As a newcomer to financial planning, entering the world of investing without some basic principles to follow can feel a lot like Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole. All of a sudden, you find yourself in a bizarre alternate reality where normal, everyday language is replaced with “securities,” “beta,” “alpha,” “tranches,” “futures,” and “REITS.” You […]
Tax Planning 101: How To Make The Most Of Your Tax Bracket
(Note: all screenshots in this post are from our 2015 Numbers Unlimited financial planning worksheet, which you can access here.) With April 15 nearly upon us, you’ve submitted your tax returns by now, and the chances are good you’re breathing easy knowing the next tax season is nearly a year away. But before you get […]
Understanding IRA Transfer and Rollover Rules
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. […]
Secrets for Self-Employed Retirement Success
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: […]
Quantifying the Value of an Excellent Financial Advisor
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 […]
Why Becoming An S Corp May Be Bad For Your Retirement Plans
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 […]
Financial Plan Featured in InvestmentNews
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 […]
3 Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraudulent Advisors
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 […]
How to Choose a Financial Advisor That is Right for You
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 […]
How to Avoid the “Rigged” Stock Market
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 […]