The Magic of Writing a Letter
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
How the magic of writing a letter could help convey your intentions to a beneficiary.
Webinar: Maximizing Physician Income
Category: Foster Group » Event
What’s Up (or Down) with the Bonds? | Financial Perspectives
Investors have been puzzled this year, maybe even disappointed, that the bond market broadly has seen negative returns. How can this be when many money markets and bonds have stated yields of more than 5%? This week, Kent Kramer explains why.
Chart of the Month – June 2024
No one can time the market and determine when those best months will occur. The best months are surprisingly random. More important than timing the market is time in the market.
Three Tips to Help Set Yourself up for Retirement
Category: Financial Planning » Cashflow
Retirement. It’s something everyone thinks about at some point in their lives. When I see or hear about the people who have retired most effectively, three themes stick out to me. Let’s dive into them.
Webinar: Risky Business – Avoiding Common Executive Compensation Pitfalls
Category: Financial Planning » Cashflow
There are often complicated timing and tax issues associated with executive benefits — and deadlines you don’t want to miss. Learn how to avoid the top mistakes we see executives make, and how to make the most of your hard-earned money!
Updates to the State of Iowa 529 plan
529 plans can be a great way to save for future education costs for your loved ones. The State of Iowa recently made a few improvements to the College Savings 529 plan.
Winning Strategies in a High-Cost Healthcare Market
Category: Financial Planning
Small business owners face many challenges in today’s competitive environment. We often hear of the burden rising healthcare costs have on a business’s sustainability, profitability, and ability to attract and retain key talent. Let’s explore some winning strategies that have been implemented by a variety of businesses across the area.
A Farming Deduction from an Unexpected Location: The Beach
Category: Financial Planning
With farm ground prices near all-time highs, higher borrowing costs, and tight margins, this tax deduction should be considered when purchasing a farm property or inheriting one.
Does Your Workplace Cultivate a Championship Team?
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
I recently listened to a podcast called, “Invest Like the Best, with Patrick O’Shaughnessy”. The podcast is based on an article written by Michael Lewis in the New York Times Magazine back in 2009, about Shane Battier, a professional basketball player who was the ultimate teammate.
The Corporate Transparency Act is Here: What you Need to Know
Category: Financial Planning
Several frequently asked questions regarding the CTA and its new reporting requirements that will impact millions of business entities and, more specifically, their owners.
Compound the Growth of Your 2024 Plans | Financial Perspectives
What small, consistent steps are in your control this year that, if you complete them, can result in accumulated progress for years to come? This week, Kent Kramer discusses how financial planning may help us discover these kinds of things.
Is Leasing Right for You?
October was the worst month for new car sales at his dealership in over ten years. In fact, only about 10% of car buyers that month were electing to lease new vehicles and typically, leasing is less expensive than buying. What’s going on here?
Preparing the Next Generation: Three Keys to a Long-Term Mindset
Category: Financial Planning » Closely Held Business
How do we prepare our young people to lead and do it quickly?
The Joy of Generosity
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
In my experience, the joy of generosity is not dependent on monetary value or other objective measures of size or significance. Generosity done well always has the potential to bring joy to both givers and receivers.
What I Have Learned From My Journey of Generosity
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
Being generous is a practice that seldom is mastered, takes continuous practice, and must be learned over and over again.
Why should you have a budget?
The word, budget, can induce fear and anxiety for some people. But I would argue that creating a budget and being disciplined in the process creates more freedom and flexibility than the alternative.
The “Gift” You Shouldn’t Open: Predictions | Financial Perspectives
It's that time of year -- news outlets are gathering up nicely wrapped predictions and estimates on what the markets will do in 2024. This week, Kent Kramer analyzes how accurate, or inaccurate, these predictions actually have been in the past.
Chart of the Month – December 2023
Category: Investing » Diversification
This year, we have seen a runup in several large names, mostly in the technology space. They have been dubbed the “Magnificent Seven” by financial news publications. Why might this matter to an investor?
Money, Happiness, & Meaning
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
We’ve all heard the adage, “Money can’t buy happiness,” but the truth is more nuanced. Let's dig into the research.