March was a month of Mixed Markets. The US Large Cap Asset classes performed very well while the majority of International Stocks declined across the board.
Read MoreWhether you have realized it or not we have officially been in a Bull Market for the last 5 years now.
Read MoreAs you may or may not know, in addition to financial planning and investment management we also prepare taxes.
Read MoreWell now, what have we here? A 16 point checklist for your financial advisor! We have gone through and found 16 important points which can be used to perform due diligence on any financial advisor or investment manager.
Read MoreIt's amazing how much can change from one month to the next. The stock market turned around from a terrible January and then some.
Read MoreThere is a lot of good information on the internet these days about 529 plans. These tax free college savings accounts are administered by each State and can vary in terms of features, restrictions, incentives, and investments.
Read MoreWe say it all the time but why exactly does "Fee-Only Make a Difference" mean?Well, it mostly has to do with the compensation structure, called “Fee-Only,” and how it compares to "Traditional" commission based financial planners. It’s this unique way in which Fee-Only financial advisors are paid that allows them to be objective in their advice and avoid conflicts of interest.
Read MoreTarget Date Retirement Funds (also called LifeCycle Funds) have gained in popularity because of their ultra simple retirement strategy - just buy one fund and let the fund managers handle the rest.
Read MoreThe stock market is not off to a stellar start...which is great news! Mr. Market is having a sale this month!
Read MoreIt can be a huge relief to get out of debt whether it be credit cards, personal loans, auto loans, what have you. I applaud you for doing so but your job isn't done yet.
Read MoreYesterday, I was reading an issue of Financial Planning Magazine (a magazine for financial planners). This particular issue was the 2013 technology survey and went through the different technology trends as it relates to financial planners and the top technologies they are using in their practices today, like portfolio management software, CRM (customer relationship management), and financial planning software.
Read MoreEstate planning should be a part of every financial plan, which means that your financial team should always have an estate attorney in addition to your fee only financial planner.
Read MoreI am guessing that the largest drain on your cash every month isn't going out to eat or gas for your car. My guess is that it's your mortgage. Imagine life without having to pay this every month and still take the tax deduction for the interest and taxes. Well, it can be done, and it can be done without having to shell out extra principal payments for the next 10 years.
Read MoreI read an article from the Star Tribune (our local Minnesota newspaper) earlier today entitled Aging America: For some blue-collar Americans, retirement is nothing more than elusive dream.
The story follows that sad tail of Tom Edwards, a 53 year old logger, who thinks he will never be able to retire.
Read MoreWe are all about personal finance and living within ones means so while it may be tempting to leave our frigid Minnesota behind for a couple weeks, I read about some more "budget friendly" Minnesota trips over at the Plymouth Patch.
Read MoreCasey Bond over at GoBankingRates.com wrote about 12 last minute smart money moves to consider before the end of the year. Don't worry many of these suggestions can be done in 2014 as well. I was able to help with number 5 about Goal Setting, number 7 about Dollar Cost Averaging and number 8 about using your Flex Spending dollars. 3 out of 12 - not bad.
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