COVID-19 Adds Even More Incentive to Future-Proof Your Retirement with a Roth
Considering the stimulus spending going on, tax rates this low aren’t likely to last, so take advantage now. Back in 2018, when the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) went into effect, did your financial adviser encourage the idea of changing how you save for retirement? If you took action, you likely established a strategy to withdraw some or even …
What Newer Retirees Aren’t Talking About
There’s one thing I can report that I’m NOT hearing from newer retires: that it’s awful. That’s right. Not a single time have I heard someone say they’re loathing their ability to be a person of the retired class. Instead, newer retirees share stories of travel, time spent with family, projects they’ve considered getting around to doing on the house, …
The Metric System
Carpenters and bakers know the pain, but have simply embraced it. “Because we’ve always done it this way” means we should keep doing it this way, or so the story goes. In the 1970s there was a movement to eradicate this pain, but it just didn’t stick. The metric system, they said, just wasn’t going to provide enough benefits to …
Briefcase Study: If a Tree Falls In the Woods
If a Tree Falls In the Woods, and Other Election Year Thoughts During a recent meeting, and then at another meeting, and another…the question came up: “With an election coming up, what should we be doing about our investments?” Here we are, in the midst of a presidential election season, and we’re all searching for answers. People are asking themselves, …
Back to the Basics: Two Ways To Estimate Retirement Expenses; One Fast, One Slow
Retirement Planning done well should feel like a state of flow. Money flows in, money flows out; the rate of this flow is determined by your chosen lifestyle. Ideally, your lifestyle conforms naturally to your desires and needs, as they shift with your health and interests. Thus your accumulated assets should provide you with enough income (flow in) to match …
Team Spotlight: Katie Murray
Katie Murray, Office Manager Please welcome our newest team member Katie Murray. Katie will be the friendly voice you’ll hear when you call the office and the bright & cheerful face you’ll see when you walk in. Katie was born and raised in “The Good Life” of Nebraska, go Huskers! She has an extensive background of over 8 years in …
Retiring At A Time Like This?
Anytime a person utters the phrase, “This time it’s different” I get a little skeptical. I’ll bet you do too. It seems that being alive for at least a few decades leads us to believe that we’ve seen it all before, there’s nothing new under the sun. This is likely why kids are so fun to be around, because it’s …
Rent A Dumpster, Change Your Life
A good friend woke up one day with the fire in his belly to get his financial life moving forward in a big way. Paying off old debts, setting aside savings, and making some tax-wise moves hit his radar screen in a big way. He was, and is, urgent about it. I couldn’t be happier for him and his young …
Back To Normal. Right?
Have you ever known a couple who breaks up after a long relationship, then reconciles again? It’s a huge sigh of relief for all of those who know them because, after all, they’re meant to be together. And while this looks and feels great from the outside, it’s complicated for the couple. They now appreciate one another more than ever, …
Income Backwardization
As I’ll often do, I recently carved out time to review the latest in retirement income planning research (Some people golf, others travel, this is what I do for fun!). In my quest, I stumbled upon a summary titled, ‘39 Modern Retirement Income Planning Techniques’ by Wade Pfau. Since this is so fascinating to me, I thought I’d fully explain …