Sustainable Withdrawal Rate
A sustainable withdrawal rate simply means the amount of money a retiree can withdraw from their investments each year without running out of funds before they die. This month, we’ll look at some important considerations when estimating a sustainable withdrawal rate. We’ll also introduce one way of doing this which is used by many financial […]
Aging in Place
Aging in place simply means continuing to live in our home as we get older. A recent AARP survey determined that 87% of adults over the age of 65 want to age in place. This month, we’ll take a closer look at whether aging at home is right for you. People Who Want to Age […]
Preparing for Incapacity
First of all, Happy New Year! I hope that 2022 will be a safe, healthy and prosperous year for everyone. This month I’d like to talk with you about incapacity – that is, how to manage things when you are unable to act for yourself. The pandemic has certainly reminded us that we can become […]
2021 End-of-Year Financial Planning
Okay, the leftover turkey has been dealt with and there are still 31 days until the end of the year. So, maybe it’s a good time to think about end-of-year financial planning. Here are a few of the more common things you might want to consider. Withholding. Ideally, the taxes withheld from your paychecks add […]
How to Title Your Assets
Asset titling is often overlooked and can be one of the most important elements of an estate plan. If asset titling has not been correctly coordinated with your estate plan, your plan may not turn out as you intended. Most of us would like to specify how the assets we accumulated over our lifetime are […]
Do You Really Need This Insurance?
Some insurance is certainly essential to our financial health. This normally includes health insurance, auto insurance and homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. Often it also includes long-term-care insurance and personal liability umbrella insurance. Business owners need additional coverage. However, there are several types of insurance that just aren’t worth the money for most of us. Here’s […]
Top Reasons to Become Debt-Free
For most of us, debt is a necessary part of life. It’s the only way we can afford big-ticket items such as a home. Unfortunately, many of us get too attached to using debt to obtain things we want (but may not actually need). So, how bad is this, really? Well, studies have shown that […]
Document Retention
Who hasn’t wondered how long we should keep various documents? Keep them too long and it becomes unwieldy and makes it hard to find what you want. Don’t keep them long enough and you may not be able to respond to the tax man or some other authority. Is an electronic copy good enough or […]
How to Recognize and Address Cognitive Impairment
Many of us have experienced our own “senior moments.” Where are the car keys? Why did I come into this room? What’s the name of that person? Most of these memory lapses are a normal part of life and are very manageable. On the other hand, cognitive impairment can progress to a point where it’s […]
Common Issues Found in Estate Planning Documents
You don’t have to be a skilled estate planning lawyer to spot an issue that should be addressed in your estate planning documents. Here are some common areas you can review for potential changes. No Documents Hopefully none of you are in this situation, but if you are please begin your estate planning soon. Indeed, […]