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529 vs. Life Insurance

Aug 18 2017

Over the past few weeks I have been asked (and pitched) the idea of whether cash-value life insurance makes sense as a vehicle for saving and paying for college. By cash-value life insurance, I am including whole life, variable life, universal life and variable universal life policies.

First, in almost all cases, it does not. The very few cases where it may make sense will be covered shortly.

Here are some reasons why a 529 college savings plan is better than cash-value life insurance.

529 plans have very high contribution amounts. Depending on your state, the total amount you can

What is the Best Way to Save for College?

Aug 17 2017

As long as you start early or have enough income to pay for college, it doesn’t matter how you go about it, right? No! The method you choose or account type can have a huge impact on your out of pocket costs. Below is a comparison of four different ways to handle college costs.

4 Ways to Pay for College 1. Section 529 Plans

The money contributed to these accounts generally grows tax-free if the funds are used for college expenses including tuition, fees, books and room and board for many students.

2. Investment Savings Account

The earnings on these …

Investing Mistake: Paying Too Much In Investment Vehicle Fees

Aug 16 2017

There can be great value in the sage advice of a fee-only fiduciary advisor. Even if they brought no value for their investment management, they could still bring great value for their help in comprehensive wealth management.

While a competent financial counselor can bring value, an expensive investment product cannot.

Given two S&P 500 funds, the fund that charges less in fees and expenses allows investors to keep more of the underlying returns. A small difference in returns has a large affect over long periods of time.

Imagine two investors who each take our advice and …

Are Women Better Investors?

Aug 15 2017

Why women are better investors: study,” Reuters discusses a Fidelity investments survey and an academic study which found that women save more than men and that their investments also earn more. The survey found the savings and the investment advantage women have over men is 0.4 percent, adding “…the disparity at retirement age is anything but minor. For a 22-year-old starting out with a salary of $50,000 a year, a woman investor will outpace her male counterpart by more than $250,000.”

The article revisits the idea that people presume that men are better investors with women since less than …

How to Get Started with Retirement Planning

Aug 15 2017

There is an urgency to planning for your retirement. Some choices can be postponed, while others will severely impact your financial freedom later in life.

I love math, especially story problems. One of my favorite goes like this: Tom is driving to a city that is 120 miles away. For the first 60 miles Tom averages 30 miles per hour. How fast must Tom drive the last 60 miles in order to average 60 miles per hour for the entire trip?

The answer is not 90 miles an hour. The answer is that it is impossible for Tom to average …

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