Financial Planning, Financial Tips
Reed C. Fraasa, CFP®, AIF®, RLP®
Money Flowing Out? Your January Financial Reset ...

As we embark on a new year, there's no better time to take control of your financial future by thoroughly reviewing your cash flow. If having a vision and establishing goals is the touchstone for a financial plan, this essential financial practice sets the foundation for achieving your goals and ensuring long-term financial stability.

Money Flowing Out? Your January Financial Reset Starts Now
Divorce Planning, Newly Independent Women
Joseph Goldy, CFP®, CDFA®
Understanding the CDFA® Designation: Your ...

Anyone who has gone through a divorce knows how emotionally challenging and financially complex it can be. While attorneys handle the legal aspects, a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® focuses specifically on the financial implications of divorce. This specialized designation equips professionals with the expertise to guide clients through the intricate financial aspects of divorce proceedings, ensuring better outcomes for their financial future.

Understanding the CDFA® Designation: Your Financial Ally During Divorce
Pharmaceutical Professionals, Stock Options, Financial Planning
AnnaMarie Mock, CFP®
Science Meets Finance: How The Scientific ...

Anna Marie Mock, a fee-only certified financial planner at Highland Financial Advisors, discusses the dynamic interplay between art and science in financial planning. Drawing inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci's philosophy that "everything connects to everything else," she emphasizes that financial planning is an art involving subjective goal-setting and a science-driven by objective analysis tools. In this video, Anna explains how the scientific method can be applied to financial planning, using equity compensation as a concrete example. 

Science Meets Finance: How The Scientific Method is Applied in Financial Planning | Ep. 6
Financial Planning, Financial Tips, Net Worth
Stephanie Burke
Understanding Your Money Script

What are your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about money? What about your partner, and do they differ from your own? Sometimes, the conflict we experience around money in our personal lives can be attributed to incongruent money scripts with those with whom we share finances. Let’s dive into the term money script and how understanding it can help us achieve our financial goals.

Understanding Your Money Script
Financial Planning, Financial Tips
Edward Leach
The Dependent Care FSA – An Overlooked Benefit ...

In talking with clients about the benefits their employer provides during the open enrollment season, one often overlooked benefit if clients have dependents is the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

The Dependent Care FSA – An Overlooked Benefit During Open Enrollment Season

Financial Planning

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What is a Recession?

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What is a Recession?

Two weeks ago, the latest Consumer Price Index data (the index that measures inflation) had risen 1.3% in June, bringing headline inflation up to 9.1% and core inflation (excludes energy and food) up to 5.9% over the last 12 months. With increases this large, it’s not surprising to know this has been the most significant 12-month increase since November of 1981. With inflation on the rise, the war in Ukraine, and the stock market in bear territory (when stocks fall at least 20% off their highs), are we doomed for a recession?

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Equity Compensation Concentration: When is enough, enough?

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Equity Compensation Concentration: When is enough, enough?

I'm new to gardening as my interest in this hobby blossomed (pun intended) over the Covid lockdown. This spring, I was clearing out my garden in preparation for my new plants, and I spotted a patch of weeds that overtook about a quarter of usable soil within the garden confines.

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3 Tax Blind Spots for Newly Independent Women

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3 Tax Blind Spots for Newly Independent Women

For many newly independent women, taxes are not necessarily at the top of their priority list when we start discussing their financial situation. Whether it is the loss of a spouse or just having gone through a divorce, making sure they and their children will be ok is the primary goal.

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Lifestyle Changes for Newly Independent People

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Lifestyle Changes for Newly Independent People

Following a significant life event, such as divorce or the loss of a spouse, people face a common question: How will being newly independent affect my family's lifestyle? During this financially delicate period, a decrease in household income, the ability to remain in the family home, and the long-term impact on a person's retirement plan are all top of mind.

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Understanding Your Compensation Package

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Understanding Your Compensation Package

Congratulations! You received a well-deserved promotion but are unsure of what that means for your total compensation. There are three main types of compensation, and it's essential to understand the type, timing, and amount of each to have a clear picture of your financial plan.

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Five Financial Tips to Live By

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Five Financial Tips to Live By

There seems to be a list of five things for anything you can think of to improve your odds of success. Pareto’s Principle (the 80/20 rule) states that 80% of the results will typically come from 20% of the cause. If a list of five things can truly make a difference in your life, that is an excellent return on your behavior.

