I was sitting in on a presentation by Nobel Laurette Robert Merton who made the comment that not saving enough money (insufficient savings) is the same thing as spending too much money. Given a fixed income, saving more money means spending less money. And spending less means saving more. Income = Spending + Savings So, telling […]
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Why High-Yield Bonds Don’t Make Sense
I remember when I was first learning about investing. I was having a conversation with another advisor about high-yield bonds. His approach went something like this: Live off the coupon! If you hold the high-yield bonds forever, who cares if the bonds fluctuate in value!? Don’t Evaluate Assets in Isolation The above logic is rife […]
Buying Four Books of Business: Interview with Richard Fogg
Richard Fogg is President of Pacific Coast Financial Planning Group, an Ameriprise Advisor firm. In his 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Richard has purchased four distinct financial advisor client books – and has even sold a portion of his own client book as well. In my interview with Fogg, I learned […]
Succession Planning Case Study: Bradley Shammas
Bradley Shammas’s began his career at Conaway & Conaway. There, he worked for six years as a paraplanner. Conaway & Conaway sold a variety of commissioned financial products. They also charged financial planning for a fee. The firm hit an issue with compliance that required a break-up of the company. As part of that break-up, Shammas launched […]
When Should You Take Your RMD?
Recently, a client asked if they should be taking their RMDs at the beginning of the year. Given the market’s recent upward performance, a market correction is due, thought the client. By that logic, it should make sense to take the RMD sooner rather than later, right? Perhaps, let’s see what the numbers say. I […]
Financial Planning in Divorce
Financial planning in divorce is something most financial planners will eventually have to deal with. Fortunately, one CFP® professional gave a presentation some divorce financial planning best practices at the FPA of Minneapolis symposium. (As a side note, know that laws do vary by state.) Here are some takeaways from her talk. Use a Balance Sheet for […]