Fee-Only Financial Planning Advice

2019 Year-End Tax Planning Tips & Traps

Nov 27 2019

As the end of the year is fast approaching, we should consider any last-minute strategies that might help reduce your 2019 tax bill. Last year was the first year to be impacted by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA). While there was plenty of clarifying guidance on application of the TCJA, there were was no significant new legislation in 2019 affecting individual taxes. But situations do change from year to year, thus requiring a fresh look at how to approach year-end tax planning. The following are strategies that may benefit you and that we should discuss before …

7 Estate Planning Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Nov 27 2019

Figuring out what you want to do with your stuff when you die is… well, complicated. Most of the time we sign a stack of papers at our attorney’s office and think we’re done. But it’s not that simple. Here are 7 estate planning mistakes and how to fix them. 1. Not updating the executor […] The post 7 Estate Planning Mistakes and How to Fix Them appeared first on Thinking Beyond Numbers | A Personal Finance Blog that Changes the Way You Think About Money!.… Read More

Teachable Moments at Thanksgiving

Nov 26 2019

As people prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, some are looking forward to it and waxing poetic about family togetherness while others are just going to try to grin and bear it. Here is another approach: think about the Thanksgiving holiday as a time to help younger relatives prepare for a better financial future. It can be a teachable moment.

Whether it is your own children and grandchildren or your nieces, nephews, and cousins: “As Thanksgiving approaches, you have the ability to influence young people to save and invest now — not to put that off until some later day.”

This advice …

The Ten Commandments for Strong Financial Health

Nov 22 2019

Here are the Ten Commandments for achieving strong financial health.

The Ten Commandments:

KNOW HOW IS YOUR ADVISOR IS PAID. It really does matter because the quality and kind of advice you receive is a result of how your advisor is paid. The best model for receiving investment and financial planning advice is the Fee-Only Advisor model because this kind of advisor has a Fiduciary obligation to put your needs first. Other types of advisors and brokers do not necessarily need to put your needs before their own.
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO PLAN. It’s never too late to benefit

Which Comes First: Student Loans or Retirement?

Nov 19 2019

People go back and forth debating whether or not to save for retirement or pay down debt. Both are financial priorities and while it is possible to put some money towards both, some people want to know whether or not to concentrate on one or the other.

In “Here’s why you should make paying off your student loans a priority over saving for retirement,” Washington Post finance columnist Michelle Singletary writes:

“If you’re struggling under the weight of student loans — human behavior being what it is — pay off the debt as soon as you can …

Unbiased financial advice from fee-only financial planners