The HeartStone Blog

Measuring the Value of Advice One study asserts that these relationships can make a difference for investors.  What is a relationship with a financial advisor worth to an investor? A 2019 study by Vanguard, one of the world’s largest money managers, attempts to answer that question. Vanguard’s whitepaper concludes that [...]

The Sequence of Returns A look at how variable rates of return do (and do not) impact investors over time. What exactly is the “sequence of returns”? The phrase describes the yearly variation in an investment portfolio’s rate of return. Across 20 or 30 years of saving and investing for [...]

Annual Financial To-Do List                What financial, business, or life priorities do you need to address for the coming year? Now is a good time to think about the investing, saving, or budgeting methods you could employ toward specific objectives, from building your retirement [...]

That First RMD from Your IRA When you reach age 70 1/2, the Internal Revenue Service instructs you to start making withdrawals from your traditional IRA(s), 401(k)s and other certain retirement accounts. These withdrawals are also called Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). You will make them, annually, from now on. If [...]

Are women saving and investing enough today? How about you? Do you feel financially prepared for the future? Taking control of your financial future is so important, and it starts with saving and investing actively. Here are some of the reasons this is crucial. The earnings gap. Men tend to [...]

Global vs. International: What's the Difference? For investors who are looking to diversify their portfolio with exposure to companies located outside the U.S., there exist two basic choices: a global mutual fund or an international mutual fund. By definition, international funds invest in non-U.S. markets, while global funds may invest [...]