Financial Symmetry: Balancing Today with Retirement

Today we're taking a deep dive to explore the retirement changes within this landmark piece of legislation. On this episode, you'll learn what CRD's are, who are qualified individuals, and how to note CARES Act withdrawals on your tax return. Join us to hear about financial opportunities that you may not have considered. Short Youtube video recap: https://youtu.be/2QjSpi3op_U   What is the purpose...

Today we explore some of the most common questions that people ask during a market decline. We discuss what a financial advisor does and doesn't do for their clients in bear markets, whether you should refinance, and the benefits of tax-loss harvesting. Listen in to hear what you could be doing to stay proactive during this market decline.  Youtube recap here: https://youtu.be/QUCpQcf2vu8 What are...

The CARES Act was just recently passed and the new law will impact just about every American. But do you know how it will affect you? View Youtube recap here: https://youtu.be/BTaeWH0aEB0 On this episode of Financial Symmetry, Grayson Blazek joins me to give you some actionable information that you can use to help you consider how best to take control of this challenging financial situation. Durin...

We're all surprised at the speed of changes the coronavirus has brought in our lives. Working from home, school closures, and social distancing have become our new norms. Stock markets have fallen in to a  bear market  in less than a month. Uncertainty related to COVID-19 grows daily, as we all know the amount of new cases are destined to rise. It can be hard to find positives through the barrage...

Cornoavirus concerns continue to impact the financial markets, as have all the numberless crises that have gone before it. While the potential human and economic effects are very unsettling, what actions should a prudent investor take given this new development? Short Video Recap Here: https://youtu.be/Wsy6OTuY-yI It remains impossible to predict when and how this problem will be resolved.  Likewi...

Will your retirement regrets list be full of "I wish I would have...?" What if you could use regrets of other retirees to change or improve your current course? Short Youtube Recap here: https://youtu.be/CiGxXeem2yI Listening to the wisdom of those that have gone before you, can help you avoid their big mistakes and take advantage of financial opportunities you may have missed. In our role as fina...

How closely did you look at your Medicare premium notice letter this past December? If it mentioned an IRMAA adjustment, and you experienced a life-changing event, you may want to look again. There's a few steps you can take that can save you thousands of dollars in Medicare premiums. In this episode, we are breaking down the the tax cliff known as IRMAA and how proper planning can help you avoid...

How do you best invest at all-time market highs? In this episode, we are walking through the strategies and disciplines you'll need to be a successful long-term investor.  Short Youtube recap here: https://youtu.be/fEXnQ8GaCuk Visit full article notes here: https://wp.me/p6NrVS-3i0 Short-term market forecasting is impossible to predict We often get the question of whether people should continue to...

The SECURE Act is the biggest piece of retirement legislation to pass since 2006. On this episode, we discuss what the SECURE Act is and how it will affect you and your retirement plans. The acronym SECURE stands for "Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement."  Watch corresponding Youtube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0K8KBlCYhs&t=2s In our breakdown of the new bill, yo...

Are you in the Social Security tax bubble? Tax rules are complicated enough, and Social Security benefits during retirement years add another layer of complexity. Watch corresponding Youtube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RnQY0NxhSM&t=39s Your Social Security income can cause your actual tax rate to be much higher than expected. Not understanding how and when Social Security benefits...

What does it take to get to 100 podcast episodes? In his book, Shoe Dog, Phil Knight describes his emotions upon starting the company that became Nike, as a crazy idea. When describing how he felt, he realized that many of the world's greatest achievements started as crazy ideas. Watch corresponding Youtube video here . What seemed like a crazy idea for us 4 years ago, has turned into more than we...

Who you gonna call? Retirement Mythbusters! Short Youtube recap here: https://bit.ly/2R0QJcA Visit Full Article Here: https://wp.me/p6NrVS-3g5 Not as catchy as Ghostbusters, we know, but these retirement myths can be much more hazardous to your long-term financial health. Many of us have certain beliefs, internet rumors or family hearsay that are passed down about retirement rules of thumb. But be...

