Fee-Only Financial Planning Advice

Don’t Let Identity Theft Ruin the Holidays

Nov 07 2019

As you gear up for the busiest shopping time of the year, managing your money involves more than just setting and sticking to a budget.

Thieves, knowing that the holidays make us distracted shoppers, are just waiting for you to make the slightest slip-up that allows them to access your finances. That explains the 22 percent spike in holiday ID theft from 2016 to 2017.

Couple this with the fact that 53 percent of all holiday shopping now happens online (a hacker’s paradise!) and the odds are pretty good that even the wisest of us might make our wallets a …

Estate Planning is a Plot Point in “The Goldfinch”

Nov 05 2019

One plot point in The Goldfinch (the movie version of this novel was released this year) involves a young boy whose mother has died and left him some money. In the movie, Theodore’s father coerces Theodore into calling his mother’s lawyer to ask that the lawyer to transfer a large sum of money to him. Theodore is to tell the lawyer that the money is for his own benefit but of course they father does not intend to use the money to directly benefit Theodore. The lawyer is unable to send any money because of the conditions Theodore’s mother outlined …

Nine Top Elder Frauds to Avoid

Oct 31 2019

One of the areas that regulators have begun to focus on in the investment industry is elder fraud. After hearing about the vicious scams some endured by senior citizens, many by their own families, I’ve become more attuned to the clues that a client or relative of mine might be a victim of.

Picture this: you’ve saved money all your life. Or, maybe you sold your business after investing years of hard work. You’ve chosen the smart path and have a comfortable nest egg as you set sail into retirement.

But always be on guard! Criminals seek to trick you …

Financial Planning is Savvy, Not Scary

Oct 29 2019

Halloween is a good time to think about what really scares you and the ways you mask or hide behind old habits to avoid facing your financial fears. Maybe you just ignore bills as they arrive. Perhaps you avoid checking your bank balance, credit score, or investment portfolio because you aren’t sure you can handle what you might see. You might be someone that keeps using a credit card to the very limit, thinking that you will manage to pay it off somehow in the future.

Saving is savvy. People who manage to save money do so because they …

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