Your Retirement Planning Starter Pack
Although there are some basic guidelines, your financial life is as unique as your fingerprint. Your lifestyle, goals, family situation, risk tolerance and even your wildest dreams will give a unique signature to your portfolio. Let’s look at a few of the starting points today for a healthy …
Do I Need a Financial Advisor? How to Know What You Need Now
By Erin Wood, CFP®, Senior Vice President, Financial Planning and Advanced Solutions, Carson Group Do I need a financial advisor? Given what I do for a living, I get this question a lot. I may be biased, but I think almost everyone would benefit from some kind of advice for their money. …
How to Stick to New Year’s Resolutions
Picture this: My husband and I are squeezing in workouts by power walking at the gym where our daughter’s swim team practices. Normally, the brisk walks get our heart rates up and, after several laps around the indoor track, we’ve broken a sweat. In January, though, we find ourselves dodgin …
How Will My Financial Plan Change Over the Course of My Life?
By Tom Fridrich, JD, CLU, ChFC®, Senior Wealth Planner Your career and lifestyle look completely different when you’re in your 20s compared to when you’re in your 60s. Your financial focus and planning in each decade should follow suit. Let’s look at three financial tactics to focus on in e …
The Opportunity in Change: How Changing Goals Change Financial Plans
During the pandemic, my family moved into a new house. We weren’t planning on moving, but that didn’t stop us from participating in the pandemic housing boom. But we did so at a time where the kids weren’t yet out of school, so for about three weeks, we owned two homes. Instead of having to …
How to Fit the Kids’ College into Your Financial Plan
There is a strong premium on earning a college degree, perhaps driven by previous generations who witnessed the power of education. But you may find yourself receiving a student loan bill every month, even now as you contemplate sending your kids to college. Though an education continues to …
How to Make Charitable Giving Part of Your Financial Plan
COVID-19 caused an economic shockwave that we’ll feel for a long time. Nonprofits, from large global networks to the local churches, have been hit hard, too. In a recent survey of 110 nonprofits, 80% of them said revenue had fallen across the board.
Financial Advice for Millennials, from a Millennial
There are a few specific challenges, and therefore specific solutions, that I see millennials facing. Let’s imagine a conversation I might have with this hypothetical 20- or 30-something, and look at some financial advice for millennials.
5 Questions to Ask a Financial Professional
Have you wondered what you could gain by working with a financial professional? Many people consider working with an advisor when their finances have reached a certain point of complexity – they want someone else to step in to evaluate their situation and weigh in on what’s next.
How Your Employee Benefits Fit into Your Financial Plan
Your Health Savings Account (HSA) is a cornerstone of your benefits planning. The money is triple tax-advantaged – contributions, growth and withdrawals for qualified expenses are not taxed. This account is like nothing else, and you need to take full advantage of it.
The Progression of Financial Planning Through Every Decade of Your Life
Your career and lifestyle look completely different when you’re in your 20s compared to when you’re in your 60s – your financial focus and planning in each decade should follow suit. I’ve highlighted three financial tactics to focus on in each decade of your life starting with your 20s.