What is a “Holistic Plan?” It’s not uncommon to hear the term “holistic plan” in the financial planning and services industry. Most...

Follow the Baby Steps in order, and stick with them! It is great when Dave Ramsey shares an exciting social media post about investing $100 a month for 40 years and having over $1,000,000 at the end. I see those posts, and they have some of the highest traffic of replies, likes, and so on, which indicates to me that many people want to follow Dave’s program and really take control of their money. Unfortunately, most people have so much debt, bills, and other expenses that whe

The SECURE ACT 2.0 and the ROTH IRA As I write this article, one quote from my kid’s favorite Christmas movie comes to mind, “keep the change you filthy animal.” The Secure Act 2.0 is being met with mixed feelings. It is viewed by some as an unexpected lump of coal, and to others as a special Christmas gift. The second edition of the Secure Act is a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill - 4,100 pages detailing dubious plans for spending that just don’t make sense to many ordina

Dueling Contributions Beginning Baby step 4 (Funding retirement accounts) can be exciting for anyone who has emerged victoriously from...

Should I consider expanding my investing beyond stocks and bonds? For most time periods, some combination of stocks and bonds has worked...

In investing, risk tolerance is a phrase used to describe how much an individual is willing to see their account fluctuate, due to the...

What You Can Control vs What You Can Not Control You have spent your entire working career accumulating wealth so you could reach this point, retirement. Conventional wisdom might suggest, now that you have reached retirement, you need to be as conservative as possible with your investments in order to preserve them for the rest of your life. But, did you know that being too conservative can create more risk to the longevity of your assets than being more aggressive? Also, wi

When thinking about pain, we know how the brain processes pain can provoke strong emotional reactions such as fear, anxiety, or, in some...

The new year brings new goals, resolutions, and even the occasional inflation-adjusted retirement contribution limit. Ah, the things we...

In high school, there was this thing called “high waters.” If your jeans or khakis showed any of your socks or, worse yet, the skin from...

It’s the super bowl for Financial Planners and Tax Planners! Ok, maybe that is a little extreme but every year the IRS announces changes...

Time flies! I was reminded of that saying this week as my wife began prepping for her 5th season of coaching high school girls'...

The Social Security Administration COLA The Social Security Administration is set to announce the 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). The 8.7% COLA will boost the average monthly Social Security retirement benefit to $1,814 next year, up $145 per month from this year’s $1,669 average benefit. The 8.7% COLA increase is the largest adjustment to the benefit in 40 years thanks to high inflation. And to everyone’s surprise, a decreased Medicare Part B premium comes with it. Fi

Inflation: What is it? Inflation is a word that is not spoken of regularly in our social circles. It has been mostly used in financial...

Social Security is a benefit nearly 1/5th of the country is currently receiving and the majority of working Americans pay into it. How is something that affects such a large percentage of the population so easily misunderstood and complex? The goal of this article is to deliver the fundamentals of Social Security and develop a much stronger communication with your advisor around the topic. With all that being said, let’s jump right in. What is Social Security? In the midst of

Healthcare has undoubtedly been a hot topic in the last few years. However, for those of us in the retirement planning industry, we’ve...

The Basics of Target Date Funds If you have a retirement plan through work (401(k), 403(b), etc) and are putting money into it, it’s very...

As a public-school teacher in the great state of Texas, you are aware of the TRS (Teachers’ Retirement System) of Texas. What may not be...

How many times can you think of something in your life that was painful but ultimately ended up being for your own good? One of the most...

Have you ever made a decision in the past that, years and years later, you came to regret? I’m sure we all have. We work with teachers...