Robin is a long-time client and is retiring at the end of this year. In a recent meeting she asked if she should roll over her 401k retirement plan to a self-directed IRA. For many people, their retirement plan is one of their largest financial assets, along with...
Very few people stop learning once their formal education is over. Whether you took a few classes to burnish your professional credentials or collaborated with coworkers to bring projects across the finish line, learning was probably essential to your career success....
John is the son of a client and has a young family. He reached out to us because he had been approached about overfunding a whole life insurance policy and borrowing out the cash value to execute Dave Ramsey-style debt snowball. This concept – overfunding and...
William is a client that utilizes a Qualified Charitable Distribution each year to meet the RMD obligation from his IRA. As an aside, a QCD is a distribution from your IRA made directly to a charity and is available after age 70 ½. This is usually a tax-smart move for...
Susi is a highly compensated executive in a very well-known national organization. In a recent meeting she asked me what she could do to reduce her tax liability. We get this question A LOT. And there are a couple of very easy answers. Number One is make less money....
I was recently asked by a client with a young family if they should open a 529 college savings plan for their young daughter. The answer was, “Probably, but not exclusively.” Here is what I meant by that: A 529 plan is hands down a fantastic college savings tool. If...
Jack and Sally were referred to me after Jack received a sizeable inheritance from his father. Let me say up front that this post should not be taken as specific financial or investment advice, and you should consult your tax advisor before making decisions that will...
Chris and Amy have been funding an education account for their daughter for the past nine years. It is a regular investment account – not a 529 – holding mutual funds that now have substantial gains. His daughter is getting ready to go to college and Amy is returning...
Sometimes the biggest risk is not taking one. Try as we may, it's almost impossible to protect our lives, careers, and financial planning from some degree of volatility. If you're not willing to accept risk, then you might stick with a "safe" but unfulfilling career...
The Preparedness Project, an initiative founded by financial advisor Paul Peeler, has made it their mission to provide specialized financial planning support for Serious Mental Illness (SMI) caregivers and their families.