Expectations are powerful things. They involuntarily override our logic and amplify our emotional response to events based on how those events measure up to our expectations. When it comes to making decisions about our finances, emotions make poor bedfellows. In the stock market, expectations are everything. A company can have a great earnings report, but […]
Summer 2018 Newsletter
Read the latest news and updates from Financial Plan Inc in our Summer 2018 Newsletter.
Understanding Rates of Return
Will Rogers once quipped: “It is not the return on my investment that I am concerned about; it’s the return of my investment.” In all seriousness though, calculating a rate of return; also known as “return on investment”, or ROI, is useful because it allows investors to compare various investments, regardless of the amount invested […]
6 Winning Strategies For Your Roth
You’ve read my last piece on the new tax codes and why a Roth might be a good option, decided a Roth is right for you, and now you want to know how to contribute to your Roth. Here are 6 ways to maximize your Roth retirement accounts[1]: 1. Open and contribute to a Roth […]
The Tax Code is Changing. Should your Retirement Plan?
Keep your retirement plan on track by determining if a Roth is right for you. If you have been following tax reform, you know the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) lowered the marginal tax rate of five brackets. You also know if nothing is done to make these tax brackets permanent, there […]
Ever Seen a Retired Ostrich?
Behavioral Finance: Exploring our Biases That which I would not, that do I do! Whether you are investing your assets or putting together an overall financial plan, you are continuously faced with an onslaught of never-ending decisions. There are many points along this journey when we look back and wonder “what was I thinking?!” Often, […]
The Risk Illusion
As emotional beings, we are susceptible to illusions and phobias. Never mind that the snake under the bed turned out to be a sock, or that the monster in the closet was a hat and overcoat. At times our irrational fears seem so real that no amount of reason can calm us. At the same […]
Spring Newsletter 2018
Read the latest updates and insights from Financial Plan advisers in our quarterly newsletter, The Plan. Spring 2018 Newsletter
Market Volatility
Why is the stock market volatile? It’s a question that many of us have pondered at one time or another, especially when we are in the midst of a seemingly large spike or drop. As is often the case, the simplest answer is also the most accurate: It’s just nature. Just as a bird flies […]
2018 Tax Reform Bill: How the New Tax Reform Will Affect You
Since passage of the recent tax reform bill, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), major changes have been made to the U.S. tax code. Given the magnitude of the changes and the variety of versions reviewed and debated by Congress, there is plenty of confusion and misunderstanding around what was approved in […]