Shotwell Rutter Baer

This is a pretty common question for our clients t ask in December and January. We’re in an industry where everybody loves to make bold predictions and there’s not a lot of accountability around what happens. Well, we need to be careful with that. If nothing else we are at least filling that void of saying, “Hey you know we put these ideas out there a year ago so let’s see how we did. Source

Nick was asked recently why he liked being a financial planner. He and Dave both agree that this is an important question to ask your financial planner or anyone who is going to help you with your money. Nick tells a story about how he first started thinking about money and saving and how that shaped the career path that he followed. Listen along and learn more about Nick and how he landed a job.....

Michigan is an auto-centric state and people from the East and West coast don’t understand why we still driving the same Subaru we bought in the nineteen eighties. Nonetheless, a very popular question we get asked a lot is whether you should buy or lease a car. A car is a major expense and a big budget item and is usually still a necessity for most of our clients. Ultimately... Source

This is our 100th Episode! Thanks for listening over the past 2 years! Join Nick and Dave as they talk about a topic they bring up with their clients on a regular basis. It’s never too early to start saving for retirement. Financial advisers regularly check it with clients to ensure they are saving enough for their retirement goals. This often corresponds with saving more and spending less. Source

You might have to dig a little deep in 2022 but we found some things outside of football and nice fall weather to be thankful for. Saying it’s been kind of a rough year might be the understatement of the century. It has been a rough year in the markets. But there are a couple of things we can focus on, and it seems we’ve started to see things come back a little. In a year when we’ve been fighting....

Join Dave and Nick as they discuss an Aol Finance article titled Hidden Fees To Watch Out for in Retirement. As fee-only financial planners, we always operate as fiduciaries. This means that we are legally obligated to provide advice that is in your best interest. That is, we don’t profit by selling you a particular product or investment. Many people believe that all financial advisors are... Sour...

Dave and Nick offer tips on how to check that your financial plan is on track to provide the goals you have for your future and retirement. Your plan should include resources for things that may come up that you are not planning for. Such as: People don’t typically come to their financial adviser when things are going great. They usually have a concern or questions. A lot of times it is because......

Dave and Nick review the book, The Investment Answer by Daniel C. Goldie and Gordon S. Murray This is a favorite of both of theirs for investing information, especially for those just getting into the investing game. From Amazon: “The good news is that people today expect to live longer, healthier lives. The bad news is that many of us will not have enough money to retire comfortably. Source

Dave and Nick discuss current headlines and guidelines on how much the average American “needs” for retirement. Find out if they agree. Are the numbers accurate? How can you calculate what you actually need? Listen to the full episode to learn the Kitchen Table Finance philosophy on retirement. CNBC Article: Americans think you need $1.7 million to retire comfortably About Shotwell Rutter Baer......

Join Nick and Dave as they discuss some positive things going on in the markets and what you can do with your investments to keep some peace of mind. Things they cover in this episode include: Fixed income yields are the highest they have been in years CPI headline inflation in September (8.2%) has fallen since June highs (9.1%) Equity and fixed-income valuations are much more attractive than they...

Join Nick and Dave as they talk about what investors can do during a down market, like the one we are experiencing now. The best thing to do is to do nothing, but here are a couple of things that you could consider: Increase savings if possible Swap investments to capture losses. Use captured losses to offset gains on investments you want to replace Do a Roth conversion Rebalance We talked pretty....

What is a marketing timing strategy for investing and does it work? Join Nick and Dave as they talk about marketing timing and their thoughts on it. People often ask us if they should sell their stock investments and “wait until the market is better.” Market timing as a strategy does not work. You can read more about Market Timing in our longer blog post article HERE. About Shotwell Rutter Baer......

