There has been a lot of talk surrounding the Department of Labor’s new fiduciary rules. The gist of the whole thing is the fact that financial advisors will have to act as fiduciaries, meaning that they have to put their client’s interests first before their own. Wait a minute. Isn’t that a financial professional is supposed to be doing? This …
Individual Retirement Accounts Kinds of IRAs and Prohibited Transactions
Kinds of IRAs and Prohibited Transactions You can open different kinds of IRAs with a variety of organizations. You can open an IRA at a bank or other financial institution or with a mutual fund or life insurance company. You can also open an IRA through your stockbroker. Any IRA must meet Internal Revenue Code requirements, which are listed below …
THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS
An ex-wife as a primary beneficiary. Lapsed stock options. No medical power of attorney. What is in common with these items? They are all avoidable. Having been involved in financial services for the past 20 years, I have seen a lot things go wrong. A lot of these issues could have been avoided with proper planning and review. But we …
Diversification-2016 edition
I have been in financial services since the late 1990s. A lot has changed during that time. The internet is no longer America Online. Technology has changed the way the world shares information. This information is available to everyone, all the time, anywhere from your cell phone that you probably use more for things other than making a phone call. …
How to Live Within Your Means
SPEND LESS THAN YOU EARN This may seem obvious; however, it must be said. If you spend less than you bring home, then you will begin to accumulate wealth! It is almost too easy to make purchases these days. Within a minute, anyone can think of a product, order it on Amazon, pay for it with a credit card already …
Unintentional Stock Concentrators
Do you unintentionally concentrate your portfolio on one stock? Most people don’t realize its’ even happening. I view a concentration issue as having more than 20% of your portfolio in 1 stock. My office is located in a heavy technology company area. These tech companies have all sorts of retirement and stock plans, including: ESPP, RSU, Stock Options, Profit Sharing, …
Smart Tax Planning
“You are worse than the Dentist.” It’s tax time. According to some of my clients-one of the worst days of the year. Most of my clients are patriotic Americans, but they don’t want to pay more taxes than they have to. Over the years I have noticed most of my clients initially focus on deductions. Should I buy a house …
401k Rollover ? | Retirement Planning
A 401k plan participant leaving an employer typically has four options (and may engage in a combination of these options): Roll over assets to an IRA Roll over the assets to his new employer’s plan, if one is available and rollovers are permitted Leave the money in their former employers plan, if permitted or cash out the account value. A …
Financial Planning in your 40’s
If you are a consistent planner for the future, then you should have been in an excellent financial position when you touch your 40’s. Most of us, however, are not. It is clear that we have a lot of catching up to do. Remember, financial planning is one of the most important actions at this juncture in your life. If you are …
What is a Comprehensive Wealth Manager?
A comprehensive wealth manager can handle all of your financial needs no matter what your life stage; they offer expertise in a variety financial specialties: Investment Services Retirement Planning Estate Planning Insurance Tax Planning Integration: Advantage of a Comprehensive Wealth Manager An advantage of working with a truly Comprehensive Wealth Manager is that a single person is able to integrate …

