Providing education for retirement plan participants is not the easiest task. For one, most people don’t want to be lectured about the inner workings of their 401(k) plan. When we present to participant groups, we often look out onto folks that seem distracted, worried, weary, or just overwhelmed. And while what we are saying is important, it feels like we are speaking a foreign language for most people. This is why we like to meet with participants individually, to ask them individual questions and address their specific retirement-related goals.
During the first eighteen years of my life, I lived in Rockville, Maryland, with my family. After living in Delaware for some time, I returned to the area with my fiancée. Regardless of where I live, I have always maintained close emotional ties with my parents. My dad has engaged in life planning all his life, not only for himself but also constantly planning for his family.
When things are going really well, be sure to notice it. The S&P 500 has set 18 new closing highs this year.1 While the stock market historically delivers positive returns over the long term, no one can guarantee that the stock market will continue to rise. Short-term fluctuations are common, both up and down. We experienced the most recent downside shock in April, but now and then, the market can deliver a doozy of a downturn, as we experienced from 2000 to 2002.2
ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing experienced a surge in popularity, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, with inflows peaking in 2021. This growth was driven by increasing awareness of climate change and evolving corporate priorities, according to Investopedia.1 The early stages of the pandemic saw ESG funds demonstrate a relative resilience compared to their conventional counterparts amidst market volatility.
Most parents and grandparents can relate to the challenges of teaching the next generation about money, whether it’s explaining the difference between wants and needs, encouraging them to save, or helping them understand the value of a dollar.
Learning about money doesn’t have to be complicated or fraught with conflict. Some of the best financial lessons come from everyday experiences, playful challenges, and hands-on activities. By weaving money lessons into daily life, you can help your children build healthy financial habits and grow into responsible adults.
The current volatility has domestic equity markets on edge. Many U.S. equity asset classes and sectors are in negative territory so far this year. One unexpected bright spot in 2025 has been international equities, including emerging markets.
Investing can feel like a juggling act—whether you’re a professional or just trying to keep your family’s finances on track. The flood of data, numbers ticking up and down, and endless stream of opinions can leave your head spinning. You’d think it’s all about crunching the facts, but here’s the twist: your emotions are quietly running the show. Those sneaky “mind bugs” creep in—the “Fear of Loss” that makes a dip feel like a disaster, the “I’ve Got This” feeling after a fluke win, or “Following the Pack” into the latest craze.
It doesn’t take much to lose trust in a financial planning relationship. I’ve seen it happen in real time when an analysis uses the wrong name in a presentation (not good) or relies on inaccurate spending data (very bad). Depending on the severity of these errors, they can call into question what bigger mistakes exist in the overall analysis. While we take care to double and triple check our work, the fact is that humans are prone to make mistakes. And while that is not ideal, solely relying on computers to do the work presents far greater problems, in my opinion.
The SECURE Act of 2019 fundamentally changed how inherited Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) must be handled, with significant implications for those who have inherited IRA assets since 2020. In 2025, these changes become even more critical, as the IRS will begin enforcing penalties for missed Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), where applicable, after waiving the penalties from 2021-2024 due to confusion caused by the original regulations.
Anyone who has been in the market for a new home over the past few years has discovered something many economists once considered highly improbable – a sudden and sustained lift in mortgage interest rates coupled with resiliency in housing prices. The combination of higher rates and higher housing prices has pushed the dream of homeownership out of the minds of many would-be buyers.
When I think of a 30-year retirement for myself, I find it completely overwhelming. It is a long time horizon and somedays I can barely plan for tomorrow, let alone 30 years into the future. However, when it comes to discussing retirement planning with clients, I thoroughly enjoy helping them see all of the possibilities. For some, retirement is stepping into the unknown. And for others, it’s doing something that they may have waited their whole life to do. The reality is people are living longer and, we have more centenarians than ever.
In recent years, the frequency and scale of data breaches have skyrocketed, exposing hundreds of millions of individuals to the risk of financial fraud. Since the beginning of the year, we have seen some of the largest and most damaging attacks on record, including: