How Your 401(k) Deceives You
So much has changed in the past three or four decades when it comes to retirement. For one, there was a time when you worked at one company your entire career, then retired with a gold watch and a lifetime pension. While many of our clients still have a company pension, “they ain’t what they used to be,” as the …
Prepare For a Loved One’s Long Term Care by Preparing Yourself First
My, how times have changed. There once was a time when nursing homes were not what they are today. When dad or grandma could no longer live alone and care for him or herself, moving them into a nursing home wasn’t really an option. Instead, you would have moved them into your home. They would live out their final days …
Back to the Basics: Tax Planning Opportunities for Retirees
Most people probably don’t consider this, but the single largest expense every year for a successful retiree isn’t putting fuel in the RV or even medical costs; it’s taxes. Between property, sales, and income taxes, the numbers can get pretty big pretty fast. Given this sneaky financial reality, tax planning has become an essential part of retirement planning because it …
Briefcase Study: A Hybrid Retirement
When shopping for a new car, buyers are now faced with many more choices than whether to get the blue one or the silver one. Choosing among powertrain options has made the process much more intellectual and even political. While some may choose a traditional gas-powered engine, others opt for the chance to go all electric. But for some, the …
Opposites Attract: Marriage and Retirement Planning
A wonderful blessing and a curse of marriage is the joining together of two very different people. While their values are likely the same, the challenges of living life together have caused many a couple to struggle with financial decision-making. One spouse may obsess over every penny, while the other spouse is a never-ending party, spending money feely, because “Hey, …
What’s Your Plan for Rising Taxes?
Much has been written and said about taxes. Nobody likes paying them, but pay them we must. Few people would volunteer to have a detailed discussion about taxes, but here we are, deciding whether to keep reading or just hit delete and hope everything just turns out okay. In light of the un-exciting nature of tax talk, I’ll start with …
The Power of Hindsight – Money’s Impact on Family
If you want to see my heart break, tell me a story about a family ripped apart by money quarrels. I just cannot stand to think that relationships once valued were severed by a disagreement over financial matters. I’m actually sick to my stomach having just written those two sentences. It just seems unnecessary, but it happens all the time. …
Recession Is Approaching
It’s coming, can you feel it? The next recession is getting closer and closer, there’s no doubt. How do I know this? Simply put, recessions happen and we haven’t had one in quite some time, so it’s a safe prediction to make that the passing of each day moves us closer to the next. Are you ready? Before we get …
How to Plan for Retirement’s Go-Go, Slow-Go and No-Go Years
When retirement planning, it’s best to expect to do the big (and more expensive) stuff early on, when you’re healthier, then slow things down as you get older. What comes to mind when you hear the term “retirement planning”? Most people think of investments, Social Security, health insurance, tax strategies and other money-related issues. These pieces are all a big …
Client Corner: Trip of a Lifetime for LaMar & Meg
This past March we went on, what we would consider, a trip of a lifetime. We flew into Sydney, Australia, boarded the Coral Princes and cruised around Australia and Tasmania. From Sydney we headed north, travelling counter clockwise around the continent stopping at every major city and some smaller towns. In Tasmania we stopped at Burnie and Hobart. At each …
