coupons and take advantage of Black Friday sales. Don’t want to fight the crowds? Most sales apply to online shopping as well.

Shop early. Stores LOVE last-minute shoppers. When you’re down to the wire and desperate to find a gift, you will almost always pay more. Take your time and start shopping early.

Search the Internet. The Internet has an abundance of resources for ideas on cheap holiday parties, homemade gifts, coupons, and other ways to make the holidays less expensive. It pays to do your research!

Start planning for next year. When this holiday season is over, immediately start saving for next year. Also review this year’s budget to see how you made out. What adjustments will need to be made next year? Some folks even set up a separate savings account for gifts, allocating a certain amount from each paycheck to avoid shelling out extra from their year-end paychecks.