Blog
Things to consider when planning to relocate out of state
Retirement is not the only reason to relocate to another state, but it is one of the most prevalent. Of course, career change is another reason many people relocate but here in California we have a plethora of reasons one might...
Read Morewhat changes should I be making due to election year politics?
You would have to be living under a rock to be unaware of the intensity and divide politics are having on our culture and communities currently. Everything has become political, even wearing, or not wearing a mask is taken as a...
Read MoreAmerica is going back to work finally!
As a country we have gone through an amazing amount of crisis in our relatively short history. We have survived and thrived after two World Wars, four presidential assassinations, our own Civil War, pandemics and more. However, this is...
Read MoreMy parents are getting older
My parents are getting older and they soon may not be able to take care of themselves. What can I do to make sure that have the care and support they may need?This is one of those subjects that many of us will procrastinate or avoid...
Read MoreRelocating Health Care
Relocating can be exciting and terrifying at the same time. It is fun to think of the new experiences and the fresh start a new home in a new location can promise. There also happens to be a lot of work that goes into uprooting your...
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Retirement Accounts and COVID-19
Many financial advisors have recommended that clients not look at their retirement account balances. It is natural to see the decline in value and want to do something about it. This can lead to some poor decision making. Primarily,...
Read MoreEnergy Invested
Well, did everyone go out and get their free oil? Who knew commodities could go into the negative? There were a lot of retail traders on Robinhood that didn’t, but they are what professional traders call “liquidity”....
Read MoreMain Street Stimulus
The money is rolling in. Even though congress squabbled as the CARES Act took shape, it took less than a month from the time the bill was introduced to when money hit bank accounts. I’ve previously discussed what can be done with...
Read MoreDebt Stimulus'd
Beginning this week, we should see government stimulus money deposited in American bank accounts. A family with a few kids can be looking at a decent little bump. But if you won the essential worker lottery maybe you don’t need...
Read MoreBuying Dip
When life was a little less busy my wife and I had a Thursday night weekly date to go drink margaritas and wander around some local stores. We’d always go to one of the big-name hobby stores and I would provide color commentary...
Read MoreEmergency Fund
I want to share some insight from a recent prospective client engagement. This is not meant to be an “I told you so” story. This is more of a cautionary tale and the very reason we favor the planning first approach when it...
Read MoreNo Emergency Fund - What Now?
So, what can you do if you don’t have emergency savings and, like many people right now, are staring down a significant financial hardship? If you don’t have an emergency fund you are probably operating on paper thin...
Read MoreWhat Should Investors do During the Coronavirus Pandemic?
Anyone who is semi-conscious realizes that the financial markets have been on a rollercoaster ride with a steep downward trajectory due to the global reaction to the outbreak. In fact, last week the markets entered Bear market...
Read MoreWhen it Comes to Marriage and Money, Communication is the Key
Money is well known to be one the most common causes of problems in a marriage. There are a number of different issues which can be a catalyst for such challenges. In today’s column we address six common money issues for married...
Read MoreWhat to do if you receive a call or email from the Social Security Administration
What to do if you receive a call or email from the Social Security Administration asking for money or personal information First, do not be fooled if you receive such a communication from someone claiming to be from the Social Security...
Read MoreSecure Act and what implementation will mean to the average individual
The Secure Act has been passed by the house ratified by the senate and signed into law by the president December 20th, 2019. As written, it will go into effect January 1, 2020. What this means to you and changes you might need to make...
Read MoreWhat to do with your tax refund
As the year ends and we start planning resolutions with the best of intentions, many which will drop off the priority list in a few months. This is also the beginning of the tax season and many will be working on getting all those...
Read MoreWhat is Medicare Part D
Medicare Part D was passed into law in 2003, implemented in 2005 and has been offering prescription drug benefits to enrollees since January 1, 2006. While this program has helped millions of Medicare beneficiaries with the high cost...
Read MoreWhat is a Medi-Gap Insurance Plan?
In this installment of our Medicare series we will address Medi-Gap insurance plans. Going back to our Medicare basics, remember that Part A is a government insurance program offering limited coverage for hospitalization, skilled...
Read MoreWhat is Medicare Part C
Continuing in our series regarding the Medicare insurance program we will discuss what is Part C. To refresh readers, Medicare is a government insurance program which offers limited coverage through Part A for hospitalization, skilled...
Read MoreUnderstanding Medicare Enrollment Periods
In this second installment of the Medicare series we will dig deeper into enrollment periods and possible penalties to help beneficiaries decipher the consequences if they do not act in timely manner. Remember that Medicare is a...
