Blog

Do you have a lot of questions when it comes investing or financial planning? You can read about all of these topics on our blog. Whether it’s ideas from the industry or emerging trends or important news, you can read about it here. So keep checking in. We’re glad to have you reading along.

Earnings For All Seasons

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, November 29, 2023

While nature offers four seasons, Wall Street offers only one – four times a year. It’s called “earnings season,” and it can move the markets. So, what is earnings season and why is it important? Earnings season...

And The Executor Is

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, November 22, 2023

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger is famous for more than just his time on the bench. When he died in 1995, he left a 176-word will that gave no specific power to his executors. As a result, he reportedly cost his estate tens of...

A Bucket Plan To Go With Your Bucket List

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, November 15, 2023

John and Mary are nearing retirement and they have a lot of items on their bucket list. Longer life expectancies mean John and Mary may need to prepare for two or even three decades of retirement. How should they position their money?1...

3 Estate Challenges For Blended Families

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Preparing your estate can be complicated, and if you're a part of a blended family, estate decisions can be even more complex and nuanced. Blended families take on many forms but typically consist of couples with children from previous...

Intellectual Property And Your Estate

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Monday, October 23, 2023

Among the many considerations to ponder when forming your estate strategy, intellectual property (IP) is among the more important and misunderstood. The phrase itself may be somewhat confusing, as people may not know whether it applies...

Estate Strategies

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Monday, October 16, 2023

How the Queen of Soul, the Lizard King, and Other Celebrities Determined Their Legacies Famous people are all too human. Tabloid newspapers and celebrity magazines and websites make bank chronicling their every moment,...

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Preparing for retirement is not entirely financial. Your degree of happiness in your "second act" may depend on some factors that don't come with an obvious price tag. Here are some non-monetary factors to consider as you prepare...

Global Vs. International: What’s The Difference?

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, September 6, 2023

With international stock markets comprising about 41.6 percent of the world's capitalization as of 2022, a broad range of investment opportunities exist outside the borders of the U.S.1 For investors who are looking to diversify their...

Building Your Legacy

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.Shannon L. Alder The desire to leave a legacy may be the height of altruism for it is a gift to the future, the...

A Primer on Dividends

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Tuesday, August 22, 2023

When looking for income-generating investments, some investors turn to dividend-yielding stocks. When a company makes a profit, that money can be put to two uses: It can be reinvested in the business. It can be paid out to the...

Catch-Up Contributions

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, August 2, 2023

A recent survey found that 28% of workers are very confident about having enough money to live comfortably through their retirement years. At the same time, 27% are not confident.1In 2001 congress passed a law that can help older...

Buying Vs. Leasing A Car

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Some people approach buying a car like they approach marriage, "'til death do us part." Others prefer to keep their options open, trading in every few years for the latest make and model, the most cutting-edge technology, or the...

A Brief History Of Estate Taxes

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Federal estate taxes have been a source of funding for the federal government almost since the U.S. was founded.In 1797, Congress instituted a system of federal stamps that were required on all wills offered for probate when property...

Understanding Equity Compensation

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Employers do what they can to foster a sense of ownership in their employees. After all, if you stand to benefit from a company’s success, you’re more likely to do a great job for them, or so the logic goes.So, when you are...

Retiring Earlier Than Expected? What To Know

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Many Americans, through circumstances beyond their control, find themselves needing to retire earlier than anticipated. Whatever the circumstances, it’s difficult not to feel wrongfooted and hurried by the situation. However,...

Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) Explained

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, June 28, 2023

If you have built up company securities within your employer-sponsored retirement plan, you may find yourself with a range of choices when the time comes to take a distribution. If those securities have experienced appreciation, it's...

FIRE Retirement

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, June 14, 2023

If the idea of retiring in your early 50s, 40s, 30s, or even late 20s appeals to you, you may be interested in joining the FIRE retirement movement. Designed for those who have the discipline and cash flow to save diligently, FIRE can...

Deciding When To Take Social Security

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

One of the most common questions people ask about Social Security is when they should start taking benefits. Making the right decision for you can have a meaningful impact on your financial income in retirement.Before considering how...

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, April 26, 2023

The U.S. personal saving rate stood at 3.4 percent at the end of 2022, down from the 7.5 rate at the end of 2021.The personal saving rate is the federal government's estimate of what percent of their incomes U.S. households are saving....

Pullbacks, Corrections, And Bear Markets

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, April 19, 2023

When the market drops, some investors lose perspective that downtrends and uptrends are part of the investing cycle. When stock prices break lower, it's a good time to review common terms that are used to describe the market's downward...

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, April 12, 2023

In February 2018, Jerome Powell was appointed as Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. He became the 16th chair to take over the helm of the world’s most influential central bank. Among other duties, he...

Anna Luke, CFP®, Certified Financial PlannerTM | Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Everyone loves a winner. If an investment is successful, most people naturally want to stick with it. But is that the best approach?It may sound counterintuitive, but it may be possible to have too much of a good thing. Over time, the...