Investing will not make you financially secure. Investing will help you stay financially secure. Investing allows you to outpace inflation and optimize your assets. It’s not a secret path that lets you skip the line to financial freedom. For some, there is this idea that they can make up their savings shortfall by selecting the right investments. They think if their investment portfolio worked harder for them, they wouldn’t have…
You’ve likely heard of the 80/20 rule before; if you haven’t, prepare to have your mind blown … (just kidding). The 80/20 rule, aka the Pareto Principle, is a phenomenon which states that roughly 80% of results come from just 20% of inputs. Using the 80/20 rule as a framework for decision making can help you focus your limited resources on actions that are the most impactful. When it comes…
We are constantly discussing what it takes to meet our long-term financial goals with clients. However, we also discuss how important it is to live, today, finding our own balance between our future needs and our current needs. To be sure, travel budgets are a worthy goal! With summer upon us, we’d like to give a nod to living in the moment and share some of our team’s personal travel…
Recently, I had a chance to preview a personal finance book by a best-selling author that focused on how to build and manage your wealth. During the process of reading an early draft of the book, it struck me that it is easy for many to think of wealth building and wealth management as the same thing. However, they are distinctly different and should be considered separately. Building wealth is…
In today’s world, where information about the stock market is readily available at our fingertips, it can be easy to overlook the importance of developing good savings habits. While investment returns are a critical part of any financial plan, developing consistent savings habits is a tried-and-true way to build financial security over the long run. The investment landscape is always going to be ever changing and as investors, to a…
If you were to ask someone “What are the best benefits an employer could offer?”, most would respond with perks like health insurance, time off, remote work, and if it’s been a long day… a company sponsored happy hour might be a popular choice. They’d also be remiss if they didn’t mention the valuable 401(k) match, which is a benefit that’s often used synonymously with the phrase “free money”, and…
Thank you to Haley Sanford of New York Life for the status update regarding WA LTC Tax: Earlier this year Governor Inslee signed a bill that postponed the tax by 18 months. WA State did this to try and address a few bipartisan issues such as options for those who are close to retirement and will not pay in for ten years, live in neighboring state but work in WA…
Who is eligible for benefits? Social Security is a significant payroll tax as well as an important source of retirement income for many US and non-US citizens, alike. Workers pay into Social Security while they are working and receive the benefits when they retire. The size of Social Security benefits depends on your earnings history as well as when you begin to take benefits. But what if you are…
The United States of America always pays its debts. Since the Revolutionary War, the U.S. government has been borrowing money to fund its operations, and it has never failed to make good on its obligations. According to the award-winning financial history, This Time Is Different, no other major power can make that claim. The founding father of this legacy is Alexander Hamilton, who as Secretary of the Treasury argued…
College is expensive. Being prepared and putting money aside in a qualified 529 college savings plan can help you get ready for the onslaught of expenses you and your child will face when your child is ready to leave home for the college experience. Our friends at American Funds have put together a summary list of qualified and non-qualified distributions from a college savings plan for college expenses, updated for…
