Three Ways to Make Saving Automatic
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
Here are some ideas and tools you can use to help make your saving automatic, the biggest key to growing your savings.
Saving for a Rainy Day
Category: Financial Planning » Cashflow
According to a 2020 Federal Reserve study, 36% of American adults do not have enough cash to cover a $400 unexpected expense1. While the opposite 64% say they DO have enough, that still leaves around 90 million American adults unable to handle a modest money disruption in their lives.
Savings Ho!
Category: Financial Planning » Cashflow
It has been eight years, but the memories are still fresh! My wife and I loaded our four daughters into our Dodge Grand Caravan and headed west for our long-anticipated “Westward Ho!” journey. As we crossed the great plains into the Rockies and traversed the high desert of New Mexico into the arid Arizona desert, we laughed, fought, slept, played games, and created incredible memories.
Don’t Borrow from Your Future Self
Category: Financial Planning » Cashflow
While each person has different long-term goals, a common future desire that exists for most people is retirement. There's a day coming when you won't want to, or can’t, work anymore, and your income will need to be replaced. This is a huge “future self” liability that has to be considered.
Getting Rid of Debt Can Help You Save
Category: Financial Planning » Cashflow
At the end of 2021, outstanding consumer debt in the United States, including mortgages, student loans, auto loans, credit cards, etc., totaled $15.6 trillion, which equates to about $50,000 per American. Clearly, we are no strangers to debt. Ultimately, getting rid of consumeristic debt will help you save and accomplish your goals.
What Tax Documents Do Investors Need to File?
Category: Financial Planning
I start getting anxious this time of year when I am forced to collect all the necessary information for my tax advisor. In preparation for the upcoming tax deadline, Monday, April 18, 2022, I wanted to summarize what to expect in the way of relevant tax information related to your investments.
Accountability: The Key to Unlocking Financial Independence
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
For more than 20 years, I ran competitively. Last year, I spent three to four months training consistently and failed to reach one of my goals.
The Secret to Increasing Your Fitness Level and Net Worth
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
Are you really saving as much as you could without someone pushing you? Are you really investing in the most appropriate manner without someone advising you? Are you really on track toward financial independence at the earliest age possible without someone mapping out the path?
Chart of the Month – Mar 2022
Are you feeling the pain at the pump? What is driving oil prices higher?
Fitch Downgrade – A Closer Look
Category: Investing » Diversification
Fitch, downgraded US government debt from its pristine AAA rating to one notch lower at AA+. The Fitch downgrade serves as a reminder of the necessity of diversification, as no investment is entirely risk-free.
Embrace Uncertainty and Teamwork – Insights from the Men’s College World Series
Category: Financial Planning
Expect uncertainty and embrace the power of teamwork. We counsel clients to focus on the things they can control, like how much they are spending, saving, and investing rather than letting uncertainty shred their peace of mind.
Chart of the Month – Aug 2023
Increasing interest rates have many effects, not only on the economy, but also on stocks. Given the recent rally, we wanted to highlight that rising rates do not always mean that stocks will go down. While the stock market is not making new all-time highs just yet, the market has been resilient to a regime thought to be a drag on the markets.
The Gift of Financial Success
Category: Financial Planning » Charitable Giving
Time is the greatest money-making asset you can possess. The earlier you start investing, the easier it is to ensure a lifetime of financial success. Parents and grandparents, there may be an opportunity to give the gift of financial success to your young adult family members while also enjoying estate and tax planning benefits for yourselves.
Prioritize Your Financial Goals
The best way to accomplish your financial goals is by being intentional with the money that comes in. Identify the priorities you have for your money. You could break those priorities into four categories: Due, Extend, Gift, and Spend.
What is your Legacy?
Category: Financial Planning » Behavioral Finance
We create a legacy through a long series of intentional choices. Discussing things that are more important than investment returns and account allocations, leaning into the heart of things that really matter and put together a plan to achieve those things.
What do you need to know about Property & Casualty Insurance?
Category: Financial Planning
Insurance is one of the few things you buy which you never hope to benefit from, because that typically means something bad has happened. I encourage you to take a few minutes to confirm items that could make a massive impact on your financial situation if an accident were to happen.
Financial Mechanic’s Toolbox: DIY or Expert Help?
Category: Financial Planning » Cashflow
I’d love to be the person who can tell you why a car squeaks when you drive it and who could fix it. But as time goes by and I haven’t developed those skills, I’m coming to grips with the fact that it probably just isn’t in my wheelhouse. It’s not that I couldn’t learn, it’s that I’d rather focus on and learn about other things. There comes a point with your personal finances when you need to decide what you’ll do and what you’ll pay someone else to do.
Chart of the Month – Sept 2023
The current state of the housing market has left many puzzled. In a scenario where interest rates are soaring, one would naturally anticipate a decline in housing prices. Surprisingly, this anticipated correction has yet to occur.
Hiking Through the Financial Wilderness
Category: Financial Planning » Cashflow
I used to laugh at the TV commercial years ago that stated, “Most people spend more time planning their vacation than their retirement.” It’s funny how your perspective can change with time. Now, I gladly note all details of a personal trip, perhaps as a parallel of my work.
A “Real” Estate – Part One
Category: Foster Group
As a financial advisor for the past 28 years, I’ve been asked about real estate hundreds of times. Every type of real estate carries pros and cons, risks and rewards.
Do Headlines Cause You to Take Action?
Takeaways from a smattering of the headlines across a wide range of news sources in 2022 and early 2023.