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...
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.
Do you need long term care insurance? I don’t know. I can tell you that you should definitely prepare for the expense of long-term care, including memory care. Purchasing some type of insurance policy to offset the risk of facing this expense could be a part of your...
Last year we advised a client to consider rolling over a 401k that they had with a former employer to their SIMPLE IRA with their current employer. Several weeks later, Chris sent us this e-mail. We have edited it to protect the privacy of the client: I am having my...
A while back a client and I were discussing his investment accounts. During the conversation, he mentioned how he paid attention to the “market” as a proxy for the relative performance of his account. In other words, when the “market” was up, he figured he was up. And...
The lifetime of experience you've accumulated in your career doesn't become any less valuable once you've retired. Many seniors turn to part-time jobs, volunteer positions, tutoring, and mentorship to stay sharp, stay active, connect, and give back in retirement....