Trusts as Estate Planning Tools
The topic of estate planning is one that many would like to avoid for as long as possible and the reason is pretty simple: most people are reluctant to discuss what Benjamin Franklin referred to as the only two certainties in this world, death and taxes. This is where a common misconception lies — estate […]
Demystifying Probate
To many people the word probate has a negative connotation. Due to the fact that many people only experience the probate process one or two times during their entire lifetime (if that!) it is viewed as confusing, expensive, and undesirable. Many hire an attorney to guide them through the process and if done correctly, one can avoid […]
What Comprises A Sound Estate Plan?
There is no more important aspect to your financial plan than an estate plan. That might seem to be a shocking statement to some and that is likely because of the misconception of what comprises a comprehensive estate plan. While most clients come to us focused on their investment portfolio and cash flow needs, we […]
Retirement Savings
One of the most fundamental jobs of the financial planner is to assist our clients with retirement savings. How much do you need to save? Which account types should you use? Given multiple options, where should you save your money first? The following articles discuss these and other questions relating to retirement savings. Are […]
Most Couples Shouldn’t BOTH Delay Social Security
Key Takeaways: We’ve written a previous breakdown on the Social Security timing decision. Briefly, between ages 62-70, if you delay taking income, your monthly benefit grows. We discussed that delaying increased payments can be a winning strategy and that it is easy to calculate a break-even age when making this decision. However, the same math that says […]
Evaluation of a Job Offer
Key Takeaways – The following considerations must be made when reviewing an opportunity to take a new job or leave a W2 salary to start a business. When we bring on a new client, one of the first commitments we make to them is to be another intelligent brain at the table, helping to evaluate […]
Who We Serve
COMPREHENSIVE Services Our Priority is You We are here to guide you with expert financial advice that encompasses all aspects of your life. With a foundation rooted in a thorough understanding of your desires, goals, and preferences, we provide you with the leadership, proactivity, and stewardship you need to optimize your financial future. We take […]
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THE BALLAST BALANCE Plan for the Future. Live for Today. https://ballastplan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Hero-Video_Ballast.mp4 Built For Financial Security, By Financial Experts You work hard every day. Let us take on some of the work so you can fully enjoy life. Maximum Utility We help you optimize the way you accumulate, spend, and give your money. As your life […]
The Similarities Between Running and Saving
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. – Lao Tzu It’s race season. With the Bluegrass 10k and other races in Lexington approaching, there has been much discussion about training and running plans in the office. This recent talk about running made me realize that achieving a financial goal is […]
Evaluating a Pension Buyout
Key Takeaways: Those entering the workforce today will most likely never feel the security offered by a pension plan like many of their parents and grandparents have. As defined contribution plans, such as 401(k)s, took center stage in the late 1980s, the use of defined benefit plans as employee benefits quickly became a thing of […]
Diworsification – Can You Take Diversification Too Far?
Key Takeaways: Conventional wisdom tells us that investing all our money into any one asset type carries an inordinate amount of risk, but is it possible to spread our investments over too many asset types? The term diworsification was coined by Peter Lynch in his 1989 book, “One Up On Wall Street”. He used the […]
Artificial Intelligence Wrote this Commentary in 5 Minutes
By: Cameron Hamilton, CFP®, MBA Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning will Improve Productivity Tools are Publicly Available for Laypeople without Coding Knowledge Workers and Companies Must Adapt to New Technology Artificial Intelligence wrote this commentary in five minutes. Not the one you’re reading, but rather the one available at the hyperlink. […]
