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Retirement Planning Tips for Those Nearing Retirement

Retirement is something we all have in our sights by the time 50 rolls around. It becomes less of a far-off goal whispering to us in the back of our minds and more of an imminent goal shouting loud enough...

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Fundamentals of Investing

Dictionary.com defines investing as “putting money to use, by purchase or expenditure: in something offering potential profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.” Essentially, it is putting your money into assets like stocks or bonds, with the expectation...

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Financial Procrastination

Procrastination is a common nemesis that derails many plans and can sabotage your financial success. It whispers false promises like “there is plenty of time” and tempts us to engage in actions that provide instant gratification rather than help fuel...

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Is My Advisor a Fiduciary?

Main Street Advisors, LLC When it comes to money, I think it is safe to say that we all want to grow and protect it. When choosing a professional to help achieve these goals, trust is paramount. There will always...

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Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) vs. Mutual Funds

Main Street Advisors, LLC Exchange traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds are two types of investments investors can use in their portfolio to grow their wealth and prepare for retirement. Both represent managed pools of individual securities such as stocks...

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Comparing Open-End vs. Closed-End Funds

Main Street Advisors, LLC A mutual fund is a professionally managed investment arrangement in which investors have access to diversified portfolios consisting of a mix of equities, bonds, and other securities. Investing in these funds is done by purchasing units/shares...

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7 Traps That Could Sabotage Your Retirement Plan

Not having a Plan & Not Seeking Professional Advice Having a vision of your ideal retirement plan complete with target date is wonderful, but to what end if you haven’t taken the necessary steps of building an actual retirement plan?...

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7 Bad Money Habits You Should Break

“Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.” Warren Buffet shared this insight. It is a tale as old as time. For better or worse, we are creatures of habit. One...

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2022 Getting Started -Setting the Foundation Presentation

Nearly half of millennials say they’re living paycheck to paycheck and only 28% say they are prepared for the unexpected, according to a new survey from the Aging Well Hub at Georgetown University’s Business for Impact, in partnership with Bank...

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2022-Getting-Started-Retiree-Presentation

According to data from the Federal Reserve, the average retirement account balance of those age 45-54 is about $254,000. For those age 55-64, the average balance is $408,000, and for those age 65-74, the average balance is $426,000. The average...

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2023 Getting Started Accumulation Phase Presentation

You've been in the workforce for quite some time and continue to grow your wealth. You have questions relating to properly preparing for retirement, investing mix and allocation, ROTH vs. traditional and more. The Reality Check: Paycheck-to-paycheck report – generational...

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What Does It Mean to Be a Fiduciary?

We’ve all read plenty of news headlines, watched breaking news stories touting names like Madoff, McCoy, Aequitas and more, as well watched movies like “Wall Street” and “The Wolf of Wall Street, which all highlight profiles of dishonest and egocentric...

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Financial Guidelines to Keep in Mind

Time is the most valuable commodity. Unfortunately, it is something that you can’t replace or buy more of. In today’s world it has become somewhat of a scarce resource with our incessant schedules and deadlines, and the expeditious pace our...

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What is a Pension Plan and How Does it Work?

You may be wondering... what is a pension plan and how does it work? A pension plan is a retirement plan that requires an employer to make contributions to investments set aside for a worker’s retirement. Once employees retire, they...

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Will vs. Trust: What’s the Difference?

All of us will one day have to think about estate planning. No one enjoys the thought of not being around anymore, but the reality is that each and every one of us will have to make decisions regarding how...

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Debt Paydown Strategies

Debt is an adversary that many of us contend with on a daily basis; it can destroy marriages, cause health issues, and threaten the financial security of those caught in its crosshairs. As of September 2021, consumer debt is at...

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7 Smart Year-End Financial Moves

There’s still time to make some smart tax moves before we say farewell to 2021. The story of 2022 has yet to be written. However, legislative and tax law changes are always a possibility. Year-end is the perfect time to...

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What You Can Do to Help Your Children and/or Grandchildren’s Financial Future

Giving our kids/grandkids tidbits of financial wisdom when the opportunity arises and stuffing money in a card on birthdays and Christmas are great gestures. However, there are many tools available today that allow you to take your support to the...

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Minimize Inflation Risk In Your Portfolio

Inflation now has a seat at most dinner tables, is shared chatter on the street, has become a headliner on the economic stage, and has wiggled its way into the minds of most consumers and investors. It announces itself everywhere...

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Things you should know about Social Security

Social Security benefits play a vital role in most American’s retirement plans. Social Security provides benefits to almost 65 million people, accounts for 50 percent of income for more than half of the 65-plus population and provides more than 90...

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The Impact of Automatic Contributions Explained

The 401(k) is one of the best available retirement savings options for Americans, yet of the 59% who have access to this retirement savings vehicle, only 32% are investing in one, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This fact causes...

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What You Need to Know About Secure Act 2.0

The Secure 2.0 bill is being considered by the House committee. This new bill is officially named the Securing a Strong Retirement Act and was originally introduced last October by Ways and Means Committee Chairman, Richard Neal (D-MA) and ranking...

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Top Financial Questions to Ask Your Spouse/Partner Before Getting Married

Wedding bells are in the air, your eyes are filled with love, and all you can think about is the special day when you say the words, “I do.” It is a time in life where many feel as though...

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How to Prioritize Financial Goals

Goals are important! They keep us organized, motivate us, and act as stepping-stones to our ultimate destination. Unfortunately, sometimes we have so many goals, it can be difficult to determine where to focus our efforts first. What should come first,...

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What You Need to Know About Tax-loss Harvesting

What is Tax-loss Harvesting? Tax-loss harvesting is a strategy that can cut your tax bill by selling investments at a loss so you can deduct those losses on your taxes. Essentially, it is about minimizing capital gains taxes on your investment...

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Should I Refinance?

Average mortgage rates have fallen to a 50- year low, according to Freddie Mac. This low- rate environment is projected to continue through 2021 with the Federal Reserve voting to keep interest rates near zero in the hopes it will...

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11 Moves to Consider by Year-End

Take a Financial Snapshot and identify strengths and weaknesses Review your current financial situation and compare it to the previous year. Did you stay within budget? Did you meet your short-term goals? Did you pay off the debts you hoped...

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Should I use a Health Savings Account?

People are living longer, and health-care costs continue to rise. According to a study done in 2019 by Health View Services, a provider of health-care cost projection software, a healthy 65 year-old couple retiring today would need close to $390,000...

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