Briefcase Study: What Is Your First Memory Of Money?
What Is Your First Memory Of Money? A few years ago, I was talking with a man who was contemplating retirement. He and his wife had worked very hard for a long time and had accumulated considerable assets and carried no debt. As we ran and re-ran the numbers, tweaking and questioning all assumptions and variables, he continued to struggle …
2020 Spring Newsletter: Kansas City
ELEVATED INSIDER What can I say about COVID-19, the Coronavirus, that hasn’t already been said? The economy has nearly grinded to a halt, markets have declined steeply, and people are left to wonder how this all plays out. Meanwhile, we’re sitting in our homes trying to be patient, while quietly battling anxiety and loneliness. The only solace, it seems, is …
Secure Act Passed by Congress
What Steps Can You Take To Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones? On December 19th, Congress passed a spending bill that includes seismic changes to IRAs and retirement plans. The SECURE Act will reshape how IRAs are handled both during life and after death, creating an enormous tax impact for families who don’t plan ahead. Congress and the President have …
2019 Fall Festival Results
We are so thankful for the support we received at the 2019 fall festival. Not only did we have an opportunity to enjoy your company, great food provided by Charbar; really good beer from Boulevard Brewing Company… we also raised $12,015.00 to help grant the wish of a child diagnosed with a critical illness. In the United States and its …
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 …
2020 Winter Newsletter: Kansas City
ELEVATED INSIDER Making Time Tangible Here we are. It’s the start of another year, it’s all anew again. I think the year 2020 sounds like science fiction; when you think back to when you were younger, could you even imagine living in the year 2020? Maybe you’re like me and find yourself meeting this new year with a combination of …
2019 Fall Newsletter: Kansas City
ELEVATED INSIDER If I were a betting man, I’d wager that you’re wondering how we got to Fall already. “How is time passing so quickly?” No kidding. Well, here we are. It’s this time-marches-on sentiment that underpins what we do here. Time matters a lot in the work we do with you; retirees need money available to pay the bills …
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 …
