Use the Pandemic as a Test Drive for Retirement | Paul Fain Unless you are an essential worker, you have probably spent most of the last three months sheltering in place at home during the COVID pandemic. If you are a sales or client service worker, or consultant, or computer-based worker, or the like, it…
One of the provisions of the CARES Act signed into law last month that has received the most press is the economic impact payments. These payments, also referred to as stimulus checks or recovery rebates, are desperately needed by many individuals at this time and are estimated to eventually reach over 90% of taxpayers. But…
Opportunity Alert! The CARES Act impact on retirement plan distributions in 2020 Are you planning on a retirement account distribution this year? Whether you had planned on required distributions but wish you could leave funds alone, or you now need a distribution to make financial ends meet, the CARES Act has some very important…
Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing, reminds us to “forget about what the stock market is going to do. Instead, focus on what you, as an investor, ought to do…” So what do we really know about the financial markets? First, what we don’t know: The full global economic and market…
This past week was designated as America Saves Week, which is an annual call to action for everyday Americans to commit to saving successfully. In honor of this event, which is now in its 13th year, certified financial planner Suzanne Himes is here with some tips and strategies for our own savings goals. …
According to surveys, more than half of American adults don’t have a Last Will and Testament. While the reasons for this vary, one stumbling block can be choosing an executor. Suzanne Himes, lead financial planner at Asset Planning Corporation, joins us with what to consider in selecting someone for this important role. …
Retirement Planning Earthquake By Steve Carlson Just when you thought you had a good grasp of retirement planning rules, the government changes them! A new federal law took effect January 1, 2020, that affects many different parts of retirement planning. The SECURE Act of 2020 (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) has 29 provisions…
Fair Isaac Corp, commonly known as FICO, recently announced that a new version of their credit scoring model will be available later this year. FICO scores are used by 90% of lenders to assess an individual’s credit risk. Certified financial planner Suzanne Himes, with Asset Planning Corporation, is here with more information on this important…
It’s a popular time of year for annual job performance reviews and corresponding pay raises. Along with celebrating this good news, it’s wise to think about how that increase in income can impact multiple financial decisions. Certified financial planner Suzanne Himes, with Asset Planning Corporation, has some of the changes to consider when our paychecks…
Most of us equate retirement planning with saving money for the future and while that is certainly important, studies show that the happiest retirees have a few other things in common. Suzanne Himes, lead financial planner at Asset Planning Corporation, is here with us to discuss some of the non-financial aspects of retirement planning. …