“Refinance – yes, no, maybe”? With interest rates at historic lows, I field this question a lot. My response is always the same: “Well, it depends”. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the refi question. A multitude of factors are at play here: What are you trying to accomplish? What are the details of your Read More
Posts Categorized: Financial Planning
Goodbye 2020: Financial thoughts for the New Year
We have almost made it. 2020 has certainly been tough for our community, our country, and our world. A post-pandemic future appears to be somewhere on the horizon. We still have a long way to go to get there. For now, with a new year right around the corner, I have a few thoughts to Read More
Longevity and the American retirement savings gap
It is the refrain heard your entire adult life: Save, save, save for retirement! And for good reason. It takes most people their entire career to build up a big enough nest egg to live off of after exiting the workforce. With Americans living much longer and still retiring at about the same age as Read More
What’s moving the markets?
Historic Q2 GDP drop. The GDP numbers for the second quarter showed a historically unprecedented decrease of 32.9%. Read more… Resurging COVID cases. A massive uptick in U.S. coronavirus infections is causing the economic bounce from the depths of the shutdown to stall. It’s looking to be a rough second half of the year for the Read More
Black swans: Unpredictable economic turmoil and teaching moments
A “black swan” is a completely unanticipated event which, usually, has a resoundingly negative impact on the economy. These events take everyone by surprise, even the smart folks who spend their days constantly analyzing, monitoring, and crunching the financial numbers. Forecasting out the short and long term ramifications of black swans can be a nearly Read More
COVID-19: Where we are and where we are headed
Unprecedented. A virtually nationwide lockdown to mitigate the ongoing spread of disease. The inability to be anywhere near one another for fear of transmitting the virus. The astronomically negative impact on our healthcare system. The gut punch to the U.S. economy and the global marketplace. Yes, most everything at this present moment is aptly described Read More
COVID-19: Economic uncertainty and the emotional toll
How quickly things can change. The past few weeks have been unprecedented. The health crisis of COVID-19 has permeated our daily lives and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. This abrupt transformation is creating drastic economic uncertainty. Investors are revaluing what the next 12-18 months look like for companies and their earnings. Most Read More
The tipping point: When hiring a financial advisor makes sense (and when it doesn’t)
People often waver on when to hire a financial advisor. Culling through the plethora of general financial and investment advice on Google may do the trick for years. Chatting with close friend and family circles can be helpful. Yet there still may be an underlying hesitation, fear, confusion, or lack of confidence on how to Read More
Intentional spending in a swipe it and forget it world
It’s becoming almost too easy to spend money. No cash? No problem. Credit cards will do just fine. No wallet? That’s okay. Simply tap your phone and be on your merry way. Pretty soon you’ll be able to “buy” something at a store without ever having to stop at the checkout counter. How convenient is Read More
‘Tis the season: 5 ways to spark your financial well-being by New Year’s
Financial wellness is so much more than being able to pay your bills on time. It’s whether you’re in control of your financial destiny and feel good about your overall situation. To start a brand new year with an improved financial well-being, it helps to get a bit of leg work done now. We all Read More