Finances

Does the Customer Have the Right to Know?

Does the Customer Have the Right to Know? 1254 836 Donna Skeels Cygan

A Full Disclosure Law is Needed The U.S. financial industry does not have a full disclosure law, and reportedly over 80 percent of financial professionals are not fiduciaries. (A fiduciary…

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Cathryn Cunningham/Albuquerque Journal

The Power of Consistency

The Power of Consistency 1000 836 Donna Skeels Cygan

Bite-Size Strategy Can Help You Achieve Financial Security Creating new, positive habits requires consistency and repetition. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, provides many strategies for making new habits “stick.” One…

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Strong Relationships Surpass Money in Definition of Wealth

Strong Relationships Surpass Money in Definition of Wealth 1000 654 Donna Skeels Cygan

Illustration by Cathryn Cunningham / Albuquerque Journal What is wealth? Many people think wealth is simply money. This definition would include your investment accounts and your bank accounts. You work…

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Are We Experiencing Déjà Vu?

Are We Experiencing Déjà Vu? 5066 3452 Donna Skeels Cygan

Can We Learn from Past Financial Corrections? I wrote this article on 2-28-23, which was 10 days before the failure of Silicon Valley Bank. It appeared in the Albuquerque Journal…

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The Nitty Gritty of Roth IRA Conversions

The Nitty Gritty of Roth IRA Conversions 1000 753 Donna Skeels Cygan

Illustration by Cathryn Cunningham/ Albuquerque Journal Roth IRAs offer many benefits over traditional IRAs. I have written previous articles, encouraging readers to build their Roth IRAs through contributions or conversions.…

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Ditch the Budget in 2023

Ditch the Budget in 2023 1000 776 Donna Skeels Cygan

Illustration by Cathryn Cunningham/ Albuquerque Journal Many people are intimidated by finances; they can’t see a way to a financially secure future. Today’s article will teach you how to make…

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Plan Now for a Joyful Holiday

Plan Now for a Joyful Holiday 1359 686 Donna Skeels Cygan

The holidays are coming! Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas or Kwanzaa, the December holidays are just around the corner. For many, the hustle and bustle of the holidays is stressful…

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Is a Roth Conversion Wise for You?

Is a Roth Conversion Wise for You? 2560 1794 Donna Skeels Cygan

My last article covered the “sunsetting” on Jan. 1, 2026, of many of the provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2018.…

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Will you be ready for tax changes in 2026?

Will you be ready for tax changes in 2026? 1000 725 admin

The “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” was passed by Congress and signed by former President Donald Trump in December 2017. The tax law changes went into effect in January 2018.…

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Find the silver lining in Wall Street turmoil

Find the silver lining in Wall Street turmoil 1167 775 Donna Skeels Cygan

The U.S. stock market is having a bad year. It may turn around before year-end, but the S&P 500 index is currently down 20% (Jan. 1 to June 28), and…

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