Planning for Future Healthcare Expenses
"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.
Planning for Retirement? Practice Could Make Perfect
Retirement isn’t a reward you one day receive at random. It’s not something you jump into without a thought in mind. You work up to this day with purpose, precision, and dedication.
Playing Jazz and Your Finances
Successfully playing jazz starts with fundamentals. The same is true of our personal finances.
Poker Lessons. Expect to Be Surprised. | Financial Perspectives
Positive Planning Opportunities in a Negative Market
Strangely, a down market and the response of the government to it has created potential planning opportunities that wouldn’t have otherwise been there.
Positives About the Market
2022 was a historically painful year as an investor with stock markets experiencing a bear market, and bond markets having one of their worst years ever. However, as we enter 2023, I’d like to consider the positives.
Predictable Mistakes
We believe that investors increase their chances of success by avoiding predictable mistakes, those practices that sound like they should work but have been shown time and again to have very low probabilities of success.
Two Dimensional Mutual Funds Will Be Converted to Exchange Traded Funds on September 10th
Two Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) mutual funds that are held in after-tax accounts managed by Foster Group at Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade will be converted by DFA to Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) on Friday, September 10th.
Two Ideas for Year-End Tax Savings | Financial Perspectives
In this special edition of Financial Perspectives, Kent Kramer is joined by Foster Group advisors Marcus Iwig and Caleb Brown as they share essential year-end tax planning tips. Discover how to make tax-efficient charitable donations from your IRA, maximize deductions by combining multiple years of giving, and convert pre-tax retirement accounts to Roth IRAs.
Umbrella Insurance Is Just a Catch All Policy, Right?
Guest Blogger Tim Hibbing. Umbrella policies are becoming more and more popular in our litigious culture.
Uncle Sam Wants His Money
Understanding ETFs and Factor Investing with Blackrock’s Bob Hum | Financial Perspectives
This week, Kent Kramer sits down with BlackRock’s Bob Hum to explore the intricacies of ETFs and factor investing. Gain valuable insights and practical tips on how these strategies may enhance your investment portfolio and help you navigate today’s market complexities.
Understanding Mortgage Rates: A Conversation with Todd Smith of Bank Iowa | Financial Perspectives
This week, Matt Moklestad has a conversation with Todd Smith, the Mortgage Director at Bank Iowa, as he breaks down the complexities of mortgage rates. With nearly 30 years of experience in the banking and mortgage industry, Todd shares insights on how mortgage rates are determined, the factors that influence them, and tips for securing the best rates.
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.
Vaccine for Physician Pocketbooks
Value vs Growth – What does that Mean?
Have you heard the words, “value” and “growth,” when it comes to investing? Let’s face it: These words are often misunderstood and poorly utilized.
War in Israel: Market Meltdown?
Does war in Israel mean a big market meltdown? It’s hard to escape the war news. One way to think about the future is by looking at the past for similar circumstances.
Water Cooler Advice May Be All Watered Down
While executive benefits such as stock options, other equity compensation, and deferred compensation can be powerful accumulation tools, knowing how they fit into your overall financial picture can be challenging.