Blog
Plan a Date for a Heart-to-Heart Couple’s Talk About Retirement Planning
Retirement planning may not be your idea of an exciting date night. However, retirement strategies and goals are so varied that couples in committed relationships need to set aside time to discuss plans for when they leave the...
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Prepare, Don't Repair: Engaging a Financial Professional Before Crisis Strikes
Between work commitments, children’s schedules, and fall cleaning, how much time is left in our busy days to think about financial planning? Many of us choose to delay thinking about our finances until much later or to manage them alone.
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4 Tough Questions Clients Ask Their Financial Professionals
One of the most important decisions we make in our lives is how we plan to manage our money. Some people feel confident enough to tackle it themselves. However, The Vanguard Group found that financial advisors often fare better returns.
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The Road to High-Net-Worth: Strategic 401(k) Moves to Amplify Your Wealth
As one embarks on their journey toward a high-net-worth status, it's crucial to understand that strategic planning and intelligent decision-making are essential for wealth generation and preservation.
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The U.S. Economy and Financial Markets: Passing the Tests
With fall upon us and students back in classrooms, it seems like a good time to reflect on the various tests that the U.S. economy and stock market have passed recently.
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Always Be Aware of Your Surroundings, Including the Current Economic Landscape
If you're someone who tends to avoid cable news programs, you may wonder about the best way to stay up-to-date on the current economic climate.
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From Piggy Banks to Bank Accounts: Parental Financial Advice for CollegeBound Students
Although many teens are loath to admit it, they rely heavily on advice from trusted adults in their lives—especially their parents.
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Perspectives on Market Volatility
Stocks must have gotten the memo that August tends to be weak historically. July, the eighth positive month in the past nine, was quickly forgotten as the beginning of August greeted us with a selloff. The primary catalyst was August...
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The Sandwich Generation and Retirement: Overcoming the Dual-Caregiving Dilemma
The "Sandwich Generation" is composed of adults who are ‘sandwiched’ between competing financial responsibilities. Many Sandwich Gen members support their aging parents while also providing for their children (or even grandchildren)...
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Sandwich Generation: Watch Out for These Costly Financial Pitfalls
The sandwich generation is generally defined as middle-aged individuals aged 40 to 60 (Generation X) sandwiched between aging parents, adult children, and grandchildren. Because members of the sandwich generation have been in the...
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3 Ways Planning For Retirement is Like Planning For Summer Break
For kids, teens, and college students, summer break often represents freedom from schedules, responsibilities, and all those other drains on your time. Retirement actually can provide a similar level of freedom, but only if you've...
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Retirement Planning: The Ultimate Endless Summer Adventure
If you're like some, you may have spent large parts of your working life missing the carefree summer days of your childhood. That is, of course, assuming you had a happy childhood. If not, try to imagine how it might be if your...
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Tips to Shape Up Your Fiscal Fitness this Summer
Many people realize that the best way to stay in shape is to develop an appropriate fitness regimen and then stick with it. If you start a fitness program and drop out, you never give yourself a chance to become physically fit. In the...
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Investor Summer School: 3 Investing Moves to Make Before Summer is Over
Many investors still adhere to the old adage—"sell in May and go away"—while others remain fully invested even as the summer heat waves begin. What goes unsaid is that if your asset allocation accurately reflects your risk tolerance,...
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Stocks Benefit from a Solid Fundamental Foundation
April showers brought May flowers as markets placed greater importance on economic growth and corporate profits than the “higher for longer” interest rate messages from the Federal Reserve (Fed). In fact, the S&P 500 ended May above...
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The Facts of LIFE (Living Independently For Elders): Financial Planning and Senior Independence
Navigating elder care and elder care finances in the U.S. can be a challenge even for the most well-prepared households. So what, exactly, is involved in senior financial planning? What steps can you take now to help you be prepared...
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Navigating the Financial Challenges of Dementia
Dementia is a complex and devastating condition that not only affects the emotional and mental well-being of individuals but also places an immense financial burden on families. A recent study from the University of Michigan, published...
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3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Claim Social Security
Planning for retirement is exciting, but it may come with a bit of stress. If you worked hard all your life, now might be the time to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. One of the things that you may need to consider is when it...
