Let’s Make 2023 a Year of Savings Inflation
The rising cost of living recently has led the IRS to raise the 2023 contribution limits for employees with 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan.
The rising cost of living recently has led the IRS to raise the 2023 contribution limits for employees with 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan.
Recently, a colleague and I sat down with a married couple who is on the cusp of making significant wealth transfer and philanthropic decisions that will impact their family for generations to come. Naturally, their first question was, “Where do we start?”
Since we are close to flipping the calendar to 2023, this is a great time to sit down and reflect on the past financial year and anticipate what might be ahead.
Stock market risk is the primary focus of the financial news. The reason is simple. The scarier the headline, the more eyes are attracted to it.
While this year has had its share of negative financial news, there might be one opportunity to pay some taxes now in order to save some money on taxes later. This week, Kent Kramer walks us through Roth IRA conversions.
Break out the cake, ice cream, and party hats because it’s time to celebrate National Estate Planning Week!
Risks can often feel much different to retirees. The overarching risk for retirees is that something takes place that results in a permanently lower standard of living. Retirement researcher, Wade Pfau, has identified three major categories of risk for one’s income in retirement.
One of the significant changes in the tax reform bill signed by Governor Reynolds on March 1, is the eventual elimination of federal tax deductibility for determining taxable income. Iowa was one of the few remaining states that allowed taxpayers to deduct federal taxes to determine their state income taxes.
Happy National 401(k) Day! As we take today to celebrate 401k’s, it’s important to consider the increasing challenges employees in our country face when it comes to retirement readiness.
In working with over a hundred prospective clients in the past five and a half years, I’ve found that these are the two most important questions you need to ask yourself...
My husband and I bought tickets to see the Vikings play their final game of the regular season. We wanted to do something fun during the dark and cold days of January, and we wanted to do it together, without the kids. But...
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?
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.
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.
Here are some ideas and tools you can use to help make your saving automatic, the biggest key to growing your savings.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I listened to a great show on the Hidden Brain podcast a couple months ago: Work 2.0 – The Obstacles You Don’t See. The big takeaway was that often the path to success is not about more motivation but removing obstacles. I think the podcast has had a big impact on my life already. Let me explain.
We often get asked by clients about different ideas they heard from a friend, a new exclusive deal they got invited into, or, most frequently, a specific company or stock that a friend gave them the scoop on. The reality is that a lot of the “great ideas and deals” never amount to any real return, and many end up going to zero.