As published in the Racine Journal Times | October 3, 2013 I recently met with someone who was very proud that she had accumulated enough in her bank savings account that she wouldn’t have to draw from her retirement accounts until several years into retirement. She was a bit confused when I told her she…
As published in the Racine Journal Times | September 5, 2013 Have you been divorced? Have you worked at the same company for decades? Have you owned a life insurance policy since before you were married? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may want to take a few minutes to…
As published in the Racine Journal Times | August 1, 2013 You may have been surprised in the past month when you opened your retirement or investment account statement to see you lost money in your bond funds. While it’s true that bonds are typically safer than stocks, this doesn’t mean they are immune from…
As published in the Racine Journal Times | July 11, 2013 What would you say if I told you after age 60, you make worse decisions with your money? You might disagree which is actually because you also become more confident in your decision-making skills. In other words, the actual decisions you make are worse…
Saving for college doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think An interesting survey conducted by Edward Jones earlier this year indicated that 69 percent of Americans were unaware that 529 Plans were for college savings. I’d like to think that the other 31 percent who know about 529 Plans are the ones with…
As published in the Racine Journal Times | May 3, 2013 As the stock market losses of 2008-2009 become a distant memory, it’s a good time for a refresher on the primary risk when it comes to investing, which is the unexpected loss of value.
As published in the Racine Journal Times | April 3, 2013 A couple weeks ago I opened an email with the message “Hi Morgan” which I knew was odd since I’m not typically addressed by my last name. The message went on to request “cash balances” as the person “needs to make a request in…
As published in the Racine Journal Times | March 7, 2013 As stocks continue to increase in value, more people are starting to wonder whether they will continue to rise or whether a decline is coming soon. As the major stock indexes build on their gains from 2012, I think it’s a reasonable question for…
As published in the Racine Journal Times | February 7, 2013 Do you have a relative or close friend whose spouse recently died? You may be in a unique position to help them through one of the most difficult times in their lives. Too often, we’re at a loss for what to do though. Here…
As published in the Racine Journal Times | January 3, 2013 Trillions of dollars are expected to be transferred in the coming decades from one generation to another. A common question I hear from older generations is: What’s the best way to leave their money to their children? An unlikely source of guidance for many…