For most, owning a home is one of the next big steps after college. A few years pass and you’re either earning more money or starting a family and you roll your equity into a bigger house. However, after the real estate market took a hit in ’08/’09 people have started questioning this age-old wisdom…
Most of us, including myself, get hung up on allowing a dollar figure to determine how “wealthy” we are. When in fact, wealth can be made up of things that are worth far more than money but are harder to quantify. Because of this difficulty in measuring, we often default to overlook these alternative measures….
In 2007, the U.S. Postal Service introduced the first Forever Stamp for 41 cents. It was a great way for the postal service to increase their cash flow, but it was also beneficial for individuals, who knew they would be sending letters in the future, to “prepay” for stamps in hopes of sidestepping future postage…
You can learn a lot from ice cream if you pay attention. A few years ago, a brother-sister team launched the Simply Scrumptious Ice Cream Pontoon Boat on Lake Tillery. Its bright yellow bimini top matches the paneling which displays a rotating list of homemade ice creams, custards, and cookies. It really hits the spot…
I often overhear conversations of someone discussing how leasing a car is the most intelligent approach to having transportation. However, seconds later, I hear the audible scoff of the car buying group, as if buying a car is the best financial decision since Seward’s Folly. Luckily, we don’t like to pick sides. Instead, we let…
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…
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…
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…
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