Home ownership has several advantages over renting, including lower monthly payments, deductible mortgage interest, and the accumulation of equity. But there is a definite price to pay for these benefits, including the expenses we detail here. The biggest spend is your initial equity. There are two costs that constitute the beginning equity in your home. The [...]
How to effectively and securely use AI tools What is Artificial Intelligence? Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science focused on creating systems that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, understanding language, and recognizing patterns. By using algorithms and large datasets to simulate cognitive functions, AI can [...]
Social Security has been a fact of retirement life ever since it was established in 1935. We all think we know how it works, but how much do you really know? Here are nine things that might surprise you. The Social Security trust fund is huge. It was $2.7 trillion at the end of 2024.1 [...]
A New Form of Malware Slowing Down Machines With the growth of digital currencies and online transactions, cryptocurrency has grown to become an everyday topic. Cryptocurrency is a virtual form of currency that operates on a decentralized network called the blockchain. Crypto mining is the process used to create new currencies by using computer processing [...]
View Your Accounts Securely Using Account View 2.0 LPL Financial takes the security and privacy of our products seriously. To safeguard data, we advocate for security in the conception, design, and implementation of our investor-facing platforms, like Account View 2.0. We strive to build the most innovative, secure, and empowering tools for financial professionals and [...]
Account Takeovers - What Account Takeovers Are and How to Defend Against Them What is an Account Takeover? Account takeovers occur when an unauthorized user gains access to an account. The severity of the takeover depends on a variety of factors, including what account they gained access to, what their intentions are, and how long [...]
How call center scams work and how to avoid falling victim Have you ever received a call about your cars extended warranty? Or perhaps from a company posing to be an IT solution about your computer that needs fixing? In today’s everchanging, technological landscape, the reports of scam calls have been growing at an unprecedented [...]
Are you a fit for Whole Life Insurance? In exchange for fixed premiums, an insurance company promises to pay a set benefit when the policyholder dies, but also offers additional benefits as well. Whole life insurance policies can build up cash value — effectively a cash reserve that pays a modest rate of return, and [...]
Renters sometimes overlook the need for insurance based on the belief that they may not have a significant amount of personal possessions, or because the property is already insured by the owner. While it is true that a rental property is insured by the owner, the destruction or loss of your personal belongings is not. [...]
The city of Detroit emerged from bankruptcy in 2014. Still, its previous inability to pay investors left some questioning their long-held assumption about the relative safety of municipal bonds. Without question, in the wake of Detroit’s troubles, gaining a better understanding of municipal bonds makes more sense than ever.1 At their most basic level, there [...]
