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The Latest on the Economy, Interest Rates and the Stock Market
The state of the economy continues to make headlines here in 2022. So in this week's podcast, Tom, Brendan and Casey discuss what is actually happening in the economy. They share their thoughts on the latest moves by the Federal Reserve and breakdown what they are...
How Does Inflation Historically Impact Stock Market Returns?
In this week's video Casey puts the historical stock market performance during rising and falling inflation periods into perspective for 2022 investors. Everyone wants to know, when is inflation going to peak? When is it going to go back down again? Casey explains why...
The 3 Stages of Retirement
One of the most common misconceptions about retirement is that it is a single continuous event. You tell your boss, or whoever you need to, that you do not plan on working anymore and you're off into this new stage of life called retirement. Maybe there is a little...
The Role of Bonds in Your Portfolio
Bonds have been having an outlier year due to rising interest rates so far here in 2022. But has it changed the overall dynamic of stocks and bonds in a portfolio? Brendan, Tim and Casey discuss why bond investors are bailing out, where bond returns come from and...
Should you Trust Retirement Calculators?
In this week's video, Casey talks about the assumptions retirement calculators make and how they might not apply to everyone. There are certain assumptions that have to be made when planning for retirement, but what happens when life changes? Or when those...
How to Use a Health Savings Account
If you want an efficient way to save for future medical bills, look no further than a health savings account. We always talk about our buckets approach. The idea is you mentally (or physically) separate your money into buckets, depending on what they will be used for....
Is it Better to Invest Through Recessions or to Avoid Them?
A common misconception amongst investors is that investment returns would be better if they could somehow avoid recessions. But is that actually true? In this week's podcast, Brendan and Casey settle this debate once and for all. They share historical...
Where Should You Put Short-term Money?
In this week's video, Casey discusses different ideas for where to put your short-term money. We get asked all the time, "I've got this money at the bank earning nothing. What should I do with it?". There are always trade-offs being made when you put your dollars...
Watch What Investors Do, Not What They Say
In this week's podcast, Tim and Brendan begin by discussing how investors reacted to the Fed's comments last week. The conversation turns into a discussion about who is actually making changes to their retirement investments this year. The guys wind up shining...
When Do You Want The Best Investment Returns?
Everyone wants good investment returns all the time. But if you had to choose, would you want them early on or later down the road? Casey answers this question and more in this week's video. He uses the answer to this question, along with another example, to prove...
What Happens If You Die Without a Will?
If you die without a will, the laws of whatever state you lived (or owned property) in will dictate how your estate gets distributed. If last week's blog post didn't give you reason enough to create and regularly update your will, maybe this week will do the trick!...
What Can I Expect My Investments to Earn?
We are often asked "what can I expect my investments to earn if I work with you?". While it is an important question, there is no easy answer. In this week's podcast, Tom, Brendan, Tim AND Casey weigh in on the best way to set investment performance...
Don’t Worry About Social Security
"It's not going to be around when I need it" "I'm putting all this money in and probably won't see a nickel of it in 15 years" In this week's video, Tom addresses these worries and discusses how social security is a crucial part of retirement income planning and why...
8 Reasons Why Making a Will is a Good Idea
What Is a Will? A will, or a Last Will and Testament, is a legal document that outlines your intention for the distribution of your assets after your death. It is an integral part of a comprehensive estate plan and helps your loved ones avoid legal and financial...
Which is Better in Retirement: Higher $ Total or Lower Monthly Expenses?
In this week's podcast, Brendan, Tim and Casey debate whether it is better to have more money saved in your retirement accounts or lower monthly expenses. They discuss the pros/cons of each and how these factor into making big decisions in retirement like...
Investing is All About Managing Your Expectations
In this week's podcast, Brendan, Tim and Casey discuss the most recent economic headlines including this week's inflation reading, last week's jobs report and Q2 earnings. The guys highlight a theme that's been apparent over the last couple of weeks... the...
2 Different Ways to Spend Money in Retirement
In this week's video, Casey discusses two competing ideas when it comes to spending in retirement. Should you spend conservatively because of the unknown factors retirees face? OR! Should you spend your hard earned money while you are healthy and can enjoy it most?...
What Should I Know About Saving for College?
The first thing to know about saving for college is that it's never too early to start. The earlier you start saving (and investing) for your child's future, the more time and flexibility you allow yourself. Saving for college can be difficult for parents to do on top...
What Should Investors Do in a Market Like 2022?
In this week's video Tom lays out what investors should be focusing on in a market like we've seen here in 2022. Warren Buffett said famously that "the stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient". Tom discusses how we need to...
Required Minimum Distributions Will NOT Drain Your Retirement Account
"If my required minimum distributions are 5% of my account, does that mean my account will be empty in 20 years?" In this week's podcast, Tom and Casey debunk this common misconception by explaining the math behind required minimum distributions. While you are...