On this episode of Finance In A Flash, Nick & Erin discuss pension plans. Not many people have Pensions anymore, but we do see a fair amount in the federal and state retirement system as well as some holdovers from private companies. We are going to go over topics such as Annuity Style vs. Lump-sum pension, Survivor Options as it relates to pensions, and we also discuss leaving pensions to your spouse.
Read MoreWhat do we think about when doing a Retirement projection? Someone walks into our office and says to us"I want to retire" or "I want to prepare for retirement", what do we do from there? In this episode of Finance In A Flash, Erin Campbell joins Nick Faulkner to walks us through this process and discuss the details of how we prepare a retirement plan.
Read MoreWouldn’t it be awesome if you could invest your money and earn a consistent 0.85% every month (10.25% each year)? Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that stocks often move in abrupt bursts. These bursts of volatility can lead to high stress, doubts, or even unrealistic return expectations.
Read MoreOn this episode of Finance In A Flash, Nick & Erin discuss a very important topic in the Financial Planning world: Debt. They discuss a variety of questions such as; What is considered good debt or bad debt? Which type of debt should you pay off first? When you should look at refinancing your home, and much more!
Read MoreIn today’s connected world, headline risk is everywhere! As harmless as headline risk may seem, it can represent a huge deterrent in making progress towards long term financial goals.
Read MoreOn this episode of Finance In A Flash, we talk through cash flow and the enormous impact it can have on your retirement plan. To help walk us through this important topic we bring back our tax and planning expert Erin Campbell. Throughout this episode we discuss the three phases of retirement, common cash-flow myths, and much more!
Read MoreWhat are your monthly expenses? It’s a simple question we ask every new client, and one that’s often difficult for them to answer. But, consider the importance of this basic question: In order to plan a secure financial future, a key element has to be the amount we spend on a regular basis.
Read MoreOn this episode of Finance In A Flash, we discuss one of the most frequently asked questions people have when considering retirement or when they are currently retired; "When Should I Take Social Security?". To help us tackle this important question we bring in Erin Campbell our tax and planning expert!
Read MoreUnfortunately, we have been around long enough to have seen people make some serious financial mistakes. Mistakes that can have life-altering consequences. Helping people knock the dust off and pick up the pieces is not fun. If there is a bright spot in going through these difficult times with clients, it is that our current and future clients get to benefit from the knowledge we gain from having helped clients during these setbacks.
Read MoreOn this episode of Finance In A Flash, Nick and Chip discuss the importance of contributing to 401k's and their benefits. They go through 401k frequently asked questions, tax benefits of 401k's, and have a quick discussion on how you should view investment options within your 401k plan. Chip and Nick then discuss what you should do if you have an old or inactive 401k plan and whether or not you should consider rolling it over to your new 401k plan or roll it over into an IRA. Lastly, always remember to check your beneficiary designations on your 401k plans!
Read MoreHere is a replay of our October 20, 2020 webinar. During this webinar we discuss: observations on 2020 market performance, thoughts heading into the election cycle, tax planning opportunities as we head into the end of the year, and what have we learned from 2020. All followed up with a Q&A!
Read MoreIn this presentation, Erin Campbell, CPA/PFS, CFP® discusses executing converting funds from an IRA to a Roth IRA (i.e. Roth conversion). She discusses everything from the reasons people should consider this strategy to the possible drawbacks.
Read MoreAs the Covid-19 pandemic enters its 8 month, so many questions remain unanswered. How far are we from having a vaccine? Will there be an emergence of new Covid cases as the weather gets colder? Will states be able to effectively reopen local economies? Most importantly, when will things get back to normal? These unresolved questions all seem pretty important at the moment. However, will these temporary issues have a meaningful impact on a well-diversified, long term investment strategy?
Read MoreCollege is almost here! So, while my family is busy applying for college, you may be considering utilizing a 529 College Savings Plan as a component of your college savings strategy for your own kids or grandchildren. 529 Plans can be an excellent tool when saving for college, however, there are also a number of drawbacks to consider.
Read MoreA, B, C, D, F, Institutional? There are many different share classes to choose from when investing in mutual funds. Understand the differences and discover which share class will work best for you.
Read MoreDoes who wins the election, Republican or Democrat, really have a bearing on stock market returns? Let's take a look at the data and find out.
Read MoreIn this episode of Finance In A Flash, Nick & Chip discuss one of the most used phrases in all of finance, "The Market". What are people actually referring to when they say things like; "The market is crashing today!", "The market is down 1000 points", or "Stocks are soaring!"? Nick and Chip unpack the different indexes people may be referring to when they mention "The Market" and why you shouldn't always correlate the performance of "The Market" with your overall portfolio.
Read MoreThere are a number of indexes that attempt to measure the performance of the financial markets and serve as a gauge of economic activity. The following are descriptions of several of the most common indexes.
Read MoreOn the surface, it would seem that the decision to begin collecting Social Security retirement benefits is a straight-forward one – take the money as soon as possible. However, for many people, taking their Social Security retirement benefit as soon as they become eligible may not be the best alternative.
Read More
