Choosing the right financial planner can be critically important. Being an industry insider for the better part of a decade has given me an interesting perspective on evaluating fellow planners and while some are wonderful, some should be avoided like the black plague. I see many people make the mistake of focusing solely on returns, […]
9 Ways to Evaluate a Financial Planner Read More »
Retirement planning is a multifaceted endeavor, and for decades, the 4% rule has served as a guiding principle for many. But what if there’s a more dynamic approach to withdrawals that could better suit your unique retirement journey? Join me as we explore the idea of abandoning the conventional 4% rule in favor of a
Forget the 4% Rule: Why a Flexible Retirement Withdrawal Strategy is Best Read More »
There are so many key milestones along the retirement journey and knowing where these milestones should fit in your retirement planning timeline makes a huge difference. For example, knowing one of these retirement deadlines allowed one of my clients, we’ll refer to him as Donald Duck, to retire a whole 3.5 years sooner! Despite having
Retirement Planning Timeline: 8 Must Know Retirement Deadlines Read More »
At my firm, we have a policy that we don’t accept clients with accounts at multiple firms. At first glance having multiple financial advisors may seem like a good idea. After all, that’s increased diversification, right? While maybe our policy could come off as selfish or greedy, the reason for it is quite simple; it’s
Why You SHOULD NOT Have Multiple Financial Advisors Read More »
For many people, their Social Security benefits are among the largest benefits that they take with them in retirement, so finding ways to increase your Social Security benefits can be very important. Doing your research to ensure that you get the most out of this stream of income is very important. That is why I
Increase Your Social Security Benefits: 5 Simple Ways Read More »
You are back home celebrating the 4th of July holiday with your elderly mother. She has always bought fireworks for the grandkids, but this year she is hesitant. When pressed, she acknowledges that money is just a little bit tighter this year. As far as you know, nothing has changed in her financial situation, so
Financial Elder Abuse: 5 Easy Ways to Protect Your Loved Ones (or Yourself) Read More »
Rules of thumb can often provide guidance in the complex world of personal financial planning. While almost all rules of thumb were originally based on a form of sound and practical financial advice, blindly following these common principles can lead to negative outcomes. Whether it’s saving for retirement, budgeting for children, or managing your portfolio,
Four Retirement Rules of Thumb to Avoid Read More »
Taxes are likely the single biggest expense you have in your lifetime. While complete tax avoidance is nearly impossible for middle to high income earners during their earning years, with careful planning streams of tax-free income can be created in retirement. By leveraging these options, you can significantly enhance your financial security all while lowering
Four Options for Tax-Free Income in Retirement Read More »
When setting out to create your investment portfolio, maintaining a well-balanced portfolio is critical in helping to maintain your long-term financial goals. I gave an introduction to the concept of asset allocation in my blog Asset Location vs. Asset Allocation, but stated simply, asset allocation is the process of dividing your investment portfolio among different asset
Portfolio Rebalancing: How Systematic Rebalancing Leads to Higher Risk-Adjusted Returns Read More »
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it
A Tale of Two Advisors Read More »