FINANCIAL ADVICE BLOG

Dec. 2020 As we prepare to round off another year, 2020 proved to be a year one would refer to as “an eye-opening moment in time”. #COVID19 has turned our world inside out and has thrown us all into a storm that took over the planet. While we are all facing the same pandemic, we are each experiencing it via a different lens. While some may be sailing through these challenges in a luxury yacht, others may be frantically rowing in a canoe while others still may be drowning. The

WHAT DOES ESG MEAN? #Sustainable investing allows you the consumer and client to align investment decisions with personal belief. I have long felt that we are most powerful, after we exercise our right to vote in political life, is to take our dollars and purchase goods and services from companies that align with our personal values. #Sustainable investing is about investing in progress and recognizing that companies solving world’s biggest challenges may be best positioned f

Just as we continue to hear of the spread of the coronavirus and the markets continue to experience significant downturns, let’s address these troubling times head-on. As hard as I know it may be, I strongly encouraged you to focus on the long-term plan you may have already developed, and then let’s put this into historical and emotional perspective and top it off with a “what’s next” set of ideas. The Covid-19 may be new, but market volatility is not, and that patient invest

In one of my last reviews with a client, I was mortified, to sum up, that the bill for the last 8 weeks of her husband’s life far exceeded his entire Estate’s net worth. In years past he may have had the dignity to remain in his own bed watched over by friends and family. As his organs would have started to fail, he may have slowly slipped into a coma and his breathing would have become shallower. If possible, he may have been able to whisper the last goodbye and I love you,

Plan to avoid these common money blunders. A recent survey found that over 60% of women feel they are better at handling money than men are. However, married women sometimes find themselves in perplexing financial situations – conditions that might be avoided with a little planning and/or foresight. With vigilance, you can plan to steer clear of these mistakes. Not saving enough for retirement after marriage. If your spouse earns a huge salary and has invested avidly, you may

When we sent our oldest two kids to college, we were fortunate that both were going to a school that they were happy to be attending to study subjects they both had great interest in. For us the extra good fortune was that both received some wonderful scholarships that helped with the exorbitant cost of college. Now that both have graduated with their Masters, I was eager to reflect on what made their experience a financial success when so many times now we hear of the great

When should you apply for benefits? Consider a few factors first. Now or later? When it comes to the question of Social Security income, the choice looms large. Should you apply now to get earlier payments? Or wait for a few years to get larger checks? Consider what you know (and don’t know). You know how much retirement money you have; you may have a clear projection of retirement income from other potential sources. Other factors aren’t as foreseeable. You don’t know exactl

Instead of just spending the money, you could plan to pay yourself. About 70% of taxpayers receive sizable refunds from the Internal Revenue Service. Just how sizable? The average refund totals about $2,800.1 What do households do with that money? It varies. Last year, consumer financial services company Bankrate asked Americans about their plans for their federal tax refunds. Thirty-one percent of the respondents to Bankrate’s survey said that they would save or invest those

Let’s explore options from three sources where a surviving spouse may be eligible to collect a pension or income based on their deceased spouse’s eligibility. Veterans’ Survivor Pension, Social Security and retirement plans. Veterans’ Survivors Pension Eligibility Overview The Veterans Association (VA) offers pension benefits to the survivors of wartime Veterans who meet certain criteria. Among other requirements, the yearly family income must be less than the amount set by C

March 8 is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate the social and economic progress and cultural achievements of women worldwide. There really is much to celebrate. Globally, the wealth of women is growing at a faster rate than the wealth of men. The increase was about 8% a year from 2010-15 according to Boston Consulting Group, a global business consulting firm. BCG sees women’s wealth expanding another 7% per year through 2020, with women controlling $72.1 trillion in