Employee Spotlight: Julia Urquhart
Julia Urquhart, Office Manager Julia grew up in the Kansas City area, attending Universities of Missouri – Columbia & Kansas City, where she studied Business with emphasis in Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Psychology. When not working Julia spends her time running around with her thirteen year old step-son, Jonathon, and two rescue dogs, Rocky & Rosie. She enjoys gardening, playing golf …
Briefcase Study: Pension Options
A very common decision for current retirees to make, and one that we’ve seen a lot of recently, is that of which pension option to choose when preparing for retirement from your company, school, or municipality. You’ll see options such as Single Life Annuity, 50% Joint & Survivor Annuity, or Partial Lump Sum Option (PLOP). All of these options can …
Back to the Basics: Having A Budget Vs. Budgeting
One of the most critical – and often overlooked – aspects of planning a successful retirement is the estimating of expenses during retirement. The ability to project what your lifestyle will cost into retirement allows you to determine whether the nest egg you’ve accumulated will go the distance. When we approach this subject with aspiring retirees, we’re often met with …
Back to the Basics: Total Value
So much attention gets paid to the growth (or decline) of the stock market that I fear we can become hypnotized by it and fall prey to sloppy fundamentals from time to time. How do I know this? Because many of the people we work with admit to receiving each investment statement and simply doing the ol’ “Is it up …
Briefcase Study: “So, compared to others, how are we doing?”
This question came up recently and it comes up often and I love it when people have the courage to ask. Don’t you secretly want to know if you’ve saved more than your friends or if your income is higher? It’s easy to tell if your house is bigger or if your car is more expensive. But when it comes …
2019 Fall Festival Raffle Silent Auction
We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, October 29 for the 2019 Fall Festival Raffle & Silent Auction at Boulevard Brewing Company. Our goal this year is to raise $10,000.00 for Make-A-Wish! Evening Agenda 6:00-7:00pm Cocktails & Appetizers – Introduction, Silent Auction, Raffle 7:00pm Dinner 8:00pm Raffle, Silent Auction Winners Announced 9:00pm Evening Concludes Raffle & Silent Auction: Items …
The Scent Of A…Nursing Home
Almost every time I write a nursing home-related piece, I receive a comment or three that sounds something like this: “Is there a way to plan so that I don’t ever have to set foot in a nursing home? It’s that smell!” Before I address the underlying question, allow me to share your concern. I get it. There is a certain …
27 Retirement Risks: Which Is (Arguably) Most Damaging
Life is fraught with danger; everybody knows this. When we take a closer look at one particular slice of life, retirement, we begin to see more clearly what those risks are. This recognition allows us to begin hedging against risks as best we can, through prudent planning. Before we get started, we must first agree on the desired outcome of …
Briefcase Study: The Tax Torpedo
In a recent meeting with a family we serve, the conversation – as it often does – turned to Social Security. The question was, once again, whether it was best to begin receiving Social Security benefits at age 62 or wait until age 66 and 6 months, their Full Retirement Age (FRA) with Social Security. I was reminded how important …
Back to the Basics: Seven Factors in Determining Retirement Age
Retirement means something a bit different to everyone. To some, it’s a financial finish line. To others, retirement represents a transition from paid work to volunteer work. Whatever it means to you and those close to you, retirement happens, whether by choice or by force. As a person nears ‘retirement age’ a litany of decisions arise that must be carefully …
