Financial Symmetry: Balancing Today with Retirement

Rolling over your 401K is a complicated process so we brought in a few experts that have helped our clients rollover hundreds of 401K's. Understanding the unexpected roadblocks surrounding a 401K rollover is a vital step in making the best decisions with your money. So listen to this episode to hear steps of how to properly rollover a 401K quickly and efficiently. How to rollover a 401K? Maybe you...

What does your financial future look like? Do you feel it is secure and well planned out or are you just winging it? Winging it is a great idea for a Sunday afternoon drive or deciding to what to eat for dinner, but winging your financial future is a dangerous decision that will put your future stability at stake. Learn why people decide to wing it and what you should be doing instead, on this epi...

Financial advice has long been a male dominated industry.  Women represent 51% of the US population, but only 23% of CFP® professionals are women and this percentage has stagnated over the past decade.  Why is there a feminine famine in financial planning?  Today we've invited Allison Berger and Grace Kvantas back on the show to discuss the 6 main challenges that prevent women from becoming financ...

You've just sold your business. Or maybe you received an inheritance. Making decisions on how to handle the lump sum proceeds can be paralyzing. We all have that fear of making a mistake with the money and when the stakes are high, the fear is heightened. You might be wondering how wise it is to invest a big chunk of money with the markets near all time highs. When dealing with a lump sum, there i...

Have you checked out the new federal tax forms? You probably don't want to wait until the last minute to prepare your taxes this year. With the new tax code here you'll want to give yourself plenty of time to get familiar with the new federal tax forms. But before you get started you need to arm yourself with as much information as you can about the new tax code. That's why today we brought our ve...

It wasn't that long ago that the most popular television show in America was named "Who wants to be a Millionaire?" Before that, in the 1980s, we were enamored with "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." There's something about the idea of becoming a Millionaire that fascinates us. But what is it about the wealthy that sets them apart from the rest of the population? How are their choices different...

Money and relationships don't always go hand in hand. Making you wonder if you and your partner are speaking the same financial language. If money is causing stress in your relationship, you are not alone. 31% of couples say that the biggest cause of stress in their relationship is money. We want to help you communicate better with your partner about money. On this episode, Allison Berger joins us...

Our listeners and clients often ask: Is now a good time to invest? Or what should I invest in? We give feedback on both these questions in our 2019 Investment Outlook episode. Be sure to check out the show notes for this episode in particular as we provide detailed charts to help demonstrate our discussion. If you are curious as to whether now is the time to jump into the stock market, what role b...

What are the habits of successful investors? You may think that there are big differences between successful and unsuccessful investors. In the book Atomic Habits, by James Clear, he identifies the small habits that lead to success in life, these habits apply to investors just like anyone else. We all have intentions of doing the right thing, but there is a big gap between intention and action. On...

If asked, most people are hopeful they will have a happy retirement. They're just not sure they are taking all the necessary steps to get there. We all have those moments in our busy lives where we stop and ponder, am I doing what I need to enjoy retirement? But then our busyness continues and takes over any productive changes we considered. As financial advisors, we work with people in all phases...

2018 gave us a December to remember, with the S&P 500 index losing 9% for the month, locking in the worst December performance since 1931. From peak to the most recent bottom, the S&P 500 has fallen more than 20%, marking the first bear market since 2008-09. Now the bear market is here, are you prepared to deal with it? This most recent drop has given us all a scare. Does the drop have you worried...

Welcome to Financial Symmetry, the podcast to help you discover financial opportunities that you may be missing as well as to warn you about many financial mistakes that you can make. We are here to help you improve your life through finances. Finances are so complicated which is why we are here to help you answer questions about your daily financial life. We are here to give helpful hints and edu...

Working moms face a difficult balance. People often feel that most women have a choice whether to work outside the home, but the reality is, 65% of families need both parents to work. Women in the workforce is a family issue, not simply a women's issue, so this episode is useful for more than just women. Allison and Grace join us again to dive into the topics of gender bias, women in the workforce...

As the holidays near, visions of new tax savings dance in our heads.  But knowing how to spot them is what really matters. With all the new tax law changes, Will Holt joins us again to guide you through seven tax opportunities you can take advantage of before year-end. Some of these tips can save you thousands of dollars, so listen in to see how you they may benefit your personal situation. 7 Tax...

If you've paid any attention to financial news recently, then you didn't have to look far, as stock market noise was at a peak. Media headlines were filled with phrases like: epic turmoil, getting crushed and no place to hide. Emotionally charged words that make you feel like you need to do something to prevent losing more of your nest egg. But following our instincts when investing, can lead to d...

October is here so time to gather around the campfire. With Halloween around the corner, we are highlighting a few spooky financial stories that have scary circumstances. These feelings typically bleed in to stock markets as well. October is often wrongly characterized as the worst month for people to invest. Primarily because people remember the big historical market drops that happen during Octo...

If you're a mid-career professional, life is full of demands. You've worked incredibly hard to get here. You're sandwiched between young kids and aging parents. Your job is challenging and life is busy. Be it a technology company, medical practice or your own small business, stress comes with the territory during this season of life. This is fertile ground for growing a financial mid-life crisis....

When making your retirement decision, you likely get one chance to get it right. These type of situations are where checklists can shine. Understanding all your financial opportunities pre-retirement can make life-changing differences in your retirement journey. Which is why on today's episode, we are giving you our beautifully detailed Pre-Retirement Checklist to help you make the best of your tr...

It's easy to stick with investments that are leaving all other assets in the dust. In fact, logic tells us because they're performing so well, we should buy more of it. While you're at it, shouldn't you go ahead and dump the lousy performers in your portfolio? These emotions are what makes investing so difficult. Additionally, when you diversify your investments, mediocrity is inevitable. Given th...

On this episode of Financial Symmetry, Chad and Mike revisit a few previous episodes to cover some important financial questions that frequently come up. Taken from episode 6 is the question: Do I need a financial plan? With this question comes further questions. You'll want to listen in to hear what the answers are. Episode 11 asks the question: What little things can you do to improve your finan...

All of us have a subconscious financial bucket list of things we want to accomplish. After having meetings with thousands of clients collectively over the years, we have a pretty good sample size of the biggest checklist items people would include on their financial to-do list. Now it's Chad's turn to share reflections on his 40th birthday. While Mike looked back highlighting  lessons he'd learned...

One of the difficulties in decisions around retirement, is most people only get one chance. One of the more essential decisions centers around when and how you choose to take Social Security. Maximizing your benefit has huge impacts to you retiring well. So this is not a subject that should be independent of your complete retirement financial plan. Carefully analyzing the best options could mean h...

Do you ever feel financial advisors speaks a different language? Many clients feel their advisors throw around financial terminology that creates more confusion than clarity. Financial planners use mnemonics and acronyms since they are a great way to remember things. But the shorthand can be confusing to those that are unfamiliar with them. According to Investopedia, there are around 1900 financia...

You have been hearing about Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for the past few years now. Nothing attracts the attention of the public like the possibility of missing out on the latest craze. The fear of missing out or "FOMO" can be extremely powerful. So you may be wondering whether Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency might be worthwhile to invest in. Like anything money related, it is important t...

Next to the weather, vacation questions are in the small talk hall of fame. Each year, as summer approaches, more time is spent thinking, talking and planning for the perfect summer getaway. For most of us, the joy of some relaxation can make us all daydream. After all, most people choose to spend more time planning their vacations than their finances. This makes sense because the greatest amount...