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Should You Sell Your Stock Compensation When It Vests Below the Grant Price?

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Should You Sell Your Stock Compensation When It Vests Below the Grant Price?

There has been no shortage of volatility with global equity markets on a rollercoaster ride this year. A steep drop in prices scares investors and heightens our senses to pay attention to avoid making mistakes. However, this fear can lead to indecision or taking no action.

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Discussing Money With Your Significant Other

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Discussing Money With Your Significant Other

What better time than Valentine’s Day to discuss the finer points of managing money once two people decide to become a couple? Whether you are newlyweds or simply choosing to join forces financially with the love of your life, there are some essential issues couples will need to discuss.

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Any equity in Incentive Stock Options (ISOS)?

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Any equity in Incentive Stock Options (ISOS)?

An incentive stock option (ISO) is a form of equity compensation where the employee has the right to buy shares of the company at a discounted price with special tax treatment. An ISO is a long-term incentive that replaces cash compensation and encourages employees to contribute to the company’s growth and development, hoping the options grow in value over time.

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Do We Want to Put This F.I.R.E. Out? Part 3

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Do We Want to Put This F.I.R.E. Out? Part 3

In Part 1 of F.I.R.E., we explored the meaning behind the movement and the different variations, while Part 2 of F.I.R.E. provided some context on common misconceptions. With that backdrop, we are going to outline how to quantify your definition of F.I.R.E.

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Understanding Your Financial Advisor's Financial Designations

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Understanding Your Financial Advisor's Financial Designations

The two worlds of financial services are not clearly labeled so that you would necessarily know from which world you are receiving services. If you seek the services of a doctor, you will know if that doctor is a dentist, an internist, an oral surgeon, or a neurosurgeon by the sign on the door. Unfortunately, the titles used in financial services are less indicative of any professional standard.

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Divorce and Retirement Accounts: The Importance of a QDRO

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Divorce and Retirement Accounts: The Importance of a QDRO

When going through a divorce, many challenging topics need to be talked through before things become finalized. When it is time to discuss marital assets, particularly among those 50 and older, retirement assets or pension benefits tend to be at the top of the list since they often have the most significant balances.

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Do We Want to Put This F.I.R.E. Out? Part 2

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Do We Want to Put This F.I.R.E. Out? Part 2

In Part 1 of F.I.R.E., we explored the meaning behind the movement and the different variations. According to a survey conducted by T.D. Ameritrade and the Harris Poll, only 11% of 1,500 respondents, have heard of the movement, while 26% are not familiar with the term but know the concept.

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What Puts The “Hybrid” in Hybrid Long-term Care Insurance Policies?

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What Puts The “Hybrid” in Hybrid Long-term Care Insurance Policies?

With the recent popularity of long-term care insurance, it is not surprising that the demand for hybrid long-term care (LTC) policies are rising. The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI) reported that in 2019 the industry sold 250,000 hybrid LTC policies. This figure represents more than five times the amount of stand-alone long-term care policies sold in the same period.

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Estate Planning: Assigning Control of Your Financial and Healthcare Decisions

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Estate Planning: Assigning Control of Your Financial and Healthcare Decisions

Anyone who has watched the Britney Spears conservatorship saga unfold in the news recently can appreciate how distressing it is when a person loses control of their financial life. Britney's situation highlights the importance of proper planning and the downside of having a court decide who is best to act as someone's caretaker.

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Is Long-Term Care Insurance Worth It?

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Is Long-Term Care Insurance Worth It?

As the world continues to evolve, it comes as no surprise that life expectancy in the United States has vastly increased over the last four decades and will most likely continue to rise as new technological advancements in health care continue to emerge. The U.S. Census Bureau recently conducted a report analyzing the change in life expectancy over the 100 years from 1960 to 2060.

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Do We Want to Put This F.I.R.E. Out? Part 1

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Do We Want to Put This F.I.R.E. Out? Part 1

Put your extinguishers back because it’s not that type of fire, although the concept is spreading like wildfire. F.I.R.E., Financial Independence Retire Early, is a movement that began based on the idea of minimalist living and extreme frugality to save for early retirement.

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