Tag: Certified Financial Planner

Funding the Cost of College

September 21, 2021
Uncategorized

It’s no surprise that college tuition is undeniably expensive by most measurements and it’s not getting any cheaper. Communicating the reality of the cost of college requires a candid conversation with your children. Start planting the seeds to have that candid college discussion with your children...

How To Manage Lifestyle Creep

September 8, 2021
Finance

Lifestyle inflation, also known as “lifestyle creep”, is that slow but steady creep of spending more over time on luxury items and things that go beyond the typical basic necessities. A common phrase used to describe this phenomenon is known as “keeping up with the Joneses”. As income increases over...

Saving for a New Home Purchase

August 20, 2021
Finance

2020 was an unprecedented year in recent memory to say the least. The pandemic drove a number of trends, including younger Americans storing away cash like never before and a white hot housing market. As older millennials started families amid the backdrop of the pandemic, demand has surged for younger...

6 Steps To Create A Zero-Based Budget

August 10, 2021
Finance

In the finance world, we often talk about the need for a budget and how it’s the foundation of any financial plan. However, financial professionals do not always do a good job providing the practical advice of simply how to create a budget. In fact, we go into great detail in our Financial Foundations...

Traditional vs. Roth 401(k) Contributions

July 6, 2021
Finance

The different ways you can save for retirement is staggering. On top of that you need to decide what type of contribution to elect into your account (traditional, Roth, post-tax, pre-tax, etc.) Many people in the corporate or private sector have access to a 401(k) plan. This provides employees a tax-advantaged...

The ABCs of Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans

June 24, 2021
Finance

Retirement plans offered through your job come in all shapes and sizes. Understanding the details can almost feel like learning a foreign language. With all the IRS codes and lingo, the world of employer sponsored retirement plans resembles alphabet soup, especially if you’re unfamiliar with...

Is Being an Independent Contractor Worth it?

July 10, 2020
Finance

By Mack Bekeza, CFP® One of the most significant rights someone has in the United States is the ability to pursue happiness and can bear almost any “how” in terms of getting there. With that said, many people value being their own boss and live an “eat what you kill” lifestyle....

Decoding the SEP-IRA

June 19, 2020
Finance

By Mack Bekeza, CFP® With millions of small business owners in the United States, one of the most significant problems they face is how do they plan for retirement for themselves and their families while growing and maintaining their small businesses. On top of that, how can they incentivize their...

How Does a Credit Score Work?

June 12, 2020
Finance

By Mack Bekeza, CFP® A question I have been asked about lately is, how does a credit score work? If you are someone who is currently in debt or is considering opening a line of credit, you might want to read this! Why is it important to know your credit score? Knowing your credit score is essential...

Do You Have Unclaimed Property?

June 5, 2020
Finance

By Mack Bekeza, CFP® Did you know that 1 out of 10 Americans have something called Unclaimed Property? Did you also know that, according to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, approximately over $1,000,000,000 of unclaimed property is returned to its rightful owners/heirs...