Financial Symmetry: Balancing Today with Retirement

What are you investing for? Many say higher or better returns--but higher or better than what? What do those higher returns make possible for you?  Video recap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKC2ulw3cz8 To have a successful investment experience you need to have a plan in place. Mike Eklund joins me once again on this episode of Financial Symmetry to discuss our 3 step investing process. This pr...

Have you been on the fence about hiring a financial advisor? This indecisiveness can cost you. This episode will help you decide whether hiring a financial advisor is right for you. You'll learn the 5 C's that you can expect when hiring a financial advisor. Press play to find out what you should expect from your financial advisor. Video Recap: https://youtu.be/zuTdjdDkqUI 4 reasons you may be look...

The American Rescue Plan was recently passed, but do you know all the changes it will bring? You probably already know about the stimulus checks, but you may not know how it could affect your taxes and healthcare. This latest economic stimulus package could mean big things for your tax planning.  Video recap here: https://youtu.be/Vq8Y2CFYS6E Since the American Rescue Plan has a heavy tax focus, I...

It's always fun to peek behind the curtain and see the strategies and process people use for their decision making. Video recap: https://youtu.be/DDp2dBUhrSg During this conversation, we review some of my core beliefs around: importance of tradeoffs - how every financial decision affects others being intentional in being a good steward Defining the balance between enjoying today while saving for t...

Have you wondered if there are any financial mistakes that you may have been making? Video recap here: https://youtu.be/9fsWlp56R2U Sometimes our financial mistakes aren't obvious, so in this episode of Financial Symmetry, we discuss 3 hidden financial mistakes that you may be making and how you can spot them.  Uncertain outcomes cannot be predicted Are you guilty of believing an uncertain outcome...

Stock market manias have an uncanny way of capturing our attention. Short video recap: https://youtu.be/wr04xy1pDnU Not only do they dominate weekly headlines, but create visions of what could be. The most recent example is the rapid rise of meme stocks, including Gamestop, AMC and Blackberry among others. In this episode, we'll explore what happened with this most recent mania, and describe the w...

What is the most important thing you can do for building wealth? Video recap: https://youtu.be/OVSKtk6TzB0 Recently, Jeff Levine ( @CPAPlanner ) put this question out into the Twitterverse: Other than saving and investing, what is the one single most important factor to financial success? Too often when dealing with financial decisions, we try to overcomplicate what is best for us. We liked the si...

From a historically quick bear market decline to a speedy rebound, 2020 certainly took us on a wild ride. But there is a lot we can learn from this crazy year. Short video recap: https://youtu.be/fUfGwGk-gEY In this episode, we are reflecting on the investment lessons we learned over the past year. What were the lessons you took away in 2020? Listen in to hear if there are any other lessons you ca...

As we come upon a new year it is a good time to reflect on your finances and set goals. Video Recap: https://youtu.be/yKdGYEjhTB0 In this episode, we discuss 12 steps you can take action on to improve your financial outlook. If you're looking to get off on the right foot in 2021, print out this checklist and run through it to find improvements you can make now. 12 easy steps you can take to improv...

Motivated by the new book,  How I Invest My Money , I  (Mike Eklund)  wanted to communicate how I manage my own money.  In our recent podcast, we discuss my approach with investments, savings, spending, debt, insurance, and what the money is for (goals).  We also review some of my core beliefs which include: Spend less then you earn Automate savings, investing, and anything else that you can Inves...

Growth stocks have been on a tear over the past several years. However, traditionally value stocks have been the big performers in the long-term. But with the rapid rise in growth over the last 10 years, are value stocks still worth it? Video recap: https://youtu.be/qthoQhw9IxA Today we explore the question: can value stocks still outperform in today's environment? We'll look at the data, provide...

Have you been offered an early retirement package? Video recap: https://youtu.be/jpIfdhYVx6Y Early retirement packages are on the rise. Companies are often looking for ways to cut costs and one way to do that is to give highly compensated employees an incentive to ease into retirement. Usually, these packages offer a one-time payment and sometimes they come with a period of additional healthcare c...

