Since this blog will be going out near Christmas, I’m going to skip the heavy mental work and provide you with a heavy recipe instead. They are addictive, high fat, and by the time you buy all of the butter and cheese you will be broke. However, they are super-delicious and worth it. The recipe was…
It occurred to me as I wrote the last blog that I maybe was putting the cart before the horse. File-and-Suspend strategy is pretty complex and most people don’t understand even the basics of Social Security. So, here are a few concepts that will help you speak that beautiful language that I call Social Securitese.…
It’s November and what a perfect time to thank my wonderful network of friends, clients, and colleagues for giving my name to their friends, clients, and colleagues! So, here is a list (in no particular order and probably incomplete) of people who have referred Sullivan Financial Planning in 2015: Erica Johnson, Ambler and Keenan David…
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…
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…
In the May, 2015 print edition of Money Magazine, there is an article called 101 Ways to Build Wealth. These list-type of articles come around often and say many of the same things, but a few interesting ones I found were these: “Tip #15: Don’t Tend to Your 401(k) After a Rough Day at Work.…
Many people envision retiring to a beachy paradise. And, it’s true, warm states like Florida, Arizona, and North Carolina are seeing an influx of new faces, many of them retired. However, according to US census bureau data, only about 4% of Americans aged 65 and older move each year. What are some things to consider…
Happy New Year! In my financial planning business, I work with three distinct groups: Those who are just starting out in their professional and investing lives (ages 25-30) People who are building careers, families, and savings portfolios (30s – 50s) Pre-retirees or people who have recently retired (50s and beyond) Following are the New Year’s…
“Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year.” ―Victor Borge Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice. ―Dave Barry “Keep your friends close, your enemies closer, and…
A financial planner telling you how to spend MORE money over the holidays? What madness is this? Well, I’ve about read my fill of articles telling me to make a list and check it twice before double buying gifts for Great-Aunt Gertrude (by the way I do use a Christmas list and it really works!). …