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Investing in Your 60s and Beyond
Once you are in your 60s, you are likely to focus less on growing your retirement funds than answering, "When do I retire?" And once you crack open your nest egg, how should you allocate its contents? The answer often lies in a...
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Navigating May's Stock Market Outlook
After a strong first quarter for stocks, some April showers rained down as the S&P 500 fell about 4% last month. Hopefully those showers will bring some flowers in May, despite the widely cited stock market adage, “Sell in May and go...
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Social Security Isn’t Enough: How Social Security Fits into a Well-Rounded Retirement Plan
If you're nearing retirement age, you know the Social Security process and how much you will likely receive. With that information, you may have also anticipated that your Social Security benefit would not be enough to sustain you in...
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The Business Owner’s Guide to Social Security: Planning for Your Future
Yes, even if you are a business owner or self-employed, you can receive Social Security benefits as long as you have been paying Social Security tax each year. The Social Security Administration defines you as self-employed if you...
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An Excellent First Quarter for Stocks
The first quarter is in the books, and it was an excellent one for stocks. The S&P 500 index rode a resilient U.S. economy, easing inflation, rising corporate profits, and anticipation of summertime rate cuts from the Federal Reserve...
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Social Security Simplified: Common Questions and Answers
Most American workers who earn wage income and pay Social Security taxes via withholding receive Social Security benefits at some point in retirement. While the Social Security Administration has tried to make the process easier to...
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Worried About Life After Work? Get More Out of Your Social Security Benefits With These Tips
Social Security benefits are critical to retirement planning. These monthly benefits provide a financial safety net for millions of Americans. But you must navigate the system strategically to get the most out of your Social Security...
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Why Your Credit Score Fluctuates
Having a good credit score is essential for many aspects of life. Most lenders rely on it to determine your creditworthiness, which can impact whether you get approved for a loan as well as the interest rates you get on credit cards.
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Why Your Credit Score Matters in Retirement
Regardless of the stage of life, your credit score is an essential component of your financial health when you're in retirement.
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Navigating Credit Wisely as a HENRY: Strategies for Financial Success
As a high earner not rich yet (HENRY), you find yourself in a good place – where strategic decisions may pave the way for lasting wealth. One crucial aspect of managing your finances includes understanding how to use credit.
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Markets Heating Up
As spring approaches, the weather is starting to warm up. For the stock market, the temperature has been rising for a while now. In fact, since December 2023, the S&P 500 has not experienced a pullback of even 2%. Strong starts to...
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The Importance of Business Credit and How to Build It
Credit is one of the most important factors of life that impacts all businesses. Having solid credit is necessary for securing a small business loan. Most lenders consider an acceptable business credit score of 75.
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How to Plan for a Healthy Retirement
Planning for retirement often involves focusing on your finances and ensuring that you not only will have enough to sustain you during your retirement but adequate funds to do the things you enjoy doing.
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Healthcare in Retirement
What health care benefits are available in retirement? Health care in retirement is available from many sources. Government programs (such as Medicaid and Medicare) offer numerous health care benefits.
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Solid Start to 2024
Stocks are off to a solid start in 2024. January gains are particularly enjoyable because of the old adage from the Stock Trader’s Almanac, “As goes January, so goes the year.” Nearly 75 years of historical data shows...
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You’re About to Retire: Here are 7 Tips to Stay Independent
Independence is important in retirement. The more independent retirees are, the more fulfilling their retirement is likely to be. However, living independently as you age isn't always easy and may take some degree of planning.
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Your Financial Future is Like Football
Are you a football fan? Do you analyze the teams, study the plays, rattle off statistics, current and years past? The steps required to plan your financial future are not dissimilar to football.
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2024 Contribution Limits: What’s New?
Life today is expensive, and contributing to a retirement plan is more beneficial than ever. Recently, the IRS announced it was raising the contribution limit for 401(k)s to $23,000 for 2024, up from $22,500.
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8 Financial Wellness Tips to Help Manage Generational Wealth
Asset management and financial wellness can help develop long-term confidence when wealth transfers from generation to generation. Understanding and implementing financial wellness techniques is essential for effectively sharing wealth.
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Important Lessons from 2023
Stocks defied the skeptics in a very unpredictable 2023. The Dow Jones finished at an all-time record high on December 28, and the S&P 500 came within a whisker of a fresh all-time high after the index rallied more than 20% for the...
