The attached article has some great stories about how there is not just one way to retire. While some people consider stopping work as a one-way train to crotchety old age, others keep active and busy with hobbies, grandkids, volunteer work, and even their memberships in the American Association for Nude Recreation. No lie, click…
I went to the Financial Planning Association’s annual Symposium in September. This is a great opportunity for financial planners to get new information and catch up with old friends. As usual, it was a great event and I learned lots of cool stuff. Our lunch keynote speaker was Joe Hurley, founder of the website www.savingforcollege.com.…
Now, this is the kind of news I like to see. Charitable giving from all sources was $358 billion in 2014, the highest amount since its 2007 peak. Fifty four percent of the year over year growth from 2013 was driven by individuals. See, we don’t all have to be Bill and Melinda Gates to…
Did you know that financial planners have seasons? It’s true! Summer is very slow in my business because people are in a vacation mind-set. That school calendar is forever embedded in our brains. When fall rolls around, folks are ready to get serious about their finances again. Why not use that built-in momentum to offer…
That’s right, I said YOUR plan, because I already know my kids aren’t getting any athletic or academic scholarships. At a Financial Planning Association meeting I picked up this flyer from the nice folks at College Invest. In the flyer there are several interesting statistics: 83% of Colorado parents expect their child to receive a…
If you are going through or contemplating a divorce, first of all, I’m sorry. That is a terrible time for all involved. Other than custody of minor children, the biggest sticking point is how to divide assets. There are financial planners who have extra education in this area and the most recognized certification is CDFA…
I don’t like to feed into the media hysteria when it comes to stock market drops. As I say repeatedly to clients, friends, in this blog, and to my cat, stock market recessions are a normal part of the economy. They last on average 12-18 months, so the pain is temporary. Drops in the stock…
This article reminded me of another reason it’s better to pay for financial advice separately from high cost investments. Front-end loads, 12b-1 fees, and annual expense ratios are not tax deductible. Financial advice such as tax-preparation fees, investment advisory annual fees, and the cost of creating a financial plan are tax-deductible. Client Education More Important…
Below are three retirement savings loopholes that may be here today, gone tomorrow. Tomorrow of course being in 10 years when legislation manages to get passed in our gridlocked government. Don’t panic, but just be aware that just because something is in the tax code today, doesn’t mean that it will be allowed forever. Back-door…
Even financial planners have a rough time getting Social Security information. I recently tried to log in to my Social Security account and was told that an account couldn’t be created for my Social Security Number. “Please contact us for help!” So, I called the number, interacted for about 5 minutes with the robot on…
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