financial planning Archives - Page 5 of 6

Money Tips for Better Relationships

jmuch2025-03-25T12:33:26-05:00May 26, 2021|Categories: Resource Center, Weekly Update|Tags: financial planning, insurance, investing, retirement, women|

Money Tips for Better Relationships

Financial disagreements are a significant challenge in marriages, with research indicating that 70% of married millennial couples argue about money more than any other topic. These disputes can contribute to marital strain and even dissolution. However, couples who approach their finances collaboratively can often overcome these challenges and strengthen their relationship.

Effective communication is crucial for navigating financial discussions. Couples should openly talk about their financial goals, habits, and past experiences, as these factors often shape how each partner views money. Setting shared goals and creating a mutually agreed-upon budget can provide clarity and foster unity. Additionally, regularly meeting to review financial matters, establishing a clear threshold for big purchases, and working together on decisions can minimize conflict and ensure both partners feel involved.

Trust, honesty, and a willingness to update financial plans as life changes are also vital. Couples may benefit from seeking the advice of …

9 Crucial Steps to Ensure You’re Prepared for Retirement

jmuch2025-03-25T12:40:57-05:00March 26, 2021|Categories: Resource Center, Weekly Update|Tags: financial planning, retirement, wealth management, women|

9 Crucial Steps to Ensure You’re Prepared for Retirement

As retirement approaches, it’s crucial to have a plan in place to ensure a smooth transition. The pre-retirement checklist is an essential tool to help you assess how ready you are. By breaking down key elements, you can better understand your goals and progress. Start by determining your goals—consider when and how you want to retire, your desired lifestyle, and where you plan to live. Whether you plan to downsize your home, travel, or enjoy a more relaxed pace, defining these aspects will shape your retirement.

Health insurance, long-term care, and Medicare strategies are also important considerations. Since 52% of people turning 65 will require long-term care, planning ahead is essential. Similarly, understanding your health coverage options and preparing for potential medical costs is vital. When it comes to finances, reviewing your spending and budget is crucial. Assess your current savings and …

The Great Spending Balance

jmuch2025-03-25T12:53:51-05:00January 15, 2021|Categories: Resource Center|Tags: financial planning, retirement|

The Great Spending Balance

The Great Spending Balance
Your financial life is a balancing act, strung between living in the present and preparing for the future. Saving for retirement may be a focus, but it could feel like you’re missing out on enjoying today.

Balancing your present lifestyle with future savings is essential, and three key areas—your home, car, and travel—play a significant role in this. When it comes to your home, consider factors like location, size, and maintenance needs, especially as you age. Downsizing can be a smart financial move, freeing up home equity to invest for the future. Similarly, choosing the right car can make a big difference in your financial outlook; opting for a less expensive model can save money, which could be invested for long-term growth. Finally, travel doesn’t have to break the bank. By adjusting travel choices—such as opting for more affordable accommodations and meals—you can enjoy …

8 Financial Goals for your 40s and 50s

jmuch2020-12-09T11:39:35-06:00December 9, 2020|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: financial planning, retirement|

8 Financial Goals for your 40s and 50s

Our clients in their 40s and 50s are faced with many unknowns: How much longer do I want to work? How much longer do I need to work? How much do I need saved for retirement? Am I making good progress? There’s a lot to consider as you approach retirement, but we feel that there are 8 key things that almost everyone should have on their radar. We shared these points in a recent article, and we hope you find them useful. https://bit.ly/3ltL5fh.

What’s Your Number?

jmuch2025-03-25T12:58:53-05:00October 8, 2020|Categories: Resource Center|Tags: financial planning, investing, retirement|

What’s Your Number?

What’s Your Number?

Most people will spend 30, 40, or even 50 years working toward retirement, putting a little away each month so that they can enjoy their golden years. But when it comes to retirement savings, how much is enough?

