Retirement Savings Strategy – Do I Need One?
I have so many competing financial needs and I don’t know how to prioritize them. Where should I allocate my discretionary funds – debt, college education, retirement savings? Help me! We hear this plea often. The answer to the above dilemma is best solved with the development and implementation of a holistic financial plan. While […]
3 Financial To-Do’s When Having Children
Five years ago, Allisha Curtis wrote a blog titled “Preparing Financially to Start a Family”. This was a great blog for couples thinking about having children. The intention with this piece is to keep this topic top of mind and highlight three of the more important things for young couples to do once they have […]
Common Investor Mistakes – Pt. 1: Emotional Trading
Are you making avoidable mistakes in your portfolio because of some behavior bias? If you answered no to this question, you might be suffering from having an overconfidence bias which will ultimately lead to making mistakes. Much of today’s academia concentrates on traditional finance. Traditional finance ignores how individuals actually behave and instead focuses on […]
Closer to College – Key 529 Plan Facts
You have saved for many years into your child’s 529 plan and now you and your child are on the verge of college tours and applications to decide where your child will spend the next 4 years of their life. Now is a good time to familiarize yourself with some of the nuisances of 529 […]
Both Spouses Should be Involved in Handling Financial Affairs
Division of labor in a marriage can be a good and often necessary thing. It can allow couples and families to be much more productive, freeing up precious time to spend on things they enjoy. In fact, according to Pew Research, the perceived fair division of labor is a key component of a successful marriage. […]
Hiring a Financial Advisor – The “When, Why, and Who”
WHEN should you start looking for an advisor? For many, hiring an advisor should be considered during the accumulation phase of their life. Unfortunately, many people assume they only need an advisor when they have accumulated a certain amount of wealth, are nearing retirement, or both. In reality, this assumption could not be further from […]
Asset Location: 3 Steps for Success
Asset location is an important aspect of portfolio composition and one that often gets overlooked. Like many concepts in finance, it can be part art and part science. What is asset location? It is the concept of how to utilize different savings vehicles and where to place investments among those vehicles to minimize income tax. Here we will talk about 3 steps to follow for success. 1. Establish 3 Buckets to Provide a Foundation In order to utilize asset location […]
Gifting Stock To Family Members
The holidays are quickly approaching and people are starting to think about their gift list. One of the questions that often pops up around this time is about gifting shares of stock to a family member. Gifting shares of stock can be a great gift. It can help stimulate a young person’s interest in the […]
Qualified Charitable Distributions
With two months left in the calendar year, it is time for those of us who have yet to take our required minimum distribution (“RMD”) from our individual retirement account (“IRA”) to do so. If you find yourself in the fortunate position of having to take your RMD, but not needing some or all of it, you may want to consider donating some or all of your RMD […]
How Much Cash Should I Hold?
Most people hold cash in some combination of checking and savings accounts at a bank. The cash in these accounts is used to pay for normal everyday expenses throughout a typical month. However, in addition to holding cash in a checking/savings account to pay for bills, you should also consider having a separate savings account designated as an emergency fund. This emergency fund won’t fluctuate monthly like your checking and savings accounts and the purpose of holding it is to be a buffer against an unforeseen event. Having an emergency […]