Recent Content

SORT BY
ORDER

A Family Friend’s Close Call with a Cyber Scam

Category: Financial Planning
By Tim Mabee
02/25/2025

Tech support scams and phishing attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making it crucial to stay vigilant. A recent incident involving a family friend highlights how easily fraudsters can gain remote access to a victim’s computer, install malware, and steal sensitive information. Read more to learn what to do if someone you know is compromised and discover actions to take to help stay secure online.

Protect Your Taxes: What You Need to Know About IRS IP PINs

Category: Financial Planning
By Caleb Brown
02/18/2025

Tax season is already complicated enough, but identity theft can make it significantly worse. To help safeguard taxpayers, the IRS offers the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN). Here’s a breakdown of what an IP PIN is, how to get one, and insights on who should consider using it.

Inflation? We’ve planned for this.

Category: Investing » Asset Allocation
By Matt Stagner
02/13/2025

Inflation has been a hot topic in recent years, often misunderstood and heavily debated. Attempting to stay ahead of inflation is one of the biggest reasons to invest over the long term. Let’s break it down and focus on what really matters.

Chart of the Month – January 2025

Category: Investing » Economics
By Michael Westphal
01/17/2025

Market conditions are usually not a good reason to change your portfolio. Instead of trying to position your portfolio based on where you think interest rates and inflation will be, talk to your advisor about how your portfolio will support your overall plan.

Chart of the Month – November 2024

Category: Investing » Foster Group Investment Principles » Align Purposes and Portfolio
By Michael Westphal
11/07/2024

When we examine the historical relationship between equities and cash, it becomes evident that while cash may offer safety and short-term stability, equities tend to outperform over time. For long-term investors, remember that your plan should influence the portfolio and that reacting to market conditions is not a wise reason to change your plan.

What’s Next?

Category: Foster Group
By Joe Bantz
11/05/2024

Recently, I came across a TedX talk that featured Dr. Riley Moynes. After retiring from the financial industry, he wrote a book called,” The Four Phases of Retirement”.* Because the talk was helpful for me, I wanted to share the four phases with you. 

How Deep Is Your Bullpen?

Category: Financial Planning » Charitable Giving
By Andy Rushenberg
10/22/2024

You can’t have a championship team without a deep bench at your disposal. Foster Group takes the same approach, while we have a dedicated advisory team for every client we also have advisors with various skill sets that we can pull out of the bullpen and into a meeting at the right time.

What is “The Good Life?”

Category: Foster Group
By Kent Kramer
09/13/2024

I’ve spent forty-plus years thinking and talking about “the good life” question. With clients, fellow advisors, my family and friends. And while definitive answers are not easy to come by, it’s clear that how we answer (or don’t answer) the question will have a significant impact on the life-defining choices we make, day after day, year after year.