financial planning

How will you respond to uncertainty? Impossible to Predict, Possible to PlanPeople are unpredictable, and therefore the future is unpredictable. In Christian terms, we call it free will, and it means we believe that God grants us the ability to...

Inflation is running at 7.5%. What’s your move? Inflation is hitting historic levels meaning this is the kind of stuff you tell your grandchildren about someday. Even depreciating assets, like your car, boat, or RV, have appreciated over the last...

In our recent semi-annual reviews with clients, it has become almost routine for us to look at portfolio returns together and say, “That looks great!” Well, last week was not so great. The market corrected, and there was nowhere to hide. Didn’t...

The fourth quarter of 2021 did not break stride from the rest of this year. The jobs reports continued to come out extremely strong; corporate earnings did the same. As the last quarter of the year wrapped up, we are now officially below the...

Rob published a great article in the Mansfield Record that talks about living life to the fullest while also planning for those unexpected events. Click below to read more!

I had a new client in the office this morning whose situation lends itself perfectly to a Roth conversion. They are 53 years old and have almost 2 million dollars in 401(k) and IRA retirement account funds. All of their 401(k) and...

“What’s one thing you wish you knew about investing when you were 20?” I was asked this question as a guest on a recent podcast. My answer? “I wish I knew how phenomenally well Apple stock was going to do because I owned it when I...

This is going to sound crazy, but maybe you should not be taking advantage of your 401(k). Maybe you should go ahead and pay taxes on your investments now, not later. Most of the people I come into contact with believe tax rates are...

Check out this fun excerpt from my latest book for your reading enjoyment. I used to tell this story to 401(k) participants in enrollment meetings. It’s a real conversation I had with my dad in our garage in 1978! What do you think?

I have had the opportunity to help many people gain personal financial success over the last quarter decade. It’s been a great ride, and I continue to be inspired by their achievements. How did they do it? I think these seven steps were a key...

In working with successful clients, I’m reminded often that just maxing out your 401(k) rarely cuts it. For most of the families we work with, it takes more than just retirement plan assets to effectively retire. Why? Because your...

The first time I reviewed and worked with a nice bond retirement portfolio it was my grandparents investment account. In the mid to late 90’s I found myself driving down to Temple Texas once a week to help them out with medical and...

We would argue that the most important job of a Financial Advisor is to talk people out of decisions that could have potential long term consequences. A very real test of this came during the first quarter of...

COVID-19 cut hockey season short and we’ll see if my horns make it on the gridiron this fall for football season. In the meantime, it’s property tax season. If you live in Texas, you should have received your 2020 Value Notice by...

In the last four weeks something near the number of 26 million Americans have filed for unemployment. That is a crazy high number that has led to some eye popping GDP expectations for the quarter. Some reports expecting something...

Over the past month, many different areas of the US economy have come to an almost full stop. This as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, and subsequent reaction of government officials ordering people to stay home. To keep people and businesses...

*4/23/20 Update: EIDL and PPP EIDL and PPP checks are flowing. Remember, the EIDL check you receive is a tax-free grant. Make sure you annotate clearly on your books as something like EIDL – Other Income so your accountant can exclude it from...

A classic either/or question that comes up from time to time in client discussions. Based upon our own life experiences, we all tend to lean one way or the other as it relates to spending now or saving for later. As with many decisions in...

As the New Year turns I would encourage anybody who doesn’t have one, to go get a financial plan put together. But remember, just having one will not solve everything immediately all by itself. It’s a continual process, and your plan gets out of...

Thoughts on Time: Time and again, couples, when they set an appointment for an initial visit will say things like “We’ve been planning on coming to see you for years”, to which I always reply “Why did you wait so long?”. Generally, their...

Thoughts on Collaboration and Accountability Accountability is a powerful driver of success that most of us want to avoid like the plague. Just like planning it’s not very fun and sexy. Years ago, I decided it was time to get back in shape. At...

Avoid this Investing Pitfall There are often times when we’re too smart for our own good. Our success and genius in our work lives provides a false sense of competency in the realm of financial planning and investment management. For example:...