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Authors

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Andy Reynolds
Brian Burton
Cameron Hamilton
Frank Yozwiak
John Boardman
Team Ballast
(With Perspective) There Is Good in This Selloff
  Yes, I said it; there are countless reasons to celebrate what we are and have been experiencing in the financial markets. ...
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Taxes in Retirement – Case Studies
Key Takeaways: Your sources of income will change, but you will still owe taxes in retirement. In general, your principal (or...
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Paying Down Debt vs. Saving for Retirement
Here is one we hear all the time – “How can I save for retirement with all of these monthly debt payments?”  For what is seemingly...
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Market Volatility & Behavior Finance
  If you feel like the stock market has been all over the place recently, there is some merit behind the feeling. So far,...
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Cash Flow Planning and Long Term Care
One of the most challenging planning areas for us as practitioners is Long Term Care.  In principle, it should be easy to universally...
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The Investor Taxation Lifecycle
We are not CPAs nor are we tax preparers, but a great deal of our time is spent working with clients and their professionals honing...
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Alternative Uses of Social Security Income
Key Takeaways: Many unique situations could justify taking Social Security earlier. The psychological benefits of a new income...
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When Too Much Tax Deferral Becomes Counterproductive
Click here to watch video in new window. Most of us have been told from early on in our careers to defer as much income as possible...
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Give and Get: Qualified Charitable Distributions
Key Takeaways Tax reform has decreased the households who itemize to about 10% of taxpayers. Those who don’t itemize may not...
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The Inverted Yield Curve of April 2022
Key Takeaways: The 2-year/10-year yield curve inverted for the first time since 2019. This type of inversion has preceded the...
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Diworsification – Can You Take Diversification Too Far?
Key Takeaways: Diversification can be overdone – there is a point where adding another investment to your portfolio can be harmful...
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The Federal Reserve FINALLY Raises Rates
Key Takeaways: Last week, the Federal Reserve raised the Federal Funds Rate by 0.25%. The Federal Reserve is projecting several...
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ATHENEUM

We created a resource to help you succeed in your personal financial journey.

The Ballast Atheneum is a collection of our thoughts on the twelve most important topics in financial planning.