As a financial advisor, I recently had an enlightening conversation with a client who is set to retire next year. During our meeting, he expressed a desire to eliminate volatility from his investments moving forward. This was quite a curveball, as a core strategy of...
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Your Questions Answered: Should I Cash Out A Savings Bond?
I received an e-mail from the son of a client asking me, “Should I cash out a savings bond that I just found out that I own?” First things first, what exactly is a savings bond? Well, it's basically a loan you give to the government. In return, they pay you interest...
Your Questions Answered: Should I Replace My Expiring Term Life Contract
My Term Life Policy Just Expired. Do I Replace It? Matt and Beth are long time clients that both purchased twenty-year term life insurance contracts twenty years ago. In a recent meeting they noted these policies were winding down and asked if they should buy another...
Think About Habits When Setting New Year Resolutions
Here's a resolution that could help you achieve more in 2025: No more resolutions. Whether you want to get into better shape, learn a new skill, pursue mastery of your favorite hobby, or spend less and save more, resolutions almost always end up, well, unresolved....
Your Questions Answered: How Do I Calculate My RMD?
Each year we help our clients distribute their Required Minimum Distributions, or RMDs, from their retirement accounts. Also, each year, we get the question, “How is my RMD calculated?” It’s a straightforward calculation, so let’s dive in: First, you need to find the...
Your Questions Answered: Are There Limits To An ABLE Account?
We recently started working with another family that has a child with some special needs. They had already done a solid job of planning for this child and were building on the good work they had done with their previous financial professional. We were reviewing the...
Your Questions Answered: How Do You Charge?
A question that comes up when meeting a new family is “How do you charge?” This is a great question, because we certainly do not work for free, nor do our clients expect us to. There are several ways that a firm like ours can charge. Each method has its’ advantages...
What Is Your Keystone Habit for a Better ROL?
Good habits can make our everyday experiences more positive and our progress towards long-term goals more tangible. But the most effective habits don't just add to our to-do lists. They create a cascading effect that helps us accomplish things more effectively and...
Looking At the Big Picture
Market volatility can make anyone nervous, especially in our always-on, 24/7 news cycle. When some of our more experienced team members were first starting out in finance, average investors typically checked in on their accounts once or twice a quarter when their...
Your Questions Answered: Should I Take Out a Home Equity Loan or a HELOC?
Kyle and Jenn purchased a historic home in the northeast. Owning a historic home can be a bit like the opening line of “A Tale of Two Cities”. If you don’t get the reference, you can hit Google after we are done. But Kyle and Jenn realized after living there a couple...