Student Debt Options for Graduates
Although a minority of our clients have student debt, those that do not almost always have children or grandchildren planning on attending college. Costs of college attendance have inflated so fast that we discuss it with parents of newborns. We’re seeing a steady increase of borrowers with six figure debt levels, making student debt repayment […]
The Flexibility of Being Debt-Free
In our previous Atheneum commentaries on debt we’ve covered a myriad of topics including, good vs. bad debt, prioritizing debt payoff, and different mortgage planning strategies. We hope these commentaries have helped shed light on what we consider one of the most important topics in financial planning – debt analysis. Today we discuss what for […]
Second Mortgage Planning Strategies
Home Equity Loan vs. Home Equity Line of Credit For many households in America, the equity built in their home is one of their largest assets on their balance sheets. Historically, this asset has provided growth in value, as well as an opportunity to obtain a secured loan from a bank for short-term or long-term […]
Early Mortgage Payoff
Although we spend a large majority of our time planning our clients’ investment portfolios, we believe advising on the entire client balance sheet is just as important. On the liability side of the balance sheet, a client’s primary mortgage is often a major talking point. The last decade has allowed homeowners ample opportunity to refinance […]
When is Debt OK and When is it Not?
An amount of money borrowed by one party from another – the basic definition of debt sounds neither good nor bad and leaves many wondering – how do I determine if taking on debt is worth the risk? Although the answer is not always crystal clear, most debts can be defined as either positive or […]
Planning for “Fixed” Income During Retirement
Fixed Income in retirement can come from many different sources of assets. It may be a pension, real estate rental income, bond/CD ladder, annuity, Social Security, or even an income-yielding individual bond. In all scenarios, using “fixed” income as retirement income comes with many different benefits and risks. While it is very situationally dependent, in […]
Planning for RMDs
The vast majority of people save the bulk of their retirement funds in qualified retirement accounts (401ks, 403bs, etc.) and IRAs. Through regular saving and long-term growth of the investments inside these accounts, a typical account holder hopes to develop some type of an income stream during their retirement years. According to the US Census […]
Evaluating Pension Options
Each year we are seeing fewer workers covered by a company pension plan. Overwhelmingly companies are trending away from the traditional pension- a defined benefit, to a defined contribution plan like a 401k. By and large employers have decided that guaranteeing a retirement income is too expensive. If you are lucky enough to be in […]
The Importance of Tax Diversification
When most people think of diversification, they primarily focus on a proper mix of portfolio assets. As we have noted in the past, we target an asset mix of non-correlating assets for our clients. This could include stock, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, REITs, etc. However, one area of diversification that is often ignored is […]
Evaluating Old Life Insurance Policies
Not all financial decisions are made with a clean slate. Nearly everyone we meet has made choices both good and bad. Our approach has always been to look everything over with a critical but nonjudgmental eye and find the most appropriate way forward for the future. Often our first opportunity to practice this approach is […]
Insurance for Small Businesses
As an independent, locally owned firm, we have had the opportunity to learn about insurance needs first hand. While daunting at times, even for us who help advise others on insurance requirements, once a plan is in place we can personally attest to the peace of mind that it brings. Many small business owners wear […]
Long Term Care Overview
One of the most intimidating and misunderstood areas in financial planning is Long Term Care Planning. In general, long-term care is classified as ongoing healthcare needs for the basic activities of daily living such as eating, bathing, dressing, and transferring. In most cases, a person who cannot perform even a few of these activities independently […]
