Sharing is Caring

By Kristan L. Anderson, CEBS®, CFP® | Director of Financial Planning and Retirement Plan Services
Our parent company is big on community involvement. There is a whole Season of Sharing campaign, supporting multiple causes with donations of cash and goods. While it is always nice to give to a good cause, sometimes we forget that giving our time is another viable option that is just as important to a lot of charities.
Read More

Prioritize Savings Now

By Kristan L. Anderson, CEBS®, CFP®, Dir. Of Retirement Plan Services & Dir. Of Financial Planning and Rasti Nikolic, Associate Financial Planner
When we meet with retirement plan participants, an almost universal recommendation is to try to increase savings each year by one percent. But in order to get to that extra one percent, you have to be maintaining a positive cash flow. And the best way to establish and maintain savings is to prepare a budget.
Read More

The Biggest Purchase of My Life – Part I

By Ryan Streilein, CFA®, Equity Analyst
During the pandemic, my fiancé (now wife) and I arrived at the conclusion that a one bedroom, 750 square-foot apartment is not ideal for two people and a dog to share 24-7 for an extended period of time.
Read More

Cryptocurrency in Your Estate Plan

Rasti Nikolic, Associate Financial Planner
Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security. Each cryptocurrency uses a unique electronic address for transfer between users’ digital wallets. The user must have a ‘private key’ to be able to move cryptocurrency. If the owner does not provide a fiduciary with a ‘private key,’ the cryptocurrency is inaccessible by anyone upon the owner’s incapacity or death. This is known as a “black hole” wallet because the cryptocurrency becomes inaccessible and essentially worthless. Cryptocurrency is difficult to counterfeit because of this security feature. A
Read More

Buy vs. Lease — Car?

By Kristan Anderson, CEBS®, CFP® | Dir. Of Retirement Plan Services & Dir. Of Financial Planning
Last summer, my daughter wanted her own car, to get to work and show rehearsals. But I didn’t feel like we needed to buy another car, specifically for someone who was going off to school soon. So, I was left with the task of figuring out how to provide transportation, without creating unnecessary long-term costs. This led me to the question: When should you buy a car, versus lease? It’s complicated and, like a lot of financial decisions, depends on a number of circumstances.
Read More