529 vs Roth IRA: Which is Better for College Savings?
We’ve all been conditioned to believe the well-known 529 plan is the “designated” college savings vehicle – people tend to think of it automatically when planning.
We’ve all been conditioned to believe the well-known 529 plan is the “designated” college savings vehicle – people tend to think of it automatically when planning.
There may be times when you might decide it’s worth claiming your Social Security benefits early!
IRA rollover mistakes are easy to make and could be impossible to correct. It’s worth understanding that every time IRA or 401(k) money is touched, it’s a gamble for those who don’t know what they’re doing.
In a social media world, many believe whatever they read on the internet – and accept credentials at face value. Media noise and news can be hard to differentiate.
Investment strategy tied to a plan can be powerful. Doing things a little differently can make a big difference.
When a loved one dies, it can be a bit chaotic. I remember when my parents passed away, they had lived a very long and happy life.
Often financial planning and wealth management is more about the unknowns in life than the knowns. After years of supporting roles on the Flintstones, Barney and Betty decided to retire from acting in cartoons (it’s hard to be a cartoon character!) and enjoy life.
Like indexing? Like the S&P? You can get an index fund! Sounds good. Let’s face it, most (virtually all) investment management companies fail to beat the S&P index on a consistent basis. We all know that.
Does the ‘bucket’ approach to allocating assets to life goals make sense—or does it actually destroy wealth? Mentally, bucket investing is simply assigning money to ‘buckets’, i.e. goals
I don’t know anyone, certified financial planner professionals included, who is a fan of surrender charges; but, economically they are a fact of life for many products simply to make the offering available and viable for the investment or financial product provider.
We all know the Fed target is 2% inflation; but, since COVID-19 and all the accompanying spending, it’s been tough going for the Fed. While the rate of inflation has been slowly declining, it’s still stubbornly around 3% – and with people living longer, it can still spell disaster for those facing retirement, especially with longer life expectancies.
Retirement milestones should actually begin the day you leave school and enter the workforce; but few people think about retirement at that age. They’re too busy starting careers. If they achieve early success, they won’t even be worried about retirement. It’s been my experience that it’s after age 50 they come through my door. By that time they’re done with stock tips and chasing rainbows. Age 50 has a way of making all of us start thinking.