Building credit is an important building block when starting out financially. Credit can be a valuable tool to help build and establish wealth but needs to be utilized prudently.

Many people are intimidated with the idea of creating a budget, but understanding your spending patterns and having discipline is crucial.

It’s common that people make emotional investment decisions and practice mental accounting for their portfolio. Both are costly mistakes. Instead having a disciplined and holistic approach to portfolio management is key.

Saving money throughout working years is only one piece of the puzzle. It’s also vital to save in a tax efficient manner and consider future tax implications of those retirement savings.

Whether it’s your first job or switching to your dream career, starting a new job can be exciting but also filled with questions and challenges. Getting started with a retirement plan can be a powerful first step toward reaching retirement.

• Life is fairly simple – it might be just you or you and your spouse.
• You are not sure how to use your discretionary income – should you save to your company retirement plan or pay down debt?
• You may be thinking about buying a home and are unfamiliar with the process.
• If you are newly married, you may be wondering whether you should combine your finances with your spouse or keep all or some of them separate.

• Life is starting to get complicated.  Work is busy and you have a growing family.  How do you balance your work and family responsibilities while still taking care of the family finances?
• Your career is blossoming, and you may be the recipient of stock options or restricted stock grants.  What is the best way to handle these benefits?
• What is the best way to save for college expenses for your children? Are you entitled to financial aid?
• How can you optimize savings while making sure you consider all the tax implications of your unique situation? 3 bucket strategy?

• The thought of retirement has actually occurred to you a couple of times.
• The kids are older – in high school, college or out of the house.
• How do you plan for retirement?  How much savings do you need? Should you save in tax-deferred, tax-free  or after-tax investment vehicles?
• Will you be able to travel in retirement?  Buy a vacation home?  Help pay for your grandkids’ education?

Health care costs are rising at a rapid pace and employer coverage is the most common reason individuals delay retirement. Make sure you are using the tools at your disposal to offset these major costs.

Buying a car and home are part of the American Dream. With these major purchases also come complex terms and agreements. It’s vital for your financial health to treat these decisions with care and diligence.

Life can become complicated quickly with a growing family. While it’s difficult enough to manage everyone’s schedule, adding on financial burdens can make life stressful. That being said, there is no better time to get organized financially.

The opportunity to get a good education is invaluable. It’s important to plan and begin saving early and often for that future.

You have worked hard throughout your life to build wealth; don’t pay more in taxes than is owed.