If you have ever had any sort of retirement plan with your employer, you have probably at least heard the term “rollover.” Until recently, this term has generally referred to the process of moving your retirement funds from your employer-sponsored retirement plan to your own Individual Retirement Account (IRA), any number of times per year. […]
Saving for retirement as a self-employed individual can be difficult. Without an employer setting up and contributing to a 401(k) or similar plan, retirement savings often fall off the radar. But if you are self-employed without employees, you and your spouse have access to one of the most powerful and underutilized retirement planning tools available: […]
For any business relationship to work, the value gained for both parties must exceed the cost. The calculation for a financial advisor is quite simple: The relationship works for the advisor if the compensation received in return for advice and service is enough to cover costs and a reasonable profit. The calculus for clients, when […]
Conventional wisdom encourages small business owners to form an S Corporation to reduce the amount of self-employment taxes they owe. The idea is to reduce your wages and pay profits out through a profit distribution that is not subject to the 15.3% (employee and employer combined) self-employment tax. For high earners with a willingness to […]
InvestmentNews recently featured Financial Plan, Inc. in an article on how FP, Inc. uses technology to improve client service. This story is unique as most firms use technology to make their life better (save time, improve profit margins, etc.), but at Financial Plan the decision making process begins with the question “what is best for […]
By W. Devin Wolf, CFP® 19 June, 2014 Trusting your advisor because they are friendly and seem nice isn’t adequate to protect yourself from fraud. In reality most fraudulent advisors (and serial killers too for that matter) are charming individuals who have a knack for getting you to let your guard down. Here are 3 […]
Choosing the right financial advisor for your wealth management needs can be a daunting task. There are countless firms and individuals advertising themselves as investment managers, brokers, or advisors – and in some cases, it’s not in their best interest to tell you exactly what services they offer from the outset. Throw in the variety […]
60 Minutes recently reported on a new book by Michael Lewis entitled “Flash Boys.” The book explains how high frequency traders have “rigged the US Stock Market” by using computers to identify the stocks you want to buy, purchasing the shares of that stock (effectively pushing up the price), and then selling them back to […]
By: W. Devin Wolf, CFP® If you have children qualifying for the Child Tax Credit and make in the neighborhood of $110,000 to $200,000 per year, this pertains to you. If not, feel free to ignore or share with someone who does. What is the Child Tax Credit? (Note: All numbers used below and in […]
If you are currently receiving paper checks in the mail for your Social Security, disability and other benefits this will stop as of March 1st, 2013. If you are currently receiving paper checks in the mail for your Social Security, disability and other benefits this will stop as of March 1st, 2013. You either need […]
