Financial Planners
On February 9th, 2022, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the Michigan First-Time Home Buyer Savings Account Program (FHSA) into law. The FHSA allows first-time home buyers to receive Michigan state tax savings on contributions made into the account, as well as state tax-free growth on any investments and interest, as long as the funds are used […]
We have the messy year that was 2022 in the rearview mirror and we’re looking ahead to 2023. Inflation, Federal Reserve interest rate hikes, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drove the markets last year. If you’d like to hear our podcast episode on this topic, click here. As we look to 2023 there are still […]
In our society, there is increasing pressure for people to go to college and attain a degree. However, the cost to go to college is also increasing. On average, the cost of tuition increases by about 8% each year. It is becoming extremely difficult for most people to afford college expenses. The reality is many […]
When you change jobs or retire, you have the option to roll your retirement plan into an individual retirement account. This is a big decision and often not an easy one. It can be difficult to get impartial advice as both those urging you to roll your funds over to an IRA and the company […]
Small changes in savings and spending for younger, working clients can have a big effect on a financial plan because increasing savings often means we can reduce the expected spending needed in retirement. When we set up a financial plan for a new client, often the numbers don’t work well initially. We work to figure […]
As the old cliché says, when life hands you lemons, you need to make lemonade. The market has been sour lately, to say the least. Down markets make Roth IRA conversions more valuable because the inevitable market recovery occurs in the tax-free Roth IRA rather than a taxable traditional IRA. The first step in utilizing […]
We’re rolling into the fourth quarter of what has been a lousy year for both stocks and bonds. Inflation continues to run high with only a few signs of abating, and the Federal Reserve continues raising interest rates to slow inflation down. The dollar continues to gain strength, weighing on international investments, and the Russia […]
The term bubble gets thrown around a lot by market commentators. Pessimistic bears tend to say the market is in a bubble whenever it has gone up since their bearish nature leads them to expect it should be down. But what is a bubble, and how should we use the term properly when describing markets? […]
There is no denying that the market has been lousy for the first three quarters of 2022. While frustrating, the market goes through these periods regularly, and when they happen patience and remaining invested are the best medicine. However, when the markets hand us lemons there often is the opportunity to make some lemonade: selling […]
People often ask us if they should sell their stock investments and “wait until the market is better.” Market timing as a strategy does not work. In addition to this article, check out our podcast episode on the topic of Marketing Timing. Markets are Generally Efficient That means all the news that is available to […]
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