The Life Planning 101 Podcast

Economists say the Great Recession ended in June 2009. Still, it hasn’t felt like it. Our economy is rough and the recovery we have experienced since June 2009 has been and will probably remain slow. Faced with this continuing...

There is usually one of each in every family. So what makes some people stock away every dime they make and others oblivious to the concept of saving and always in debt? Interestingly enough, there has been extensive psychological research performed on the spending behaviors of individuals: why some people spend money frivolously and why some people don’t...

Adults entering a remarriage are likely to bring assets, debts, obligations and established spending habits into the relationship. Since credit reports aren’t required for a marriage license – and you generally only see them when you apply for a mortgage together - "your new partner's finances are often unknown, even though you usually need to agree as a... 

LTC-Medicaid: ·       Looking at the #’s Approximately 70% of individuals turning 65 can expect to use some form of... 

The image of retirement has always been one of relaxation and leisure. However, the retirees who fully embrace this idea often find that they are missing something. If you’re in this boat, you may feel you lack a sense of purpose or direction, and end up finding... 

According to Rocket Lawyer, 64% of Americans don’t have a will. There is a common misconception that if you don’t have an estate tax problem you don’t need an estate plan – or a will. The truth is that this couldn’t be further from the truth. First, it could mean a lot of... 

The world is changing rapidly. There is growing uncertainty, fear and disbelief in our future. Ironically, this is not the biggest threat to your investments. Believe it or not, the annualized return for U.S. Stocks from 1985 to 2014 was 11.1%. The average investor’s return over this... 

Most of us know the story: It was 11:40 P.M. on April 14, 1912. Lookout Frederick Fleet spotted an iceberg immediately ahead of the Titanic and alerted the bridge. First Officer William Murdoch ordered the ship to be steered around the obstacle and the engines to be put in reverse, but it was... 

Let’s paint a picture of the first day of your future retirement: What an exciting time! It’s a time where we can enjoy the spoils of our labor. It is a time we have budgeted for – for living expenses,maybe even a little vacation and outstanding student loans...

Tax season is in full swing and for once, there is some good news. The good news is that, due to the Washington D.C.Emancipation Day paid holiday, you have until April 18th this year to file unless you file an extension. The bad news is you still have to file. So in keeping with that...

Municipal bonds have been a wonderful investment for over 30 years. They have been perceived as a safe haven for investors since they are used to lend money to local governments and municipalities, and offer an excellent tax advantage: tax free income. This means that an investor... 

It is Leap Year: the year we add February 29th to our calendar —a full extra 24 hours this year. How are you going to spend it? If you have ever watched the movie City Slickers, you may recall... 

Imagine spending your entire life building a business only to wake up at 63 and find it isn’t worth anything. Most of us think, “how sad, but that won't happen to my business…I have worked too hard or my industry is too strong or there will always be a need for what I do or...

Helping people live LIFE on purpose! Navigating both the expected and unexpected financial demands, requires more than financial planning...

Are you confident you have enough money for retirement?  Rate your confidence – and remember…progress only starts when you tell yourself the truth. On a 1 to 10 scale with 10 being“without a doubt confident,” how confident are you that...

Taxes!  Uncle Sam comes knocking every year. And for some of us, Uncle Sam will even come knocking on our grave. I have met people in my life that don’t mind Uncle Sam. They feel it is their American duty to pay their full share of taxes. I don’t disagree that it is my duty to pay my share of taxes as an American, but the tax code was written with much intricacy to promote education, domestic busi...

By now you are probably aware that if you are taking your Social Security benefits, you won’t be getting a raise in 2016. You may even be aware that in addition to not having a Cost of Living Adjustment next year, the maximum benefit amount you can receive was actually reduced. Yet there is an even bigger concern when it comes to future benefits...

Can you remember the last time you bought a new mattress? The difference between shopping for most things and shopping for a mattress is that we’re not sure how to price one - for most of us; it has been ages since we bought our last one and we have no reference point. Most folks just head out to a mattress store, lie down on the mattresses in a good price range and then rely on the salesperson’s...

Over the years we’ve written several articles about estate planning. This week I would like to address a specific aspect: trusts. A trust is simply an agreement under which property and/or assets are held and managed by one party for the benefit of. Once again, begin by narrowing down what you want. Is it…

1934 Great Depression 1935 Spanish Civil War 1936 Economy Still Struggling 1937 Recession 1938 War Clouds Gather 1939 War in Europe...

Did you know…52 million caregivers (one out of every five households) are involved in caregiving to persons aged 18 and over, and that number continues to grow? 1 You might be thinking: ”Wow, but that will never pertain to me.” But you might want to ask yourself this question: “Will one of my family members need my care in the future?” If the answer is no, you might want to think again. 80% of car...

Ted was savvy with numbers and kept all his personal finances extremely organized. He was a successful middle class American and had several accounts set up, each with a purpose. There was an account dedicated to saving money to buy his next car, an account for emergency funds, an account for the grandkids, and various investment accounts. Ted was also...

The August 2008 Money Magazine offered up an article of several successful individuals talking about the smartest financial advice they have ever received. Billionaire and CEO of Virgin records, Richard Branson shared a story about his lack of knowledge in the financial realm and being humble about what you don’t know...

There is a lot of controversy around annuities. Some advisors use them as if they were a cookie cutter for every client and some advisors despise all of them. Then, there are the majority of advisors that either fall somewhere between these two extremes or the solution-based advisors that use them when they see fit. So, what is the real story with annuities? Why do the extreme viewpoints exist? An...

We live our lives and are encouraged to live life fully and to not have regrets. Though in fact, that word itself establishes a negative frame of mind. However, we have found that this same word can produce a positive outcome  with the addition of a simple adjective: unacceptable. At the end of your life, what would be a regret that you absolutely do not want to have?...