purchasing a home or rental property

real estate

As an advisor and wealth coach, we talk to our clients about real estate because it is one of the most powerful tools to build wealth over time. Even with that knowledge, most people don’t integrate their real estate into a comprehensive financial plan. They get married, go to a bank, buy a house and…

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right message right people

marketing

Some of the best wisdom in my life has come from learning things the hard way – looking back and realizing what I wish I would have done differently.  This one piece of advice is coming from personal experience and something that I would tell any new business owner trying to get their business off…

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what is your monthly nut?

monthly nut

What’s your number? Not your phone number but that other number, the one that really matters. The amount you need every month in order to retire. In other words, what’s your monthly nut? Do you remember that ING commercial that asked, “What’s Your Number?” They were referring to what you’ll need to have saved in…

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donor-advised funds

donor advised funds

We recently met with our accountant and he was sharing his view on and updates of the new tax plan that was passed.  Bottom line, it is going to be tougher to itemize on your tax return moving forward. To begin with, the standard deductions have been moved up to $12,000 for single and $24,000…

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the mortgage interest misconception

mortgage

We meet with a lot of people and constantly hear they are benefiting from the mortgage interest deduction on their taxes but the reality is … most aren’t. For this to make sense, you have to first understand the tax code and your tax return. To benefit from a deduction of your mortgage interest on…

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generational differences

generations

I have noticed an interesting trend over the past few years. It seems to me that more and more people are being bitten by the entrepreneurial bug. Just like my grandparent’s generation, the younger generation today seems to be more and more focused on starting their own entrepreneurial enterprise instead of working for someone else.…

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Marriage and Finances

marriage & finances

It is said that the number one reason people get divorced is communication or the lack of it. Also ranking high on the list is finances. And the number one thing that hurts your finances is a divorce. So, being able to communicate about your finances in a marriage is pretty important but let’s be…

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Enjoy the moment

Blueberry Muffin

You never appreciate what your parents have done for you until you become a parent yourself. I am not sure what I was thinking, but I thought parenting would be easier than it has been. For me, it exposes all the areas in my life that may be lacking and may need some time for…

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401K Fortitude

401k

Let’s face it, the 401K or 403B equivalent for non-profits and government employees has become the most common way to save for retirement. The two largest assets for most Americans are their home and their 401K. So, what can you do to manage your 401K the best way possible? Well, each 401K retirement plan is different…

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Stepping into Retirement

The old adage is you have to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run, so why do we not take our own advice? Retirement or what we like to call time freedom shouldn’t be an impossible chasm that we cross in one day as we quit our job. Remember Indiana Jones…

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The five wishes

wishes

As you plan for your future, we feel like it is important to think about things as if the worst case scenario were to happen. As you probably already could guess, we feel it is important to have your wills, trusts, and health initiatives written out with a lawyer. But one thing that we have…

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Bitcoin, to bit or not to bit?

bitcoin

As we turn the calendar to a new year, let’s take a look at what’s new in the financial world – Bitcoin. Bitcoin has been around for a bit and it continues to garner attention and headlines and probably will continue to do so in the future. This is a look at what Bitcoin is,…

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