bransonglobe.com
YOUR MONEY
Dave Says...It’s worth the sacrifice
BY DAVE RAMSEY, CEO, Ramsey Solutions, and an eight-time No. 1 national best-selling author, and host of The Ramsey Show
D
ear Dave, I switched to a deb-
it card so that the money I spend comes directly from my checking account. But I still have a problem some months with overspending and buying things I shouldn’t. Do you think I should stop using my debit card? Debbie Dear Debbie, When I made the decision to get intentional with my money, I just used cash. It’s hard to spend it when you don’t have any on you. It’s a tough thing, I know, but you have to make a conscious
decision to start living differently. You’ve got to get mad at the things that steal your money a dollar or two at a time enough to take action. Try looking at your life as a whole, not a moment at time. All the moments you’re living right now will have either a positive or negative effect on your future. I decided I wanted the greater, long-term good, so I gave up on the short-term stuff. Debit cards are great tools. You can’t spend money you don’t have with them like
you can with a credit card. But you’ve still got to budget very carefully for each month, and give a name and a job to every single penny of your income. Otherwise, you can still overspend. —Dave Dave Says...Put the money in your own pocket Dear Dave, Are home warranties a waste of money if you already have a fully-funded emergency fund containing six months, or even more,
of expenses set aside? Jodie Dear Jodie, I don’t do extended warranties because they’re not a good deal. In my mind, you’re better off to self-insure against damage or things breaking down. That way, you can put what would have been profit and marketing dollars for the extended warranty company in your own pocket. I mean, think about it. If you buy something, but can’t afford to fix it if something
FEB. 2, 2024 • 3B
goes wrong, it’s not really a smart move to buy it in the first place, is it? I always recommend an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses to cover the unexpected things that life will throw at you. In most cases, this amount of cash—sitting in a good money market account with check writing privileges— will allow you easy access in the event of unexpected expenses or a financial emergency. —Dave
Stock Market Insights: Stocks shuffle along, set new record highs
DR. RICHARD BAKER, AIF®, is the founder of and an executive wealth advisor at Fervent Wealth Management. https://www. facebook.com/Dr.RichardBaker
C
liff Young, a 61-year-old potato farmer, shuffled down the highway for over five days straight to win a grueling 543-mile ultra marathon in 1983. It was his first
race, and he ran it wearing overalls and work boots, beating the next runner by 10 hours. He beat the best athletes in the world who were half his age because while they stopped each day to rest, he never did. He ran nonstop, shuffling along slowly but surely, just like the stocks did the last couple of years. Little by little, the S&P 500 index, often called the “the market,” hit a new alltime high. It took longer than usual at over two years, but it finally hit a new peak on Friday, January 19, 2024. The new high came after stocks stumbled out of the gate to
start 2024, but the S&P 500 has found its footing and broke out to hit a record high. This new high seems a little sweeter to investors because of the bumpy ride they had to endure to get here. The stock market’s negative returns in 2022 were the worst since the Great Recession. Frankly, most of 2023 didn’t feel that much better. There were 512 trading days from peak (January 3, 2022) to peak (January 19, 2024). Of those, 263 ended the day with negative returns, and 249 days were positive. The market hit its bottom on October 12, 2022, when the
S&P 500 finished negative 25% from the previous high. Things started turning around on October 30, 2023, when the Fed signaled, they had finished raising rates. So now what happens? No one can know for sure, but we can look at history for some insights. The longer-than-normal stretch between highs (the average time from peak to peak is 289 days, or about nine months) suggests above-average returns going forward. Historically, when stocks have had at least one year between new S&P 500 highs, over 90% of the time
the market has been positive a year later, with an average rate of return of almost 12%, according to LPL. While this new record high for stocks is encouraging, investors will need to keep an eye on the overall backdrop of the economy and markets. As you know, things can change quickly, especially during an election year. In the accounts I’m managing, I am in a neutral weighting to stocks with a slight lean toward large-cap growth stocks. With the world in a slight mess, I am also overweighting to domestic versus in-
ternational stocks until an opportunity presents itself. Cliff Young’s family didn’t have a horse, so when storms scattered their sheep, he would run nonstop for up to three days to gather their 2,000 sheep. He shuffled along in the marathon at the same slow pace he used on the farm. So, while he dressed like he had just come from the field, this proverbial tortoise broke the race’s all-time record. I hope stocks keep shuffling along like Cliff Young and keeps setting new record highs. Have a blessed week! www.FerventWM.com
The top benefits of buying a multi-generational home
BY HEATHER TANKERSLEY, REALTOR®, provides services for residential, commercial, land and lake properties in the Branson Tri-Lakes area.
H
as the idea of sharing a home with loved ones like your grandparents, parents, or other relatives crossed your mind? If so, you’re not alone. More buyers are choosing to go this route and buy a multi-generational home. Here’s a look at some of the top reasons why, to see if a home like this may be right for you too. Why Buyers Are Opting for Multi-Generational Living According to the National Association of Realtors
(NAR), two of the top reasons buyers are opting for multi- generational homes today have to do with affordability buyers are focused most on cost savings – with 28% saying this was a key reason for them. By pooling their resources with others, they can share financial responsibilities like mortgage payments, utilities, and to make homeownership more affordable. This is especially helpful for those first-time homebuyers who may be finding it tough to afford a home on their own in today’s market. Buyers are also turning to multi-generational homes so they can more easily afford their dream home. Both firsttime (28%) and repeat buyers (18%) chose to live with others so they could buy a larger home. When everyone chips in and combines their incomes, that big dream home with more space could be more within reach. But multi-generational
living isn’t just about the financial side of things. According to the same study from NAR, 23% of repeat buyers chose to buy a multi-generational home to make it easier to care for an aging parent. Many older adults want to age in place and a multi-generational home can help make that possible. For those older adults, it gives them an opportunity to maintain their quality of life while being surrounded by their loved ones. As Axios explains: “Financial concerns and caregiving needs are two of the major reasons people live with their parents (and parents’ parents).” Lean on an Expert Finding the perfect multi-generational home isn’t as simple as shopping for a regular house. That’s because there are more people with even more opinions and needs to be considered. It’s like solving a puzzle, and the pieces need to fit just right.
Thank you for reading the
HEATHER TANKERSLEY REALTOR®
MOVING TO BRANSON? LET'S CHAT!
417-332-5130
®
DOWNLOAD MY APP
O: 4173364999
Each office is independently owned and operated
So, if you’re interested in the many benefits multi-generational living offers, partner with a local real estate agent who has the expertise to help. Bottom Line Whether your motives are financial or focused on the people you’ll share your home with, buying a multi-generational home may make sense for you. If you’re interested in learning more, let’s connect. It’s Your Move! I believe every family should feel confident when buying and
selling a home. Heather Tankersley REALTOR®, ABR®
Keller Williams TriLakes D: 417.332.5130 O:417.336.4999
