Many of you are probably familiar with the concept of a circuit breaker. It’s a safety device that shuts off the flow of electricity when the system senses something could be going wrong. The effect is to save the electrical system from damage which can be potentially caused by overload …
Charles Dickens wrote in his book The Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.” That phrase comes to mind as I read the news. Today, the average person enjoys …
Many people are curious about how they get money from their retirement accounts once they have stopped working. This month, I wanted to help illustrate how distributions work, and the effects that unplanned distributions can have on a retirement portfolio. Let’s say you saved a nest egg of $250,000 in …
On December 20, 2019, the SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) was signed into law, bringing with it significant changes to the retirement planning landscape. We believe some of the changes are positive, and some are not. If you have a qualified retirement account (and most of …
The new year means that one-fifth of this century is already history! For me (and I suspect some of you as well), it seems like just yesterday that we were ringing in the new century and waiting for the lights to go out because of Y2K. Now we are on …
I recently was on a community call hosted by one of my mentors, Susan Bradley (founder of the Financial Transitionist Institute), and the topic was how families navigate change during the holidays. The holidays are a time of emotional connection – which can be the source of both appreciation …
Fall is “Open Enrollment Period” for many companies and an excellent time to revisit your employee benefits. Are you getting the most out of the options your employer is offering to you? Here are my top 5 tips on what to consider. Healthcare Tip: the H S A (Health Savings …
There are influential professionals, advisors, and mentors that assist us in many aspects of our lives. I’ve personally found it helpful to find people who have strong values and are committed to helping others. Knowing good questions to ask people you are considering whom to entrust and hire as an …
For many parents, a college education is an important part of a child’s journey into adulthood. Funding this part of the journey often presents a challenge, though – and potentially long-lasting financial consequences to both the parents and the child. As we enter back-to-school season, I offer these top 3 …
In this age of acronyms, one of the best I’ve heard is QTL. Quality Time Left. A friend of mine who was recently celebrating the 29th anniversary of his 31st birthday (my backhanded way of saying he turned 60) introduced me to the concept of QTL. During this summer season, …
