ThimbleberryU

This episode is essentially about balance. The Retirement Trifecta is the internal language financial advisors’ use when explaining how a successful retirement plan needs a balance of assets, income, and expenses. Amy will discuss how advisors work for you: It’s not an off the shelf solution. Each person or couple has a different idea of what they want their retirement years to look like. And she...

In this episode, Amy Walls discusses the importance of understanding fiduciary standards in financial services and how to choose a financial advisor who is legally obligated to always act in the best interest of their clients. We also discuss the three types of financial professionals: fee-only, commission-based, and fee-based/hybrid. Consumers should look for a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) p...

Thinking of buying a house? Soon? Now is the best time to have an expert on your side when making such a life-changing investment. Amy Walls has solid information to help you navigate this new higher interest rate environment.  She also explains the phrase heard a lot these days: Marry the house; date the rate.  Plus, Amy will discuss the ways in which people should be cautious about rates and pri...

This time Amy discusses what you need to know about taxation of RSUs (Restricted Stock Units). Restricted Stock Units are a way a company can compensate an Employee that isn’t cash and ties that employee’s future income (from the RSUs) to company performance and longevity with the company. It’s a future form of stock. Kind of like an IOU – but with a commitment to how the shares will be given by t...

This episode is all about organizing and allocating cash for greater growth.   What cash are we talking about? What cash could or should be structured? Amy Walls will walk you through where, when and how to structure cash, and just as importantly, when not to.     Thimbleberry Financial is focused on providing clients with the advice and tools needed to reach their financial goals.  At Thimbleberr...

In this episode Amy has many answers to the question: My company stock is down, now what?  What to do when you find yourself in this place? She will explain the forms of stock where this could be an issue, advise on possible new strategies, and how to figure out which to choose.  Finally, she will discuss a few other matters you may want to consider when dealing with company stock.  For more info...

The Secure Act 2.0 is now law and Amy will break down this new legislation with its many provisions and offer a brief history of the Secure Act passed in 2019. She will discuss the differences surrounding Required Minimum Distributions and the new age requirements. Secure Act 2.0 also contains changes in Roth accounts and inheritances, SEP-IRAs, and SIMPLE IRAs.   In addition, Amy will talk about...

Amy Groshong Walls, CFP®, RICP®, CRPC® has been a financial advisor since 2003. She is a certified financial practitioner TM  and has additional specialized credentials in retirement income planning. Amy is a 3rd generation financial advisor and sees her role with clients as being about education.   In this episode new host Michelle O’Dell gets to know the how and the why she got into financial se...

In April of 2020, we did an episode about how the new Coronavirus was changing us.  And what Amy surprisingly found was that outside the terrible things about COVID, clients were taking solace in a lack of decision fatigue and FOMO.  You can check out that episode here: https://thimbleberryu.simplecast.com/episodes/how-will-coronavirus-change-the-conversation Two and a half years later, we find th...

As 2022 draws to a close, we all know what an unusual market it was.  There was a lot that was different, and the Pandemic, Politics, Conflict with other countries, and more all contributed to it. Technology, work from home, social media. Every bear market and economic downturn is different than the ones before it. It's important to remember our last downturn (not counting the brief one in March o...

We've all made New Year's Resolutions.  And we've all failed at them.  That's usually because of psychology.  Today, Amy Walls of Thimbleberry Financial dives in to some opportunities to keep our resolutions, financial or otherwise. Significant moments, such as a New Year (or even a new month or week), can be used as an anchor point to set a goal. For example. did you know that statistically, you'...

Every December, Capital Gains Distributions are announced for mutual funds and index funds.  This happens whether the market is up or down.  In a strong market, investors may be more prepared to be hit with a tax bill.  But in a market like we've seen in 2022, this may be more of a shock to the system.  Today, Amy Walls from Thimbleberry Financial breaks it all down. First, Amy explains the differ...

