4 Financial Tips, Branding Like a Pro, and Retirement Confidence

How to Use AI for Investing: 6 Use Cases

Good afternoon. It's Thursday, Feb. 08, and we're covering not being confident about retirement, why a high credit score isn't always a sign of financial success, branding yourself like a pro, and much more.

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Stock Market Update

Market Performance: February 07, 2024.

US stocks rose on Wednesday as investors digested a fresh inflow of quarterly earnings, with the debate over timing of interest rate cuts still rumbling in the background.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose 0.4%, or about 150 points, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) popped more than 0.8%. The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) was up nearly 1%. The S&P 500 closed at 4,995, a new record high, and is now nearing 5,000 for the first time ever.

The market took stock of performance this earnings season, with about two-thirds of S&P 500 company reports now in. Results have on average beaten Wall Street expectations, but some areas of weakness have emerged.

Financial Maverick Insights

Not Confident About Retirement Despite Financial Success?


Many Americans think they will never retire because they fear they haven’t saved enough. But let’s suppose you are not the average American wage earner or saver.

Let’s assume that, like many people who read this publication, you’re financially successful. You’ve been a hard worker and diligent saver all your professional life, and you deserve a fulfilling retirement. You have planned well for it and want to maximize it. When most people meet you, they would say you appear to have it all together.

You’ve probably worked with a financial professional for a good number of years. You’ve had productive discussions about your risk tolerance and investment returns.

But like many who seem on track toward a nice retirement, you are not confident about it. While research says you are to be congratulated, and while you should feel good about how hard you’ve worked and how much you’ve saved, you still don’t feel wealthy.

So, why don't financially successful people feel more confident about retirement? Here are the primary reasons. All of them are issues you should address with your financial planner.

Here's Why a High Credit Score Isn't Always a Sign of Financial Success

It's good to have a high credit score. There are certain times in life, like applying for a mortgage or an apartment rental, when your credit is going to make a big difference. But there's also a common misconception that a high credit score is a sign of financial success. That's something 84% of Americans believe, according to a recent report by Ramsey Solutions.

This kind of thinking can give you a false sense of security about your finances. If you've been using your credit as a gauge of your success, it's best to rethink that.

Your credit score is only a small part of your financial situation

It's not too complicated or hard to get a high credit score, once you know how to do it. You'll have a high score if you get in the habit of:
Always paying your bills on time
Not borrowing too much on your credit cards

To be clear, these are both great habits. You should make it a goal to pay every bill on time and avoid charging too much on your credit cards. Ideally, you'll also pay off your credit cards in full every month so you aren't charged any interest.

However, your credit score is really just a gauge of how you manage credit, including your credit cards and loans. That's only one part of personal finance. Your credit score isn't based on how much you have in your savings account, your investments, or your income.

It's good that you can get a high credit score even if you don't have a large income or a lot of money saved. If those were requirements, it would be much more difficult for people to build credit and quality for top credit cards. But this also means excellent credit isn't always a sign that you're doing well with money.

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DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.