Financial planning is about thinking ahead, prudently planning for the future. With that in mind, it’s only natural that from time to time you might ask the question: “What happens when my financial planner retires?” Or you might as the question: “What happens if my financial planner gets hit by a bus?” What should I …
financial advice
What is an Independent Financial Planner?
When you visit a Ford dealership and look at cars, do you ever expect the new car advisor to suggest that a Toyota might better meet your needs? No. Everybody knows that the “advisors” at a car dealership work for the dealer and are trying to help you buy one of the cars the dealer …
Fake News: Financial Style
We hear quite a bit about “fake news” these days. It’s a term that doesn’t have a reliable definition. But one thing is true: all the talk of “fake news” has made some people much more likely to question the information they receive. I think some healthy skepticism is prudent. It’s my hope that this …
What Should I Look for in a Financial Planner?
So your youngest kid just graduated from college. You just realized you have 30 years of work history. You found a notebook from your first year at work and you notice a goal you wrote down: “Retire by age 50.” This year you will celebrate your 55th birthday. You’ve been saving into the 401(k) at …
Protect Yourself Against the Coming Market Decline
Twelve things you can’t control about the next market decline, and 13 things you can control. As we near the half-way mark of the year, the MSCI world stock index is up about 1 percent for the year. So far, not a great year for your 401(k). Is it the end of the bull market? The beginning …
Is a Roth 401(k) right for you?
In the Revenue Act of 1978, the 401(k) retirement savings plan was born. This law gave employees the choice to receive a portion of their earnings as deferred compensation held in a special account. The employees did not pay tax on that money in the year it was earned. They would pay income tax in …