Some people still think of fees charged by financial advisors in terms of investment management fees. That’s fine if your advisor is only providing investment management, but many financial planners (such as myself) provide comprehensive financial planning, in addition to investment management, which provides much more value than just investment management.
Binge Spending
3 minute read
A quick Google search tells me that I either may have just made that term up, or I have no idea what I’m talking about. Either way, I’m sticking with it. I’m not talking about Compulsive Buying Disorder (CBD), which is a mental health issue that can wreak havoc on your financial situation and that I’m not qualified to discuss. I’m talking about something that I’ve witnessed which is (hopefully) less impactful on your financial situation than CBD but could still have a negative effect.
The Most Useful Employee Benefits That You’re Not Taking Advantage Of
3 minute read
I’ve written a lot about employee benefits over the past couple of months and I wanted to compile some thoughts on what you should consider into one post. Open enrollment is right around the corner for many and this should help you to be more intentional in choosing your benefits rather than going into it and guessing or hoping that you made the right choice.
Be A Doer
4 minute read
To me, there are “talkers” and there are “doers”. Usually people aren’t both. I like to think of myself as a doer (at least, I do my best to be a doer). Whenever I get an idea that I’m excited about and I think is worth acting on, I try to learn as much about it as possible within the shortest amount of time that I can and then execute it to the best of my abilities. It’s silly, but sometimes I actually get frustrated with people who I perceive as talkers – people who I hear continue to talk about things that they want to do rather than actually making them happen. This especially frustrates me when I feel like the thing they talk about doing could make their life much better, such as improving their financial situation or health, but they just won’t do it.
Don’t Lose Your Insurance
2 minute read
Have you ever thought about what would happen to the life and disability insurance coverages that you have through your employer if you quit your job, found new employment, started your own business, were fired, or retired? They’d probably be gone, right? And your family would be left unprotected.
Are You Afraid of High Deductible Health Plans?
3 minute read
When Open Enrollment comes around, a lot of people simply choose the health insurance option that has the lowest deductible rather than completing an in-depth analysis of the benefits of each of the available plans. Although they’re becoming more popular, many people shy away from High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) due to the seemingly large cash outlay required. Even the name sounds scary.
The Grass Is Always Greener
3 minute read
A handful of clients lately have been asking if we should become more aggressive in their portfolios and shift some of the allocation from bonds into stocks. If we think about this, we’d be doing exactly what we’re taught not to do: we’d sell the bonds at a low point and buy the stocks at a high point. Isn’t the old saying, “buy low, sell high”?
Spending Money Is Hard
2 minute read
This may sound like a stupid statement to some, but I’m sure there are plenty who emphasize as well. Sometimes I get so caught up in saving and working towards my financial goals that I feel guilty when I spend money, even when I’ve budgeted for it. This is hypocritical since I try to teach people to budget for things and then use that money to pay for them.
How I’m Saving Money By Renting A Car
3 minute read
By the time you read this, Amanda and I will be on our way to Cape Cod. Of course, we’ve already scoured the web to find the free and cheap things to do while we’re there, but we also used another strategy that’s going to save us a significant amount of money.
Increase Your Net Worth By 7,307% In One Year? It Can Happen.
< 1 minute read
Today, I’m going to take the opportunity to brag on Amanda’s financial progress. From July 31, 2017 to July 31, 2018, she was able to increase her net worth by 7,307%. I think that’s pretty incredible.