What happens to your financial plan when you lose your income?
A sudden loss of income can affect your financial plan in weeks. You still need to make your mortgage payments, service debt, contribute to investments, pay insurance premiums, and handle your daily expenses. The first thing you need to do is work out how much cash you will need for essential expenses. Next, review your […]
Gifting Money to Children: Tax Rules, Limits, and What Families Should Know in 2026
Giving kids money can help with education, first home or early investing. But the tax treatment depends on how much you contribute, who receives it and how you structure the transfer. The 2026 federal gift tax yearly exclusion will be $19,000 per person. The basic lifetime exclusion is $15 million per individual. Being clear about […]
What if You Could? Grass is Greener
You may already have a strong financial foundation, but with the right strategies, you can make it potentially stronger. Through diversification, tax efficiency, and long-term planning, your wealth doesn’t just seek growth…it aims to thrive. Let’s explore how to make your financial grass greener. #BNGWealth WhatIfYouCould #LPLFinancial
LPL – What If You Could?
You may have heard or seen commercials from LPL Financial — the broker-dealer/custodian of record that supports me and helps service your investments — featuring actor Anna Kendrick asking the thought-provoking question, What If You Could?[click the link to watch the video] As a leader in wealth management with more financial advisors than any other firm, we collectively everyone […]
The Rise of Mortgage-Free Homeowners
Elvis once sang, “Home is where the heart is.” Well, according to a recent study that parsed U.S. Census data, home is also where a good chunk of the money is. ResiClubAnalytics found that nearly 40 percent of owner-occupied homes don’t have a mortgage. And as you can see in the chart, that’s an all-time […]
How Much Do You Need to Retire?
I don’t know about you, but every time I see headlines that say, “Top 10 Reasons” or “How Much Do You Need,” I click on it. So when I saw the CNBC article, “You’ll need at least $1 million to retire comfortably in these 10 U.S. States,” I couldn’t help myself.1 There were no surprises […]
Frustrated Following the Fed?
Let’s start this email with the conclusion: Stick with your investment strategy, and don’t let outside influences like the Fed get in your way. Following the Fed these days is like watching an endless point in a tennis match. The back-and-forth is causing anxiety, anticipation, more anxiety, and confusion. At its March meeting, Fed officials […]
The 401(k) Millionaires Club
The stock market rebound has significantly increased the number of workers with $1 million or more in their workplace retirement accounts. According to Fidelity Investments, employees with 401(k) balances exceeding $1 million rose 26 percent in Q2 to 378,000 accounts. These individuals have shown resilience and determination, navigating the ups and downs of the stock […]
Wall Street Focuses on Debt Ceiling
Would it surprise you to hear that investors have moved past worrying about inflation? They have, at least for now. Wall Street has shifted its attention to Washington’s budget negotiations and how the debt ceiling will be resolved. But how long will that shift in focus last? As you can see from the accompanying table, […]
FDIC Insurance, SVB & Signature Bank
When events like Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank happen, it’s natural to wonder how a bank safeguards your funds. Fortunately, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance was designed for this very reason: to help protect your funds once deposited. The FDIC is an independent government agency that protects bank depositors from the […]