Finance is often considered a taboo topic in our culture; we don’t like to talk about it. Some people hire professional advice, and some people prefer to go the Do-It-Yourself route. The commonality between all of us, is we have
All About That Opportunity Cost
What is opportunity cost? I get asked this all the time. Just kidding, nobody asks me this. But here is why you need to know what it is: opportunity cost directly impacts every aspect of YOUR finances. In your personal
The 3 Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund
Good morning, afternoon, or evening as the case may be! This months topic is tax related. What do you do with your tax refund? First let’s talk about what a refund is just to set some perspective. Everyone I talk
What Is the Biggest Threat to Your Current and Future Lifestyle?
Have you been to Starbucks recently? A venti coffee was $2.25 earlier this year. Today a venti coffee is $2.35. That is a seemingly harmless 4.4% increase. Take a look around, many food products are at all time highs. Gasoline
Do You Have Enough for Retirement?
Take a look at this graphic comparing average costs in the 1980s vs. today: Isn’t it interesting that technology is the only thing that costs LESS?
Ideal Account Characteristics
When you are thinking on and planning out your finances, it is really important to understand characteristics you favor before you fund financial vehicles. Many people take into account risk, rate of return, or time period. When I look places
The Importance of Estate Planning
William M. Davidson, most notably, owner of the Detroit Pistons died in 2009 at age 86. His estate was estimated to be $5.5 Billion. The IRS issued an estate tax bill for $2.8 Billion which forced William’s surviving family to
Who Even Needs an Annuity Anyway?
In ultra-conservative safe money you basically have four options: 1. A CD 2. The Cookie Jar 3. Cash 4. A Fixed/Indexed Annuity Annuities are similar to CDs. They are for specified periods of time, there is a surrender or penalty
The Effects of Inflation
In the world of retirement planning, inflation can be a deal breaker. Inflation is easily the number one most overlooked factor I see when talking about retirement planning with potential clients. In this calculation, I am going to show you
Case Study – The Johnson Family
What is one way a Life Insurance policy can provide flexibility to meet any challenge? Let’s take a look at this sample case study and see! The Clients: John Johnson, age 55 and Jill Johnson, age 54 Current Financial Need: