Deciding whether or not you should refinance is contingent upon the rate that is available to you. Obtaining a lower interest rate is one of the best reasons to refinance a loan whether it be your house, car, boat, business, etc. Refinancing when interest rates are low can shorten the term of your loan and cost you significantly less in interest payments. Lower interest rates also give you a chance to convert a variable or adjustable rate loan to a fixed rate. Low rates may even be a reason to consolidate expensive debt (debt with higher interest rates). These are all great conversations to have with your financial professional.

The first component of investment quality is a measure of the quality of investments held in a particular portfolio. This component measures the characteristics of the companies represented in the holdings.  Are the companies financially strong, operating in stable markets? Are they poor performing with questionable leadership?  Somewhere in between? 

Fees are probably the most unrecognized drain on individual investment accounts.  Investors generally have no idea how much they are paying in fees or whether the amount is appropriate. Lifetime fees on an entire portfolio can exceed $300,000!

InvestorKeep helps investors Save More, Earn More, and Keep More. InvestorKeep alerts are designed to save you money, ensure appropriate (and desired) levels of risk, and help maintain the quality of your investments over time. 

When leaving one job for another do you leave your personal pictures and belongings behind? Of course not, but many people do leave their 401(k) account with their previous employer. At the very least this can mean the account is getting no attention, at the worst it means the account is not part of a holistic financial and retirement strategy. “Left behind” 401(k)s are subject to the same changes in fit, fees, and quality as other accounts, the difference is no one is paying attention. Converting a 401(k) into an Individual Retirement Account or consolidating with another retirement account is a fairly easy process and worth discussing with your financial professional.