How do you know if long term care insurance is worth it? Short Youtube video here: https://bit.ly/3akBTVZ This is a topic we discuss with our clients regularly.  With an aging population comes increased options for retirement living, assisted living and nursing care options.  Along with increased options come increased costs as well which can be exorbitant in some cases. If long-term care insuranc...

Does your place of employment offer an equity compensation plan? Are you one of the 76% of people who have not exercised their stock options or sold shares of their company stocks? Mike Eklund is back after a hiatus and he is jumping in with both feet. He dives deep into the nitty-gritty of equity compensation plans. Since this can be a complicated subject you may want to consult a financial profe...

There's a lot of conflicting information about buying a timeshare. Some call it the worst financial decision you could make. But is that true? On this episode, we invite Allison Berger to discuss the pros and cons of buying a timeshare. If you've ever been roped into one of those high-pressure sales meetings you'll want to listen to consider if you made the right decision. Short YouTube video: htt...

Every year there are approximately 140 million tax returns filed with the IRS and of those, 4 million will receive an IRS letter stating that there is a discrepancy. Your first instinct might be to panic, but don't overreact. Grayson Blayzek is here to help us understand what you can do if you receive the dreaded CP2000. You'll want to listen in not only if you have received a letter, but also to...

Many of you are inching closer to retirement and the decisions you make now will have a big impact on your retirement lifestyle. It's time to start thinking ahead and seriously consider your retirement strategy. Are you concentrating on the best ways to save to set up for the life you want in retirement? This is why we have created a pre-retirement checklist with 8 key wealth builder areas for you...

Are you looking for money and/or time-saving tips now that the summer is over and the kids are back to school? Summer can always feel expensive with summer camps, vacations, and then back to school shopping. With fall approaching and the kids back in school, we put together a list of ways you can save time and money to make this year better than the rest. Time-saving tips Look at how you spend you...

How do you make financial decisions? Are you intentional with your money? Short Youtube recap here: https://youtu.be/9g3s36KPm9E Most people have trouble articulating their framework for making financial decisions. It begins with finding a healthy balance between spending and saving. After these short-term decisions, examining your longer-term goals will have more meaning. So in this episode, we a...

The Mega Backdoor Roth IRA could be the secret weapon you have yet to use in your retirement saving strategy. If you consider yourself a super saver, looking for alternative ways to save tax efficiently, this could be a great option. This strategy is of most interest to those maxing out all other tax-efficient savings accounts. Including standard employee 401k contributions, Roth IRA, 529, and HSA...

How do you pick the books you read? Do you get book recommendations from friends or are you in a book group? Do you use an Amazon Wishlist or social media to help you discover what you want to read next? In today's episode, we have some book recommendations for you to consider. We try to bring you a variety of genres ranging from finance to self-help, to fiction. Check out our favorite books of th...

Most people know little or nothing about sequence of returns risk. The subject doesn't make for the most interesting topic for cocktail party discussions. Some refer to it as your biggest retirement risk. Reason being, sequence of returns risk can have a major impact on how long your hard-earned savings will last through retirement. This week's episode we dive in to examples of how you could be af...

Often in social conversations, it's not uncommon to hear us say, "That reminds me of a scene in the movie…" to emphasize a point. Movies have a powerful way of presenting memorable situations where real life decisions and money intersect. Given the financial lens we view the world through, these financial themes jump off the screen to us. So in today's episode, we put on our movie critic hats and...

Nobody likes to talk about the 2 certainties of life: death and taxes. So much so that we delay important decisions on how to deal with our assets for our heirs. On this episode, Cameron Hendricks and Grayson Blazek join in to discuss specifics on how to handle accounts and property, filing taxes and how to better prepare for passing on your estate to your loved ones. Find out how to handle all of...

You may have seen more news stories mentioning Opportunity Zones of late, but there are still plenty of questions surrounding this part of the latest tax reform. Today we're discussing the ins and outs of investing in Opportunity Zones to help you understand how, in the right circumstances, they could help you save thousands on your taxes. We'll discuss what opportunity zones are, why they were cr...