THE RETIREMENT RULES ARE CHANGING
Congress recently passed, and the President recently signed, a bill called the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act). This brings major changes to the retirement landscape ...
Should you move domiciles to pay lower taxes?
By Christopher M. Jones, CFP® | Published: May 24, 2016Tax planning involves searching for and taking advantage of legitimate opportunities for tax reduction. As clients seek to reduce their tax bite, a common question is, "Should I move to another state to reduce my taxes?" For those on the East Coast, the move might be from New Jersey to Florida. On the West Coast, Californians may consider moving to Nevada.
New Ruling Holds All Financial Professionals to a "Fiduciary Standard"
By Christopher M. Jones, CFP® | Published: April 6, 2016The fiduciary standard is receiving significant press in light of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) approved expansion to the “investment advice fiduciary” definition under the ...
Inflation: The Grinch Who Stole Your Purchasing Power
By Christopher M. Jones, CFP® | Published: December 19, 2014As the holidays arrive, there are many constants in life to be thankful for: family, friends, and experiences, just to name a few. As many of us gather around the dinner table, discussions of internet ...
Social Security: Timing Matters
Published: September 8, 2014A few weeks ago Chris recommended that I read a new book, “Social Security Strategies”, to better understand some of the strategies that clients can use to get the most out of Social Security ...
Don’t put your retirement in jeopardy over college expenses
Published: May 9, 2014Middle-aged parents face two huge expenses: college costs for their children and the even larger eventual cost of retirement. Many find it hard to juggle the two and get confused over priorities and where ...
Want to retire but cannot control the markets? Save more
Published: May 9, 2014The old saying about not worrying about things we can’t control and concentrating on those things we can control applies to retirement planning, says Vanguard, the large mutual fund company. It ...
A lesson for young workers: Save as much as you can now
Published: December 19, 2013Here is a lesson to keep repeating to your children and grandchildren: it is easier to save $381 per month toward retirement than to save $5,778 per month. Seems simple, doesn’t it? Yet it might ...
Marriage and wealth determine whether retirement is a success
Published: December 19, 2013What is the secret to leading a financially successful and healthy retirement? Accumulate wealth while you are working and stay married in retirement. And, for the best individual outcome, die before ...
More Stocks Can Mean a More Secure Retirement
Published: September 24, 2013Some people who are about to retire make a big mistake: They keep too much of their retirement portfolio in “safe” fixed-income investments, and not enough in “risky” stocks. Some ...