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Paid Off Credit Cards Killing Financial Success?

  Most of my clients tell me this isn’t true, because they pay their card balance off in full each month. I say, "That’s part of the problem!" We all have a propensity to spend up to what we know we can afford to pay off each…
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Loving More Effectively

5 Love Languages is a "difference maker" book. Ever wonder why your spouse or child doesn’t appreciate it when you go out of your way to show your love to them? I just finished reading a terrific book that should be required reading…
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Fictitious Balance on Your 401k/IRA Account Statement

Your account balance carries a hidden surrender charge. Millions of working Americans contribute a percentage of their earnings to a 401k account while many also have IRA accounts, most of which were formerly 401k that were rolled over to…
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Does 4% Retirement Rule Make Sense For You Today?

The most important and anxious questions I answer for my clients are:  "How much money will I have at retirement and will that be enough to live on? Of course, there are many variables in that calculation, one of the biggest is choosing…
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How Much is Enough?

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough." We can all agree each person's perspective is unique, but do we ever take the time to contemplate how…
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Have You Had “The Talk”?

"The Talk" I’m not referring to “the talk” with your teenage children about sex, but rather the “parent and adult children talk” about the parent’s estate plan. Have you had this conversation? Most people have not. My sister Lori…
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Money vs. Memories: The Cost of Being Too Frugal

Being frugal all the time can cost you plenty in the form of memories. Life is too short to not splurge a little for memorable experiences, even if it means being less frugal and paying extra for special activities or events. There are 365 days…
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Does the Home Ownership Make Cents?

The American Dream has evolved over time from the right to liberty and pursuit of happiness to the ownership of material items, one of them being a home to call your very own. However, after paying a recent property tax bill for my home, I…

The Real Griswold's "Quest for Fun"

Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold in the “Vacation” movie was one of the more memorable comedy films I can remember. Like the Griswold's, our family has always embraced the “family road trip” and this year we took it to a new level by…
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Nothing Natural About Retirement

The idea of “retiring” is relatively new in this country’s history. It was created by financial institutions about 70 years ago after social security was first set up to transition aging, unproductive workers out of hard labor jobs…

Is Your Retirement Plan Aligned With Your Life Expectancy?

BETTER HAVE MORE MONEY Great news: people are living longer and healthier lives than ever before! Bad news: this means we need more money to allow for those additional years. It would be much easier to plan if we all knew the age at which…
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ROTH VS. TRADITIONAL IRA...8 Important Comparisons

Roth vs. Traditional IRA 8 Important Comparisons Roth vs Traditional IRA? Deciding which retirement account type may fit your needs is an important step in retirement planning. The comparisons below provide an overview of the differences…

Mortgage Payment Hurts Retiree Options

What a difference having a mortgage payment makes regarding your retirement plan affordability! Did you refinance your home loan for thirty years to take advantage of historically low mortgage rates? If so, you may be locked into a mortgage…
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Your IRA or 401k Balance is Not all Your's

Your IRA or 401k is partially yours and partially the property of the IRS. Unfortunately, the IRS doesn't tell you what they get until you make a withdrawal. RETIREMENT PLAN REALITY CHECK IRA Balance               Marginal Tax Rates…