“They were told where they belonged, and they acted accordingly.” In his book, Predictably Irrational, Dan Ariely highlights how our understanding of our current situation impacts how we will behave in the future. “One stereotype of Asian Americans, for instance, is that they are especially gifted in mathematics and science. A common stereotype of females
This last checklist post is during some of my favorite months in the year! Fall and winter are a time for hot chocolate, chopping wood, and plenty of time with the sun down to get your financial ducks in a row. (NOTE: If you are one to procrastinate then I would suggest reading my previous
There seem to be a million things I love about summer weekends at the lake: the warm breezes, dogs swimming off the dock, grandkids swimming, skiing and jumping from the top. We soak up sunrises and sunsets like they are the first we’ve ever seen. But then we begin to notice the leaves of the Yellow
How Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) Should Be Used Do you own company stock within your 401(k)? Wouldn’t it be great if you could drastically lower your tax rate on this portion of your 401(k)? If that were possible, this tax rate transfer could lower your taxes up to 20%. It sounds great, but, how is
Every parent I know struggles with how to teach their kids about money. And even though I’m a financial planner, I’m no different. Below, I’ll walk you through how my wife and I are giving it our best shot. I’ll cover how we address saving, giving, investing and how allowances fit into it. As I
If a student isn’t going the military, technical school, or community college route, then I would suggest that now is a good time to plan for upcoming college costs. Whether we are using scholarships, loans, or financial aid, there’s typically money hiding somewhere, if we look hard enough. Higher learning expenses go far beyond tuition
(Updated: In an earlier version of this post, I couldn’t recall the name of the children’s book I reference throughout. I offered a $25 reward, payable to the sleuth’s charity of choice, for anyone who could help me. In less than a day, one of our readers emailed me the title “The Creature Department”. I happily
Currently, 1 out of 4 Americans over age 65 count on Social Security (SS) for 90% or more of their income. And since an individual’s lifetime Social Security benefit can often total more than $1 million, it is worth considering variables that can alter this value. Beyond the obvious (make more money), individuals can delay
Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts are meant to provide tax savings when covering certain living expenses for people who are mentally or physically disabled prior to age 26. ABLE accounts began late in 2014 and have not yet become well known in the community or among many advisers I talk with. In an ABLE