To Extend or Not to Extend?
It seems every year most people want to have their taxes filed by April 15th, and nobody wants to file an automatic, no questions asked extension till October 15th. It seems to us as many feel they are doing something…
Investment Risk Management
It is one thing to understand the universe of investing, but it is another thing to know how to work with it. The universe of investing tells us that any investment that yields more than the safe rate of return comes…
Working Beyond the Age of 70
There are many benefits to working beyond the age of 70, the greatest of which is that those who work later in life—and enjoy what they do—often experience good health. If, however, a person does not enjoy the work that…
Riding Out the Market by Understanding Your Stocks
If you automatically calculate how much money you “lose” when the stock market goes down, then you may require a psychological reset if you plan to remain invested in the market. Let’s assume that you bought a house for $300,000…
Is It the Chicken or the Egg?
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? This age-old question can be adapted to many questions on origin, including financial planning. Financial planning’s “chicken and egg” question is: Is it about saving or spending less that brings forth financial…
Home Equity Credit Line: An Invaluable Tool
For many years now, I have been promoting one of the greatest and most invaluable (but underappreciated) financial planning tools—the home equity credit line (HECL). An HECL is an agreed-upon balance that you can borrow from at your own choosing…
2018 End of Year
Financial Consulate aims to help lessen the worry and burden of wealth management and enhance financial wellness so our clients can pursue relationships and true fulfillment. Choose the professionals at Financial Consulate as your Certified Financial Planners™ (CFP®) to take…
Understanding Stocks
At the time this article was written, the U.S. stock market had just lost 12 percent in the preceding 2.5 months. This type of market decline causes a serious amount of angst and worry among stock investors. Watching their account…
Financial Planning for the Unexpected Accident
A broken sternum. It turns out that there is a significant amount of financial planning that results from breaking your sternum. One week after my wedding (and the day before I was to leave for my honeymoon), my mother called…
The Higher Purpose of Money
The bee seems like a simple insect, but without its ability to pollinate plants, we would most likely starve. Water seems simple enough, but it is the source of life to all living organisms. Air is nothing more than a…