By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

There are financial advisors everywhere you turn. The problem is not finding one, but finding the right one—someone you can trust to provide honest advice and help you achieve your goals.

Unfortunately, whether someone calls themselves a financial advisor, financial planner, wealth manager, or financial consultant, it doesn’t tell the consumer anything about the standard to which the advisor is held. This can be incredibly confusing for many people. It’s important to not look for a particular job title but ask your current or prospective financial advisor whether or not they are held to the fiduciary standard. Only then will you know if the advisor truly has your best interests at heart.

By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

It’s impossible to go through life without making mistakes—they’re just a part of being human. In fact, we often learn from mistakes of the past to make better decisions in the future. However, when it comes to retirement, there are no do-overs. In this major financial transition, you go from earning an income and growing your wealth to depending on it and trying not to outlive it. Even if you’ve been planning and saving on your own for decades, retirement is not a time to go on autopilot. To make sure things go as planned, you must make a few key decisions and take a few key actions. Let’s discuss 5 common mistakes retirees make and what you can do to avoid them. 

By Colleen Weber, CFP®, CPA

Retirement will be the best time of your life! You’re ready to leave the 9-5 world behind and kick back and enjoy time with family and friends. You’ve worked hard for your money and have built substantial retirement assets. Do you know how taxes will affect your nest egg? Taxes in retirement isn’t something that everyone thinks about, but they should, especially if they have multiple tax-deferred plans. You need a tax strategist by your side helping you make choices that might affect the rest of your retirement. 

By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

The new year has begun, and we are all trying to keep our resolutions: eating healthier, exercising more…but that pint of ice cream in the freezer is calling your name. I can’t help you keep all your New Year’s resolutions, but I can help you with your financial plan. You should reevaluate your financial plan on a regular basis, and the start of a new year is as good a time as any. Here are a few items to keep in mind when reviewing your plan. 

By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

The holidays are fast approaching and the new year is following closely behind. And while most of us want to put 2020 behind us, before you mentally move into 2021, be sure to pay some attention to your taxes. Even though taxes are not at all festive, proactively planning can save you money, and that’s cause for celebration! Here are some year-end tax strategies that you may benefit from.

By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

While Thanksgiving became an official holiday in 1870, Americans have been taking part in this tradition of gratitude since the Pilgrims arrived on our shores. Since then, our country has experienced wars, depressions, natural disasters, social upheavals, and international crises, and still we come together at this time of year to remember what’s important and be grateful for what we have. This year, in the middle of a global pandemic and a charged election season, we think it’s more important than ever to celebrate Thanksgiving and turn our minds to our many blessings.

By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

ln theory we all know that medical bills can be ridiculously high. But did you know that the average medical bill for a heart attack is $20,246? (1) With a number this staggering, it’s no wonder people are more afraid of healthcare costs than sickness itself. (2)

By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

Those long-awaited-for golden years are finally right around the corner, and your dreams of golf courses and sandy white beaches are almost a reality! But wait…without the security of a steady paycheck and a structured schedule, you’re embarking on a journey into the unknown of finite resources and endless free time. Will all your years of hard work pay off?

We’ve found that most retirees face the same 5 financial planning challenges during the first 10 years of retirement. If you want to experience a fulfilling retirement free of worry and regret, listen up. 

By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

Do you remember the days when you could give generously to others and get a nice tax break as an added benefit? Even if you didn’t donate money for the sole purpose of saving on your taxes, it was a nice perk come tax time. Unfortunately, the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, with its higher standard deduction, causes a whole lot of people to lose out on all tax benefits associated with charitable giving. 

Thankfully, you can still receive tax benefits for your charitable giving. How? Enter donor-advised funds.

By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

Did you remember to fasten your seatbelt when we entered 2020? I hope so, because the events of this year just keep getting more unexpected and unsettling. We’ve learned not to make plans, not to get hopes up, and hold on to everything loosely. And it all started with five letters and a number: COVID-19. While the coronavirus pandemic is at its core a health issue, the downstream effects of it on other aspects of our society have been significant, perhaps the greatest being economic. As we reach the mid-year point of 2020, let’s take a look at what is going on in the economy, most of which can trace its roots back to COVID-19.