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Picking Your Financial Professional
Many financially successful people are comparison shoppers. If you’re one, you pore over ratings in consumer magazines, read websites for reviews and compare scores of products before you buy even everyday products like coffee.
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5 Financial Wellness Myths Surrounding Near Retirees
When people think of retirement, they often have an image formulated in their minds of what it will be like. The thing about it, the reality might not be what they expected.
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Creating Financial Resolutions as a Couple
It's a new year and the time of year when you want to make resolutions about your personal life, business life, and finances. It is the perfect time for couples to get together and set their own financial goals for the upcoming year....
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Year-End Tax Planning Considerations for Capital Gains
As the end of the year approaches, investors need to focus on tax-related considerations, particularly regarding capital gains. Year-end tax planning can help investors manage their overall tax liability while seeking to manage...
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Outlook 2024: A Turning Point
LPL Research recently unveiled Outlook 2024: A Turning Point, which recaps where markets have been over the last half of 2023 to help position your portfolio through midyear of 2024. It’s with pleasure that we bring you a few of...
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Scrooge and the Ghosts of Financial Planning
In Charles Dickens's timeless classic, "A Christmas Carol," Ebenezer Scrooge transforms from a miserly old man to a generous and empathetic soul. Along the way, he encounters the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, who...
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A November to Remember
Solid gains for both stocks and bonds gave investors a November to remember. As financial markets continue to defy skeptics, I’m reminded of a quote from Warren Buffett’s long-time partner and one of the greatest investors...
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5 Strategies for Managing Financial Stress During the Holidays
The holiday season is a time of joy and headaches, celebration, fatigue, and togetherness mixed with a few knock-down drag-out fights. On top of the emotional rollercoaster ride can come a big wallop of financial stress. From buying...
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Year-End Financial Planning for Families
Year-end financial planning can help you assess your family’s financial situation, identify areas for improvement, and set achievable goals for the future. Here’s a closer look at seven essential areas where reviewing may...
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Trusts and Year-End Planning: A Checklist
A trust is a legal vehicle that protects your assets that contains instructions for your assets when you die or become incapacitated. When you set up a trust, you transfer assets from your name into your trust's name while you still...
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Year-End Planning for Retirees
As we approach the last quarter of each year, it is a good time to plan for the next one. Year-end planning is especially important for existing retirees and those hoping to retire in the next few years. There are tax and income...
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Year-End Tax Planning for High-Net-Worth Individuals
As the year’s end approaches, High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs) must prepare for one of the most critical monetary tasks: year-end tax planning. Due to the nature of their holdings and dynamic financial situation, HNWIs often...
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Use Your Annuity to Pay for Long-Term Care Insurance
The cost of long-term care can quickly deplete your savings and affect the quality of life for you and your family. Long-term care insurance allows you to share that cost with an insurance company. But premiums for long-term care...
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Why You Should Factor Long-Term Care Into Your Estate Plan
A solid estate plan should not only provide for your assets after you pass, but also plan for your long-term care while you're alive. With the median cost of a long-term care facility approaching $8,000 per month, paying for long-term...
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Staying the Course
The S&P 500 lost 3.3% in the third quarter after sliding nearly 5% in September. Putting this into perspective, nothing really qualifies as out of the ordinary. Since 1950, the S&P 500 has historically declined in September 55% of the...
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Traditional vs. Hybrid Long-Term Care Insurance: Which is Appropriate for You?
Growing old is simply one thing you can’t avoid. The goal is to enjoy your retirement years as you imagined after a lifetime of working. One aspect of growing old that young people may overlook is long-term care insurance and how...
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Long-Term Care Insurance: How Does It Work?
Whether you've had a long-term care insurance (LTCI) policy for years or you're thinking of buying one, it's critical to understand exactly what set of conditions will trigger coverage. This information is the bread and butter of any...
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Shutdowns and the Impact to Financial Markets
Government shutdowns have become a recurrent feature of American politics, with their origins dating back to the late 20th century. These shutdowns, which occur when the U.S. government fails to pass a budget or spending bill, can have...
Read MoreA Smaller Social Security Bump May Be On the Way
I wanted to take a moment to update you on the potential changes to Social Security benefits for 2024. As I'm sure you know, the Social Security Administration calculates annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) based on the Consumer...
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