The Power of Homeownership
Key Takeaways: Having a fixed-rate mortgage keeps a large portion of your budget constant versus the variability of rental costs Lower expenses in retirement creates more disposable income, greater flexibility in combatting rising costs, and the ability to invest Saving what’s left rarely works – making monthly mortgage payments creates a forced savings vehicle saving […]
College Savings Vehicles
So often in life and in financial planning, perfect can be the enemy of good. This is certainly the case when it comes to saving for college. There are many ways to go about it, but the most important choice is the choice to begin saving. Nonetheless, we often meet parents of five- and ten-year-old […]
Retirement Saving Myths and Misconceptions
We are fortunate to have a very educated and knowledgeable client base, but we are consistently surprised by the myths and misconceptions clients and prospects bring to the conversation. Below I have listed my Top 7 Myths and Misconceptions About Retirement Savings; it is by no means a complete list but highlights the most common […]
Robinhood and a New Generation of Investors
Warren Buffett is one of the most famously successful investors of all time and his firm, Berkshire Hathaway, trades today near its all-time high, closing Friday at $433,124/share. Mr. Buffett has stated that he does not intend to split these original A shares as they attract like-minded, long-term investors. However, Berkshire did issue B shares […]
The Cost of a Spent Dollar – What Could an Investment Have Become Through the Years
As we discuss retirement savings, one aspect that is worthy of consideration is the weighing of alternatives. Hindsight is always 20/20, but let’s consider the cost of a spent dollar throughout the years. Essentially, if you had $X in a given year, what is something that you could have purchased during that year compared to […]
Balancing Saving and Giving
Most of our clients aspire to be financially self-sufficient. As those clients age, we notice some amount of transition into wanting to benefit others with accumulated resources. This giving can range from donations to charities of interest to paying for a grandchild’s education to helping a friend in need. We have been fortunate since the […]
Positive Signs of a Growing Economy
Key Takeaways: Publicly traded companies will be releasing earnings reports over the next several weeks. Economists believe growth so far coupled with forecasted growth for the remainder of the year will result in great GDP growth. Consumers are still holding abnormally large amounts of cash savings, setting the stage for a large return of consumer […]
Determining a Retirement Savings Rate
As we meet with new families, we continually hear the same two questions: 1) are we making good decisions with the money we earn and 2) are we saving enough for retirement? These questions are typical whether a person is 35 years old or 55 years old. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. […]
Giving Strategy for Charity Gala Season
Fewer than 15% of taxpayers itemize deductions since 2018 tax reform. Timing the donations you already plan to make can maximize tax deductions. Your charities can still receive stable monthly income via a Donor Advised Fund. This week marks the first official week of summer and, at least for my family, this change of season […]
Interest Rates & Inflation
Over the past decade, the Federal Reserve has been pushing for modestly higher interest rates and inflation. To anyone following the markets or economic news, this statement is nothing new to hear. However, with higher inflation starting to build momentum, an economy that is beginning to stand on its own, and the potential of a US government […]
How Will A Bear Market Affect Your Plan?
In this week’s edition of the Ballast Atheneum, I am going to explore a subject no one wants to see but we all must prepare for; Will my portfolio survive a bear market? Fortunately, we can use some of our technology tools, specifically, Monte Carlo analysis to determine how prepared a client is for a […]
