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The Easy Way To Get Started On Your Estate Plan
Published by Mark Ring, Wealth Advisor Some tasks are easier to accomplish than others, so naturally these are the ones we choose to tackle first, leaving the more difficult tasks for another day. But there are some tasks that are too important to continually put off again and again. Estate planning, for example. Most of us avoid this particular task for a variety of reasons: maybe we don’t want to think about our lives ending; perhaps it seems too costly; or maybe it doesn’t even seem necessary. In fact, only 51% of Americans have done any estate planning, (1) which...read the full article
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5 Steps To Get Your Financial House In Order
Published by Daniel Morrison, Wealth Advisor When you hear the words “budget” or “portfolio review,” do you get excited or do you bury your head in the sand? When it comes to money, we all have different personality types. If you’re like the 4 out of 10 Americans who admit that they prefer not to even think about money, (1) you probably have a tendency to avoid your accounts altogether and just hope for the best.
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How Your Employee Benefits Fit into Your Financial Plan
Your Health Savings Account (HSA) is a cornerstone of your benefits planning. The money is triple tax-advantaged – contributions, growth and withdrawals for qualified expenses are not taxed. This account is like nothing else, and you need to take full advantage of it.
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If I Could Only Teach One Financial Lesson
Published by Mark Ring, Wealth Advisor People always talk about tactics. When it comes to finances (and everything in life, really) we want quick tricks, insider secrets, and easy hacks. The problem is, we often get so caught up in these tactics that we forget the basics. So, today, instead of giving you a laundry list of superficial personal finance tips, I’m going to share with you one foundational financial lesson. No matter what fancy new financial technology the next decade brings, I urge you to not lose sight of the following rule: Always have a plan, and always stay...read the full article
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In the SECURE Act Era, You’ll Need a New Retirement Strategy. Roth Conversions Could Be It.
But when the SECURE Act goes into effect – expected on Jan. 1, 2020 – beneficiaries will have to fully distribute taxable accounts within 10 years of the account holder’s death. That could push your loved ones into a higher tax bracket.
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Yes, Social Security Income Is Taxable – But Yours Doesn’t Have To Be
As you move toward retirement, you can’t be content just to accumulate assets. You need to develop a retirement income plan that can help guide you when it comes time to turn savings into sustainable retirement income.
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How To Teach Your Kids About Money
Published by Ryan Cooley Anyone who has kids knows that there never seems to be enough time to intentionally teach your children all they need to know to be a successful adult. How do you consistently instill the values of a strong work ethic, kindness, and respect, not to mention time management and how to take care of your health amid busy days and other responsibilities? Thankfully there are a lot of things kids will learn on their own, at school, or just through daily life experiences. But one thing you shouldn’t leave to chance is teaching them about finances....read the full article
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My Three Favorite Restaurants In Baltimore
Published by Daniel Morrison, Wealth Advisor As a wealth advisor, I work hard at my firm every single day in order to help families unlock the secret to their financial success. As a father and a husband, I love to spend time with my family during my free time outside of my career. One way we have fun together is by eating out and enjoying our favorite foods. Here are my three favorite restaurants in our hometown of Baltimore:
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Compounding Wealth (and Wisdom)
No single strategy works forever, but you also don’t want to change your approach every time the markets shift slightly. How does investing work – not just for a season or a year or two, but for a lifetime? Time is a major factor when it comes to successful investing.
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How Long Will Your Retirement Savings Last In Each Of The 50 States?
Published by Ryan Cooley Times are a-changin’. And they’re changing quickly. $1 million has generally been seen as the gold standard for financial security, but thanks to inflation, a $1 million retirement fund might not get you as far as you think. According to Schwab’s 2019 Modern Wealth Survey, most Americans believe you need about $2.3 million to make it into the “wealthy” category. (1)
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