Join Dave and Nick as they review the Student Debt Relief Plan and go over some options. Here are the main points from this episode: $10,000 of student loan forgiveness for Federal student loan borrowers (and $20,000 for borrowers who received a Pell Grant for college) with income levels under $125,000 for single borrowers and $250,000 for married couples. Relevant tax years are 2020 & Source

Join Dave and Nick as they chat with Khadijah H. Mutakabbir, a Certified Financial Counselor and the owner of Step By Step Financial Wellness. Step By Step Financial Wellness (SBS) is a financial counseling company that specializes in credit improvement, money management, & saving. They strive to help Michigan Millennials establish a solid foundation so they can achieve financial wellness &amp...

It’s an often–repeated cliché about the markets: Stocks are the only thing Americans do not like to buy on sale. When the markets fall, people cut back on contributions to retirement accounts and repeatedly miss out on a golden opportunity to buy shares at low prices. The concept is simple: If you are buying a fixed dollar amount of an investment every month, purchasing on down months means buying...

The guys are back! Get ready for Part 4 of Ask Ask A Financial Advisor Anything – Part 4a Financial Advisor Anything! Check out our listener questions below and listen to the episode to hear the answers. Got a question? Send it to info@SRBadvisors.com and they will get back to you and possibly feature your question in a future episode. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for videos...

Join Nick and Dave for another round of listener questions. Our listeners have submitted some very compelling questions that are probably things you are also wondering about. Check it out! Here are the questions: #1. I lost almost half of my retirement in the stock market and I have stopped making buys. Is that the wrong strategy? #2. How do I get good health insurance if I don’t work somewhere......

We’re halfway through the year and inflation and interest rates continue to drive the markets and the headlines. Our friends at East Bay Investment Solutions recently published their Quarterly Investment Commentary for the second quarter of 2022 outlining where we are now and where markets may be headed. East Bay likes to summarize the economic outlook in terms of both the bad and the good: You......

Join us for Part Two of discussing financial concerns for an 18-year-old, including important financial documents. We have a special guest, Molly Petitjean, a Lansing area attorney, who joins us to answer questions about preparing an 18-year-old for their financial future. This episode sparked from the fact that Nick’s daughter, Cameron who is almost 18, and what she needs to have. Typically... So...

We have a special guest today, Camryn Nauta. She is Nick’s daughter who is a recent high school grad and is seventeen. She graduated with very high honors and will be attending Michigan State University in the Fall. Camryn is our special guest and is about to turn 18 there are many things an 18-year-old should consider with respect to finances, budgeting, and savings. Find out what her biggest......

Join Dave and Nick as they discuss the 60-40 portfolio. To clarify for people wondering what a 60-40 portfolio is, it is an industry-standard portfolio that contains 60% stocks and 40% bonds. This was considered the Goldilocks portfolio. This is approximately the allocation we use for many of our clients because it fits a lot of different scenarios. The idea is that it’s enough stock exposure and....

Join Nick and Dave as they discuss the increasingly high inflation rate. Here are some other resources for you: Worsening Inflation, Consumer Sentiment, and the Markets Bull and Bear Market Cycles Shotwell Rutter Baer is proud to be an independent, fee-only registered investment advisory firm. This means that we are only compensated by our clients for our knowledge and guidance — not from... Sourc...

Part Two of answering financial questions from our listeners. More of your burning questions are answered here. Click HERE for Part One. In Part Two of Ask A Financial Advisor Anything, these questions are answered: Can you set up a retirement fund for a child and if so how? Can you pull money out of a SEP and invest in real estate? Why don’t financial planners speak of gold or silver as an... Sou...

Dava and Nick asked people in their network to throw their burning questions about money and finances at them. There were so many great questions and answers, we broke it into two podcast episodes. In Part One of Ask A Financial Advisor Anything, these questions are answered: What is the bare minimum I should be putting into savings from each paycheck? What is the best way to improve your credit.....

Join Dave and Nick as they explore the world of Tik Tok and the recent money challenges that have been going around the popular social media platform. The Wall Street Journal published an article on May 26, 2022 titled, How Hoarding Cash Became a TikTok Meme, and it is now all the rage. David admits he’s never logged into Tik Tok and doesn’t really plan to. Nick reveals he only watches Tik Tok......