Read MoreMedicare Basics
MC Basics Medicare is a complicated program with many moving parts and variables. The Annual Election Period is the period between October 15th and December 7th every year when beneficiaries may choose to switch their Medicare...
Read MoreShould both the husband and the wife be involved in family finances?
Should both the husband and wife be involved in family finances? That would be a resounding yes! My father passed away when I was 25 years old but being the youngest of six my mother had a large family to help her get through an...
Read MoreKnow what your business is worth
Many small or independent business owners expect that their business will provide them with the retirement which they desire. Many of them may be right but there is more to creating a marketable business that has a resale value as...
Read MoreMedicare is a very complicated program. To help clarify for Medicare Beneficiaries here are some...
Medicare is a very complicated program. To help clarify for Medicare Beneficiaries here are some FAQ's regarding Medicare Insurance What is Medicare? Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people who are age 65 and older...
Read MoreInsurance basics for people to consider
I am a big fan of utilizing a team of professionals. Some obvious professionals to think about are doctors, lawyers, accountants and financial planners but it should also include anyone who has an expertise which you do not and one...
Read MoreWhy are beneficiary designations important?
These designations tell the state who gets your assets when you die. If you do not set up the designations up prior to your death the state will put your estate, whether it is large, small or in between, through the probate process....
Read MoreWhat can one do to be prepared financially in case of blackouts or other potential emergencies?
PG&E has been on a campaign to inform the general public to be prepared during blackouts. The reason behind this information is that PG&E will be more likely to instigate preemptive power outages in the future due to the horrible...
Read MoreMedicare Clients Read your Mail
This may be one of the most important articles for Medicare beneficiaries to read. Email, text messages and many other modern-day technologies have reduced the need for snail mail however, everyone with a mailing address still receives...
Read MoreThe vacation industry has changed but should still be planned
Vacations in the scope of financial responsibility are considered a lifestyle not a fundamental goal. A financial planner is first responsible for guiding you to address fundamental goals then lifestyle goals as well as helping you...
Read MoreMarriage and Finances
We hear repeatedly that one of the biggest challenges in marriage is how couples address finances. One of the best solutions for this to have open and ongoing communication about your finances. Of course, communication itself, is also...
Read MoreShould we use our tax refund to pay down debt?
Great question. This is a good time of year to take a closer look at finances. The holidays are a distant memory and taxes are hopefully out of the way. By now many have or will shortly receive any tax refund due to them. Before you...
Read MoreAvoiding the top 10 financial scams
According to ConsumerFraudReporting.org there are many scams currently which you need to be aware of. The following is a rundown of the most prevalent and some common sense tips to avoid this ongoing danger. Debt collection scams are...
Read MoreSalt Taxes
SALT is an acronym for state and local taxes and there has been a lot of discussion regarding their impact. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which Congress passed in December 2017 went into effect for tax year 2018 and specifically limits...
Read MoreAre you emotionally ready for retirement?
When I became a financial planner, no one informed me that I would need to play psychologist as well. However, it is a helpful skill for anyone who works with people and their money. After all, one of our tasks is to take the emotion...
Read MoreSilver Tsumani
The City of Lodi is facing a silver tsunami in the coming years. What can we do about it? This is a subject which I have written about in the past. As the new year approaches and we talk about resolutions, my hope is that our community...
Read MoreWhat will health insurance cost me when I am eligible for Medicare?
This is one of the most important issues for retirees as health care may be one of the biggest expenses in your so-called golden years. Being a complex issue lets break this down into a few segments. First, we will look at Medicare...
Read MoreAging Parents
My parents are getting older and soon they may not be able to take care of themselves. What can I do to make sure that have the care and support they may need? This is one of those subjects that many of us will procrastinate or avoid...
Read MoreHow can parents teach kids to be financially responsible?
First, as a parent you must lead by example. If your finances are a mess, you can't possibly pass on good money management to your children. Do you and your spouse talk about budgeting? Do you plan ahead? Or do you wait until there is...
Read MoreShould we combine our finances now that we are getting married?
Of course, my first response to this question is yes! If two people commit to spending the rest of their lives together then yes they should combine their finances. There may be exceptions to this but consider that finances are always...
Read MoreCollege Savings
I recently spoke with a couple of neighbors who asked if I would write about college savings. So here is an overview of some options. Custodial accounts have been around for a long time and are one of the older options available to...
Read MoreMy wife and I are considering moving to another state to retire
My wife and I are considering moving to another state to retire. What issues should we take into consideration? This is a great question and there are a number important factors that should be considered before making such a major...
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