Tag: Retirement Planning

Talking to Your Heirs About Estate Planning

Nov 25, 2024

Talking about “the end” is not the easiest thing to do, and this is one reason why some people never adequately plan for the transfer of their wealth. Those who do create estate plans with help from financial and legal professionals sometimes leave their heirs out of the conversation. (more…)

Tags: Certified Financial Planner Charlotte NC, charlotte NC, Current Events, Estate Planning, financial advisor, Retirement Planning

Why Regular Rebalancing Makes Sense

Nov 22, 2024

Everyone loves a winner. If an investment is successful, most people naturally want to stick with it. But is that the best approach? Here’s why rebalancing is key. (more…)

Tags: Certified Financial Advisor Charlotte NC, financial advisor, Investment Planning, Personal Finance, retirement, Retirement Planning

Should We Reconsider What “Retirement” Means?

Nov 18, 2024

An executive transitions into a consulting role at age 62 and stops working altogether at 65; then, he becomes a buyer for a church network at 69. A corporate IT professional concludes her career at age 58; she serves as a city council member in her sixties, then opens an art studio at 70. (more…)

Tags: Certified Financial Planner Charlotte NC, charlotte NC, Personal Finance, retirement, Retirement Planning

Life Insurance and Estate Planning

Oct 28, 2024

Life insurance has come a long way since the days when it was known as burial insurance and used mainly to pay for funeral expenses. Today, life insurance is a crucial part of many estate plans. You can use it to leave much-needed income to your survivors, provide for your children’s education, pay off your mortgage, and simplify the transfer of assets. Life insurance can also be used to replace wealth lost due to the expenses and taxes that may follow your death, and to make gifts to charity at relatively little cost to you.

(more…)

Tags: Certified Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Estate Planning, Family Wealth, financial advisor charlotte nc, Insurance, Legacy, Retirement Planning

Retirement Wellness

Jul 5, 2024

How healthy a retirement do you think you will have? If you can stay active as a senior and curb or avoid certain habits, you could potentially reduce one type of retirement expense.

Each year, Fidelity Investments presents an analysis of retiree health care costs. In 2023, Fidelity projected that the average 65-year-old couple would spend around $285,000 on health care during retirement, including about $11,000 in the first year. Both projections took Medicare benefits into account. (more…)

Tags: charlotte NC, financial advisor, Retirement Planning

How To Rollover Your 401(k)?

May 29, 2024

When leaving your job or retiring, you have several options available for managing your retirement plan assets. You may be able to leave the money in your current plan, if your employer allows. Or you can take a lump-sum cash distribution, which will be subject to income tax and a 10% penalty if you’re under age 59½ (unless an exception applies), resulting in a potentially significant tax bill. Finally, you can roll the money into another tax-deferred account, preserving the primary tax advantages. (more…)

Tags: Certified Financial Advisor Charlotte NC, Certified Financial Planner Charlotte NC, financial advisor charlotte nc, Financial Help, Financial Planning, retirement, Retirement Planning, Wealth Building

How US Savings Bonds Work

Apr 15, 2024

Did you buy U.S. Savings Bonds decades ago? Or did your parents or grandparents purchase them for you? If they’re collecting dust in a drawer, you may want to take a look at them to see if any of your bonds have matured. If your bonds have matured, that means they are no longer earning interest, and it also means you may want to consider cashing them in.¹ (more…)

Tags: financial advisor charlotte nc, Investing, Personal Finance, Retirement Planning, Retirement Tax Savings

Managing Money as a Couple

Mar 20, 2024

When you marry or simply share a household with someone, your financial life changes—and your approach to managing your money may change as well. The good news is that it is usually not so difficult. (more…)

Tags: Certified Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Family Wealth, financial advisor charlotte nc, Investment Planning, Personal Finance, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning, Wealth Building

Debunking Common Retirement Assumptions

Feb 14, 2024

Financial generalizations are as old as time. Some have been around for decades, while others have only recently joined their ranks. Let’s examine a few common retirement assumptions.

Retirement means I can stop investing. In the past, retirement was viewed as an “end” in many ways. These days though, retirement is often seen as an opportunity to return to one’s passions or just another of life’s many chapters. That doesn’t mean you should stop investing, however. (more…)

Tags: retirement, Retirement Planning

Wills: The Cornerstone of Your Estate Plan

Jan 8, 2024

If you care about what happens to your money, home, and other property after you die, you need to do some estate planning. There are many tools you can use to achieve your estate planning goals, but a will is probably the most vital. Even if you’re young or your estate is modest, you should always have a legally valid and up-to-date will. This is especially important if you have minor children because, in many states, your will is the only legal way you can name a guardian for them. Although a will doesn’t have to be drafted by an attorney to be valid, seeking an attorney’s help can ensure that your will accomplishes what you intend.

(more…)

Tags: Certified Financial Advisor Charlotte NC, Certified Financial Planner Charlotte NC, Estate Planning, Retirement Planning, Retirement Tax Savings, tax guide, Wealth Building