Financial Planning Blog

Don’t think you can afford a financial planning service? Wondering if you are doing the right things? Heard no financial advisor wants someone with your limited account size? We believe true financial advice is not limited to investing. It provides advice on clarifying your goals...

     Some people are shocked when they hear my transparent, financial advisory fee. Some of those people have 401(k) accounts or IRAs where they pay commissions. However, they don’t know what share class means nor have an idea how much...

Is your financial plan compromised because you lack the time to take a more comprehensive look? In trying to compensate for your lack of time are you not questioning key assumptions? If so, your plan may be built on faulty...

            A financial vault accessible from any internet connected device can help in a pinch. In a fast-paced life, it is easy to lose track of your assets and financial documents. It is even harder to find them after they have...

Everyone who calls themselves a financial planner is not legitimate. The 2008 Value of Financial Planning Study conducted by The Financial Planning Standards Counsel of Canada highlighted this issue. Of those respondents who thought their planner was a CFP®, 70.8%...

Most people haven’t taken an undergraduate class on investing, much less 401k investing. When the 401k was introduced it had a limited number of choices. Then, due in part to technological advances, the number of choices began to balloon. I have...

What is your definition of financial independence? I believe we should retire the word retirement and use financial independence instead. When you hear retirement, do you think things like not working, receiving Social Security and the like? You...

                       Have you ever saved up for something, only to find that it was more expensive 3 to 5 years later? Many people find themselves in sticker shock when...

              Does the term financial life plan make you think a blueprint for how to reach your life goals? Some categorize goals in terms of needs, wants and wishes. I prefer to use the word dream rather than...

                        When contemplating divorce, many people put themselves under undue stress as they worry about their financial well-being. Much of that stress is due to the fear of the unknown...

I was recently asked to help some independent contractors with their retirement savings needs. Many people try to use some preset thought process of how to save for retirement. Often it is based on getting a matching contribution or some rule of thumb such as saving...

When it comes to retirement income, a lot of people worry about running out of money as they age. On the other hand, when retirees are set up with fixed-income strategies (via a pension or annuity) they’re often working on a budget, which creates some...