While the FAANG stocks have been the most obvious enviable stock positions over the past decade, there are always success stories readily available to raise feelings of doubt and FOMO in even the most disciplined long-term investors. Video recap: https://youtu.be/FN4xHoe8mHE For example, investors who purchased $100,000 of Zoom stock at its IPO price of $36/share in April of 2019 would have earned...

Estate planning is one of the most overlooked and procrastinated upon areas of financial planning. Video recap: https://youtu.be/NB2S1FWWH2s While your legacy is important, it doesn't generally take the front seat of your thoughts or your financial plan. There's more to legacy planning than just having a will, but how much more depends on which stage of life you're in. Find out what you should be...

We know the COVID-19 global pandemic has affected everyone in unique ways. Today we want to discuss how this health crisis has affected women, specifically financially. Video recap: https://youtu.be/beT8B1DSKZY As working mothers, we have felt the impact of these daily changes acutely. According to  Goldman Sachs "single parents, parents with young children and parents who can't work from home are...

Every 4 years it happens: an election comes along and threatens everything. Or so it seems. Video recap: https://youtu.be/7SkvyKEXH6s Regardless of how you feel about the candidates, we're here to discourage you from making fear-based financial moves. Learn how to overcome your emotions so that you don't derail your careful long-term investment strategy.  The media won't help you achieve your fina...

2020 has been a year of change. The pandemic has given people an opportunity to rethink their lives and many have been rethinking their career. Video recap: https://youtu.be/0RCME_Y8bdI Whether you are one of the millions of people that have been forced into a job change or whether you are considering a professional pivot on your own, there is a lot to think about when changing jobs. On this episo...

We know how important it is to save for retirement, but at the same time, it's important to enjoy life now. In this episode, we'll walk you through how to set up a framework for your investment strategy. Short Youtube Recap: https://youtu.be/LRcH7hwbUYY You'll learn how important your behavior is to your investment success, how to think through your asset allocation choices and finally how to sele...

There are fundamental principles that we all need reminders of from time to time. As kids and grandkids are heading off to college, we're talking through 6 core principles to getting off on the right financial footing. We also include a chart demonstrating the power of saving 15% of your income.  Youtube video recap: https://youtu.be/LLlJjITn6B8 If you can follow these 6 steps, it's very likely yo...

2020 has brought us a new reality with our vacation mindsets. With many vacation plans put on hold or completely cancelled, the pandemic has become the impetus for second homes becoming more of a reality. Short Youtube video recap: https://youtu.be/dZvXxmFmDxM If you have been considering purchasing a second home, we lay out 5 questions to consider as you're analyzing your purchase decision. Quest...

You spend half your life preparing for retirement, but that doesn't mean that there won't be surprises when you get there. YouTube Recap here: https://youtu.be/zzEnHR9Qv8I Retirement can bring on both positive and negative surprises, so it's important to prepare the best you can beforehand. So in this episode we breakdown the different kinds of surprises you may experience in retirement and how yo...

No one can argue that the stock market has been tumultuous lately. During times of market uncertainty, investors seem to become even more certain about their predictions of the next stock market moves.  Short YouTube Recap: https://youtu.be/ShmeDGPQ3l4 As people make these predictions over time the stakes get bigger and bigger. Listen to this episode to hear what steps you can take to fight this p...

Special needs financial planning is an intricate and delicate process. Youtube Recap Here: https://tinyurl.com/y7wchxee A process loaded with challenging emotional and financial decisions. So below we provide 4 steps to think through if planning for your special needs loved one's future. More than 40 million individuals or about 10% of total American population are living with a disability accordi...

In times of crisis and uncertainty, the potential need to access our savings seems to rise to the forefront. However, many of the accounts that we utilize for our savings are tied to certain restrictions. For example, the age 59.5 restriction for retirement account withdrawals without facing a 10% penalty, or HSAs and 529 accounts which must be used for medical expenses and education expenses resp...

Why is the stock market doing so well when the economy is not? Short Youtube recap here: https://youtu.be/QubNZjHHN04 With headlines about skyrocketing unemployment and an impending recession, how has the stock market rebounded so quickly? Despite the historic drops in March, the S&P 500 is only hovering in a range 10-15% from its overall highs. While the stock market and the economy are influence...