I was talking with a client recently and she mentioned a dear friend who had recently lost her husband. While the friend was working to settle the estate, to her surprise she found that she was not listed on some accounts and that she had almost no personal financial history of her own. This was …
retirement
Where is My Old 401(k)?
Almost 12.5 million Americans change jobs every year, according to Retirement Clearinghouse via Forbes, and have to figure out what to do with a company-sponsored retirement account. If you are like a lot of people, most of your job changes have come at a hectic time. Either you left on your own because of a …
What Should I Do Before I Retire?
It’s a simple question with a not so simple answer. Today, as most workers approach the Retirement Red Zone (the 5 years leading up to retirement and the 5 years after), they are faced with challenges. No longer can they count on the company pension to provide a steady income for life after they stop …
Do I Need a Financial Advisor?
It’s a good question. But the answer is like a lot of financial planning advice: unsatisfying. That’s because the only truthful answer is: it depends. So how do you know if you need a financial advisor? Here are some questions that may help you find your answer: Do you need help tracking your monthly finances? …
Roth IRA vs. Traditional IRA
The Roth IRA is turning 20 this year. For some of us, it’s still a new idea while for others, it’s been a fixture of their entire investing life. Whatever your perspective, it’s a great tool and it’s been used a lot. Roth IRAs currently hold more than $660 billion in assets, according to the …
Who Needs Friends?
I remember the time my sales training coach said, “We are not trying to make friends. I got all the friends I need. What I need is more clients.” He was urging us to be more direct in asking a prospect to buy our products. Like a lot of people, this was challenging for me. …