Questions You Were Afraid To Ask A few months ago, I started a new series of letters called “Questions You Were Afraid to Ask.” Each time, we look at a common question that many investors – especially new investors – have but feel uncomfortable asking. Really, there’s no such thing as a bad question!…
DetailsHappy President’s Day Pop quiz: Who was our nation’s first president? Now go ask someone else in your home. If you answered, “George Washington,” then congratulations! You clearly paid attention in grade school. Unfortunately, you’re wrong. Sort of. Think back to your history books. The United States declared independence in 1776. The…
DetailsI am asked regularly why an Annuity can pay a higher rate than a CD if all interest rates are similar. This short Kiplinger article shares that banks and credit unions make their money on loans: personal loans, commercial loans and mortgages. Interest rates on these loans are very, very low currently. Banks also…
DetailsWhat You Need To Know One of the trickiest—and most critical—Social Security planning strategies applies to widows and widowers who are between the ages of 60 and 70. If this isn’t you, please forward this to someone you know who may find it useful. If you (I am using one gender here but…
DetailsQuestions You Were Afraid To Ask I recently started a new series of posts called “Questions You Were Afraid to Ask.” We will look at a common question that many investors have but feel uncomfortable asking. Because, after all, when it comes to your finances, there’s no such thing as a bad question! …
DetailsIf there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years while working with people, it’s that it’s never too late to dream a new dream…or achieve one, either. Our collective Covid experience has changed so many lives; hopes, jobs, family, relationships, activity, etc. It’s opened up possibilities that would not have previously been considered. Recently, I…
DetailsSeven Deadly Estate Mistakes to Avoid It’s that time of year when good intentions and New Year’s resolutions lead to forgotten intentions and go by the wayside in the busyness of life. If you have not taken care of your Estate documents (Will, Trust, Power of Attorney, Living Will) or reviewed them in…
DetailsIt’s real. It’s more than a now-common headline—the Great Resignation is real. The millennials call it the Big Quit. Workers are leaving their jobs at record pace. Could this be you in 2022? I’ve talked to many in 2021 who made all kinds of work ‘transitions.’ Some voluntarily, others involuntarily. Hundreds of…
DetailsSilent Night is one of the most famous songs ever written. In fact, it’s officially considered a national treasure in Austria. But the origins of Silent Night are surprisingly humble. Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright It was on a Christmas Eve night in 1818 that a young priest named Josef…
DetailsSocial Security is more confusing than ever. With 5,000+ claiming strategies it’s hard to know what to do. Some are sure they want it at 62 and others at 70. What’s best? Of course, the answer to that question depends on many factors. Some of those are: Age Health Marital status Spouse’s age Spouse’s health…
DetailsHave You Planned for The Stealth Tax? We looked back on the emails from this year, and I’ve written or mentioned inflation 4 times this year. More than any other year I’ve been writing. Most of you have been to Disney more than once. I have been probably 4-5 times. I have friends that have…
DetailsAre You Prepared? The statistic hasn’t changed for years. More than 67 percent of people over age 65 will require some form of long-term care. Where will you get the money? Where will you receive care? Who will provide care? Nursing homes continue to close reducing available beds. 140 million people will be turning 65…
DetailsHappy Veteran’s Day As you know, Veterans Day is a chance to honor those who have served our country. Of course, we always hope that when soldiers return home from defending our country, they are rewarded for their heroism. Sometimes, it may be in the form of a ticker tape parade. Sometimes it may be…
DetailsThe end of the year will be here in less than 60 days. I will have conversations with many of you between now and then. Here are 11 of my normal year-end questions we cover. Not all will apply to you. Some of you will have others specific to your situations. Are my estimated…
DetailsQuestions You Were Afraid To Ask When we were kids, most of us were taught that “The only bad question is the one left unasked.” As a financial advisor, I’ve found that statement to be proven true time and time again. Every day, my clients ask me questions about the markets, taxes, their personal…
DetailsWhat You Need To Know We occasionally will recommend using some form of annuity in your strategy and planning. Most people I talk to will have questions about taxes and other options. Although those questions are easy for me to answer I find they become HARD for you to remember. This stuff can…
DetailsCan I Rant A Bit? I don’t want to talk about politics. I want to talk about the government in general terms. Depending on your politics you could easily misconstrue the point I am about to make. Please don’t do that. I am only going to talk about this information as it pertains to…
DetailsYou Have Giant Target Painted On Your Back When you see reports like this it only serves to emphasize the great disparity that exists. How have we created this type of society in the greatest nation on earth? ONLY 39 PERCENT OF AMERICANS PAID FEDERAL TAXES IN 2020. I bet you that the number will…
DetailsHow They Apply To Your Investments Earlier this summer, the US Postal Service announced that Yogi Berra, the legendary Yankees catcher, would be given his own postage stamp.1 It’s a tremendous honor, as Yogi is only the thirtieth baseball player in history to have his face on a stamp…and the USPS receives approximately 30,000 proposals…
DetailsStrength and Sacrifice We all remember where we were. We were living in Monument, CO. It was Sarah’s 11th birthday, and a beautiful morning as I wound through the streets of Woodmoor taking her to school. I turned on the radio and heard the unbelievable report. I drove to the office and spent…
DetailsWhat Have You Done? The countdown started in December 2017 when President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) aka the Trump Tax Cuts. This legislation created the lowest tax brackets for many of us in our lifetimes. It’s the largest overhaul made in the last 30 years to the tax…
DetailsSimplify and Strengthen As I’ve written and spoken many times there’s a potential train wreck coming with Social Security. I’m seeing more articles in the press voicing concern (see editorials below). We may have less than a decade to go and then there will be great difficulty for those receiving Social Security benefits and those…
DetailsEven if it just seems like you’re “just doing your job”… We have so many first responders and others to be grateful for. So many put their lives at risk and later say, “I was just doing my job.” When I heard this story, I knew I wanted to share it with you. When a…
DetailsStart Early It’s interesting what catches your eye as you go through life’s transitions. We’ve recently made some changes in our family to be more available over the coming years for Angela’s parents. Many of you have done similar and I know many are considering your options on how you might do the same. We…
DetailsThere is new legislation that directly impacts your Colorado charitable deductions. While this tax change will not apply to all of you, I believe it is important for you to be aware of this information. The bill (H.B. 21-311) was part of a package to raise $400 million in revenues for the state to spend…
DetailsMake Plans to Attend the Olympic Games Fan Fest in Downtown Colorado Springs The Olympics are here again! My family and I love watching the Games because it’s a chance to marvel at superhuman feats of skill and athleticism. More importantly, I also find the Olympics to be a great source of inspiration due to…
DetailsImagine it is February 15th. I know that can be hard when it’s July and the average temperature is in the 80’s, but just play along with me for a moment. So it’s February, it’s 5:00 in the morning. We are on a farm in northern Minnesota, in the middle of nowhere. It is…
DetailsTime Management Is Crucial to Financial Success I’ve been thinking a lot about time management the past couple months, as it seems I keep “running out of time”. Time management is defined on Wikipedia as “the act of planning and exercising control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase…
DetailsHave You Filled Up Your Gas Tank Recently? Gas then… $0.29/gallon In just about a year’s time we’ve seen gas prices sky rocket! We buy most of our gas at Costco on Nevada. Who remembers gas in the $1.60 – $1.70 range? I could fill up the truck for $50-$60. It was great. I filled…
DetailsHappy Independence Day! To commemorate our nation’s birthday, I’d like to tell you a story about a young man you’ve probably never heard of before. His name was Harry Burn, and it was just a little over 100 years ago this summer when he found himself confronted with a choice that would change the course…
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