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The US markets are entering the final quarter of the year in a strong position. The S&P 500 had its best quarterly performance since 2013, hitting fresh all-time highs again this quarter. Other milestones were reached as Apple and Amazon became the first companies in the US to reach a $1 trillion market value.

We have all become accustomed to the ritual of checking our credit scores and credit reports. It has become much easier than in past to stay on top of this task. Our credit card statements and credit monitoring services passively update us on changes in our credit reports.

We’re currently experiencing the longest, biggest bull market in history. Despite a number of reasons to feel some concern about the future -- be they political, humanitarian, other otherwise -- you probably have even more reasons to feel optimistic about your finances right now.

Do you know how much money the baby boomer generation is expected to pass down to their adult children over the coming decades?

If you guessed somewhere in the billions… guess again.

It’s not just the money you make that determines how wealthy you are. Your mindset around the money you earn, use, and keep plays a huge role in how successful you are at using that money well, and feeling satisfied both with your finances and your life as a whole.

Markets balanced strong economic growth in the US against global trade tensions this quarter. Despite the escalating trade rhetoric, stocks ended the quarter higher and are once again positive for the year. The S&P 500 is still about 4.5% off from the all-time highs reached in January of this year.

You might think knowing how to negotiate salary is a skill best used by entry-level workers who are just getting started in their careers. And you’re right -- being able to secure better pay when you start a job sets you up to make more over your working years.

Let’s face it: not everyone finds it fun to sit down with a spreadsheet and pour over numbers. “Budget” is a bad word to a lot of people, and facing up to certain aspects of your financial life can leave you feeling stressed, unhappy, and worried.

Thanks again to Big Picture Retirement Show hosted by Devin Carroll for having Andrew on your show.

Cost creep is something parents have become accustom to when paying for children’s education. For the upcoming 2018-2019 academic year average costs are exceeding $14,000 to send a child to private high school in Kansas City for the first time. While the headline number may surprise some, prices only rose 3.1% over last year.