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 […]
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 […]
The Grey Area of Paying Off a Mortgage Early
A key question that soon-to-be retirees often face is whether or not to eliminate debt before retirement. Generally, we would love to see all our clients enter their retirements debt-free. However, there could be some instances where making monthly debt payments is not necessarily a bad thing (i.e., zero-percent financing on a car). Sometimes the […]
Insight Into Fixed Income + Timing of Social Security
When entering retirement, the question of how to structure income can be the most influential factor in determining a family’s long-term financial well-being. Several factors such as income source, inflation, and sequence of returns present risks and opportunities for retirees. Today’s Atheneum discusses how we might explore retirement income with John and Jane Smith. They […]
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 […]
Don’t Worry, There’s Still Time for 2020
I know what you are thinking. It is on everyone’s mind. “2020 was so much fun, such a great year, I wish it would stay 2020 forever.” (Disclaimer: as a new father, I am now qualified to make bad jokes). Well, unfortunately, I cannot bring back 2020, but I do have some good news: there’s […]