According to CNBC, 77% of Americans are anxious about their financial situation. Trying to pay down debt, save for retirement, and make ends meet in your everyday life can be incredibly stressful. This is why it is important to create a strong financial plan.
Read MoreYou shouldn't have to worry about your financial future. Check out these thirteen great benefits of financial planning that you should know about.
Read More"What gets measured, gets improved", is a common saying that's been going around the blogosphere for a while now. It applies to all aspects of your life, such as meeting a daily calorie goal or walking 10,000 steps.
Read MoreFirst off, congratulations! You have sacrificed, saved, and worked hard to be in the position you are today. But before you retire and enter an exciting new chapter of life, let’s look at some planning items to consider when it comes to selling your employer stock options in the year of retirement.
Read MoreWhether you just got fired, are planning to leave your employer to pursue another opportunity, or ready to retire, you need to make sure you understand what happens with your employee stock options as this could have a huge impact on your tax situation and your retirement plans.
Read MoreThose with charitable inclinations along with substantial employer stock positions have a unique planning opportunity to reduce taxes, risk, and fund future charitable goals. Utilizing a Donor Advised Fund in conjunction with employer stock sales can help accomplish this.
Read MoreWeather you just started receiving employer stock as part of your compensation package or have been receiving it for several years, having a plan in place for managing this critical component of your income and net worth is essential.
Read MoreEarly retirement is a goal for many Americans but accessing Social Security prematurely can cost retirees thousands of dollars annually. There are some important reasons to consider waiting until you are 67 or older before tapping into your Social Security benefits, even if you plan to stop working and retire well before then.
Read More“Save as much as you can for retirement.”
That’s the message that has been drilled into the mind of every American worker for decades. There’s something to be said for that, of course. Financial security is important to all of us.
Read MoreWhat does “SPY”, engineering during WWII, and spiders have in common?
If you have no idea, you are not alone. This is a tricky question. And the answer is a name you probably won’t recognize.
Read MoreHaving too much appreciated stock in your portfolio may look like a great problem to have. It validates your good sense for having chosen those investments in the first place. It gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling when you open the quarterly account statements. Why is that a problem, exactly?
Read MoreIt is that time of the year again when our team is fielding questions from clients and prospects who are confused about Required Minimum Distributions (or RMDs). As with anything that needs an abbreviation and relates to government regulations, misunderstanding abound.
Read Moret’s tax time, you’ve just completed your taxes and are now just noticing the enormous tax bill you’ve paid over the past year. You start thinking, did you make a mistake? Is there something you can do this year to lower your upcoming tax bill?
Read MoreWhen should you start talking to your kids about money?
As parents, we know that it’s our job to teach our kids about the world. We talk to them about making friends, staying away from drugs, and looking left and right before they cross the street.
Read MoreThe tales of financial advisor fraud are like a car wreck: terrible to observe and impossible to look away. Here are 5 tips for avoiding your own financial wreck.
What is it about the stories of financial advisors gone rogue that captivates the imagination? Take this recent story in the news: a former New Jersey-based financial advisor was convicted of fraud for stealing his clients’ money and using it to pay his own mortgage, dine out, and buy sporting event tickets. In retrospect, the warning flags were there.
Read MoreWhat do you think about when you hear the words “financial advisor”?
High pressure sales techniques, obscure products with hidden fees, secret incentives to agents – the list is long and rather unflattering. How did we get here? And, more importantly, how can you choose the right professional to partner with if you don’t want to undertake managing your own money?
Read MoreBetween catastrophes, fake news and fear-mongering everywhere, it’s hard to know what we should worry about these days. Tornadoes and floods? Artificial Intelligence taking over the world? Iowa Hawkeyes winning the big game?
Read MoreWe say it all the time but why exactly does "Fee-Only Make a Difference" mean?Well, it mostly has to do with the compensation structure, called “Fee-Only,” and how it compares to "Traditional" commission based financial planners. It’s this unique way in which Fee-Only financial advisors are paid that allows them to be objective in their advice and avoid conflicts of interest.
Read MoreLPL Financial shut down its registered investment advisor which targeted middle class America because the company did not meet expectations for growth. I guess LPL realized that it is more profitable to push commissioned based products rather then provide objective fiduciary advice
Read More