Determining how much you need saved for retirement is a crucial first step in the retirement planning process. The goal is to balance saving enough for your future without sacrificing too much of your present lifestyle. To figure out how much you’ll need, start by understanding your expected retirement expenses. Consider factors like whether you’ll stay in your current home, have additional or fewer expenses, and whether you’ll support family members or focus on philanthropy.

Next, evaluate your income sources during retirement. Social Security, rental income, pensions, and investment dividends may be key to your retirement budget. Comparing your expected income to your monthly expenses will give you an …

8 Financial Goals For Your 40th Birthday

jmuch2025-03-25T13:03:33-05:00June 3, 2020|Categories: Resource Center|Tags: financial planning, retirement|

8 Financial Goals For Your 40th Birthday

8 Financial Goals For Your 40th Birthday

For investors in their 30s, life can feel busy, hectic, and a bit disorganized at times. How do you focus your time and energy on the things that matter most?

In your 30s, life often feels hectic with a mix of responsibilities like paying down debt, starting a family, and saving for retirement. To make things easier, focus on these key financial goals before turning 40. First, ensure you’re investing with purpose. This means defining your retirement goals, understanding how much you need to save, and creating a strategy to reach those goals. It’s a great time to consider working with a financial advisor to help make your vision a reality.

Another key goal is to ensure your career and salary are advancing. Your 30s are when your hard work should start paying off in terms of salary growth. …

CARES Act Overview

jmuch2020-04-10T09:44:59-05:00April 10, 2020|Categories: Resource Center|Tags: financial planning|

CARES Act Overview

As the CARES Act was signed into law very recently, we wanted to share a summary of the key provisions and how they might affect you. Take a look at our quick overview. In particular, small business assistance and the waiver of Required Minimum Distributions. https://bit.ly/3e9kZvt.

The Value of a Fee-Only, Fiduciary Advisor

jmuch2025-03-25T13:09:40-05:00March 27, 2020|Categories: Resource Center|Tags: financial planning, retirement|

The Value of a Fee-Only, Fiduciary Advisor

The Value of a Fee-Only, Fiduciary Advisor

What makes financial advice “good enough”? Well, that depends on if your advisor is working under the fiduciary or the best interest standard. The good news is that as the client, you have the power to decide which standard is the right fit for you.

When meeting with a financial advisor, it’s important to understand their motivations and how they prioritize your best interests. Financial advisors are held to different standards of care: the best interest standard and the fiduciary standard. Under the best interest standard, advisors must recommend investments that are in your best interest but can still disclose conflicts like commissions or bonuses they receive. This can sometimes lead to recommendations that benefit the advisor more than the client.

In contrast, fiduciary advisors are legally required to put your best interest first in all aspects of their …

Financial Goals for Your 30th Birthday

jmuch2025-03-25T13:13:52-05:00February 21, 2020|Categories: Resource Center|Tags: financial planning, retirement|

Financial Goals for Your 30^th Birthday

Financial Goals for Your 30th Birthday

The years between 20 and 30 can be some of the most exciting – and challenging – times in life. But what really matters when it comes to the financial lives of young investors? To help simplify things a bit, we created a resource that details 8 financial goals for investors to accomplish before their 30th birthday. If you’re under 30, how are you doing on the list? If you are over 30, how are the young investors in your life doing?

The years between 20 and 30 are often filled with excitement, but also present a number of challenges, especially when it comes to personal finances. As you transition from high school to a young adult, it’s crucial to focus on financial goals that set you up for success by the time you turn 30. Here are eight key …

Tax Planning: Year End Preparations

jmuch2019-10-25T10:13:51-05:00October 25, 2019|Categories: Resource Center|Tags: financial planning, taxes|

Tax Planning: Year End Preparations

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 continues to provide Americans with opportunities and challenges as they prepare to file their taxes. As we prepare to head into tax season once again, we feel that a review of deductions, tax brackets and exemptions may be in order. Grab a copy of our updated 2020 Tax Planning piece here. http://bit.ly/2p025CF