Decision Fatigue is real.  Did you know that the average adult makes 35,000 decisions per day, and not all of them are even conscious?  When the brain gets overloaded, it looks for shortcuts.  And when that happens, we don't make the best decisions. Amy Walls of Thimbleberry Financial has been working with her clients to prioritize decisions - we don't want to make a mistake when it comes to our l...

The answer to this question may seem obvious.  Generally, yes you want to save sooner rather than later.  But everyone's situation is different. Amy starts with a story about a prescription SNAFU that led to today's topic.  In order to make a decision, you need as much information as possible.  What are your specifics with regard to spending and saving?  What are your priorities?  Do you have a ca...

Nobody wants to be laid off,  but it's something that happens.  Today, Amy Walls of Thimbleberry Financial and Jon Gay talk about what to do when you're out of a job. We focus on three categories: Mental Health Immediate Financial Needs To-Do List of Financial Items If you have questions about what to do in this situation, or anything related to your financial future, reach out to Amy Walls and th...

Estate planning isn't always easy to talk about, but it's a crucial element to anyone's financial plan.   Today, Amy Walls and Jon JAG Gay break down what you need to know, including: What is an estate plan? Does an attorney need to be involved? What is a Trust and what does it do? How much should I expect to pay for setting this up? What documentation do I need? Once it's set up, is the work done...

Emotional Fatigue is all around us. We are covering it today because Amy Walls and her team at Thimbleberry Financial are hearing about it from clients, experiencing it themselves, and trying to battle through it. We talk about "Doom Squirreling" - when we are stressed out, we often find ourselves attracted to - and distracted by - countless other problems.   And there's no shortage of those causi...

In today's world, it's important to keep your personal and financial information secure.  Today, Amy Walls of Thimbleberry Financial explains what a password manager app/website is, what the benefits are, and why it's so important to use one.  And we aren't talking about a password-protected Excel file, or a little booklet on your desk with everything written down! Unlike a password YOU come up wi...

We are talking about the dreaded "R-Word" today - RECESSION!   Maybe it doesn't matter to you personally, or at least as much as you might think. A recession is a "lagging indicator" - which means we can only tell if one exists in hindsight, not by looking ahead.  And if you knew a recession was coming, how much of your day-to-day life would you really change?  Remember, news outlets are always tr...

Today, Amy Walls of Thimbleberry Financial sits down with Jag to talk about tracking basis on your residence, and why it's important.   Simply put, the basis is what you paid for a property.  More complex, you'll want to track changes, such as improvements and depreciations.  This will have a tax impact when the property sells. As a property owner, you have an exemption on the gain in basis betwee...

Today, Amy Walls of Thimbleberry Financial sits down with Jag to talk about sabbaticals.  This is something she's seeing more often, particularly with her tech clients.  We cover the A-Z of taking a sabbatical in this episode, including: Is it really possible to create your own sabbatical?  What should be considered in deciding to create your own sabbaticals?  What does the financial impact of a s...

Discussing aging is not an easy conversation to have, but it's an important one.  Today, Amy Walls of Thimbleberry Financial joins JAG to jump into this topic. Are these questions for the retirement years, or for earlier? How do you define aging and the parameters of the discussion? What do I need to know to talk about this with my spouse/partner? Once you sort through these ideas, what's next? Wh...

Amy Walls is just back from a family vacation to Florida, and her time there really got her thinking about what she'd like her retirement to look like some day. It's no secret that Americans spend much more time planning out our vacations than our retirement.  But you can take aspects of your vacation and see if it has long-term appeal for you in the longest vacation of your life - retirement.   F...

For Amy Walls, life insurance is personal.  Today, she explains what she went through as a child that informs her feelings on the topic today. For many, life insurance can be complicated.  We break it all down for you today, starting with temporary (term) insurance and permanent life insurance - and the different categories within it. As with most types of insurance, we'll have needs at different...

It's hard to believe Amy and Jag have been doing this podcast for two and a half years!  We've spent countless episodes talking about your financial future, and the psychology behind investing. Today, we wanted to take a moment to introduce the Thimbleberry Financial team, and how they will work with you to manage your money. Amy and her team focus on six core values.  She explains what each means...