The Advantages of 529 Plan Educational Funding
A common financial goal of young families is funding their children’s future education expenses. In this blog we address many of the "what-if's" that clients are asking.
Planning for Future Healthcare Expenses
Category: Financial Planning
"What is worth insuring?" The answer almost always boils down to how much you'll have to pay to insure the thing you don't want to lose -- whether it's your mustache, your fantasy football player, your home or your health.
Are You Approaching Retirement? It’s Time to Get Your Financial Health in Order.
Category: Financial Planning
Planning for retirement can be one of the most daunting financial stages of life because there are so many competing priorities to manage and responsibilities to juggle. Read on for some tips to help you manage it all.
Baseball and Investing: Managing Behavior for Success
Money is emotional and our “news” cycle is a catalyst. Investors react to what they hear and how they feel, oftentimes to their own detriment.
Chart of the Month – May 2023
In investing, a key consideration is the time horizon. There is a general perception that investing is a risky proposition, but this risk can be mitigated by holding investments for longer periods.
Equity Compensation: What You Need to Know
Category: Financial Planning » Executive Compensation
The proper use and management of equity compensation are significant components of a healthy financial picture for corporate leaders. Let’s take a closer look at three types of equity compensation.
5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Meeting with An Estate Planning Attorney
Estate planning is an essential component of your financial plan because it can help secure your family’s future, minimize estate taxes, and protect assets from going through probate. Here are five questions you should think about before meeting with an Estate Planning Attorney.
Give. Laugh. Love.
Legacy is a strange topic. We all think about it, but it means something different to everybody. How do you want to be remembered?
Chart of the Month – Apr 2023
Category: Investing » Fixed Income / Bonds
"Why would anyone buy a 5-year bond at 3.5% when you could get a 1-year bond at 4%?"
"Why don't I put all my money in a 4-month T-bill and make 4.9%?"
Nervous About the Market? Maybe You Need a Lifeboat.
Market volatility tends to unnerve even the calmest of investors. How do we know what to hold and how much to hold at any particular time? That’s a crucial question, but the answer does not need to be complicated.
Are You in the Bear Market Buyer’s Club?
For the person who is currently contributing to a portfolio and does not need to take distributions anytime soon, this is a gift. That’s right, a bear market is a gift to those investors. If you are contributing to an investment account right now, you are already in the Bear Market Buyer’s Club.
Chart of the Month – July 2022
Sooner or later, we're likely going to see demand cool off. The big question is how quickly inflation alters consumer spending and how quickly that pulls back inflation.
What Does It Mean to Be an Investor? – Part Two
As you peek into the future – hopefully one with greater discretionary time and money – do you envision yourself increasing or decreasing your investment in the well-being of the people close to you and the world in general? Do you see yourself sticking close to the mess of the world or investing in ways that escape it?
A Few of My Favorite Things
Almost everyone has a few of their favorite things. One of my top questions to ask friends and clients is, “What are some of your most treasured memories and keepsakes?”
When Market Volatility Creates Opportunity
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
The first half of 2022 has proven to be challenging for investors. Being an investor during volatile markets isn’t easy, but there are a few strategies to consider in order to make the best of a difficult situation.
Speeding Tickets & Investing
Recently, I received a gift from the Iowa State Patrol in the form of a speeding ticket. In reflecting on this experience, it occurred to me that I took an unnecessary risk to attain something I didn’t need and ended up sacrificing money I didn’t have to lose.
Chart of the Month – June 2022
There are nearly two job openings for every unemployed worker with labor statistics showing 11.4 million job openings compared to 5.9 unemployed workers as of April 30, 2022. This mismatch between jobs and workers means that workers have options, including leverage to ask for more pay.
Dividing Finances in Divorce
Category: Financial Planning
If you or someone you know is going through the divorce process, make sure they have the right team in place to guide them throughout with the entire process. As a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA), I can help walk through the complexities.
Are You Checking Your Accounts Every Day? Stop it.
Does it help or harm the average long-term investor to peek at their own accounts or pay attention to the market every day?
What Does It Mean to Be an Investor? – Part One
For a minute, I want to think broadly about the question, “What does it mean to be an investor?”
Chart of the Month – May 2022
Since the beginning of 2020, checkable deposits have quadrupled, giving consumers the ability to continue spending and withstand increased prices. What does this mean for inflation and prices in the future?