When discussing the upcoming annual enrollment season (the time of year when employees need to elect various health care and employee benefit elections), a client recently asked for a refresher on Health Savings Accounts (commonly known as HSAs). These are very powerful tools – both for health care costs as well as for long-term investing […]

It wasn’t all that long ago that inflation was a seemingly theoretical discussion topic.  We’d bring it up to clients (usually during a financial planning future illustration) and try to find a way to explain it.  “Your money will be worth less over time” or “your purchasing power will decline” were phrases we’d use. While […]

Five years ago, I was lucky enough to have a wonderful western adventure with a lifelong friend, spending time in Wyoming and Montana. During that trip, we visited Grand Teton National Park which encircles the beautiful town of Jackson, WY. The area is absolutely beautiful and if you haven’t been, maybe this will nudge you […]

I make it a habit to follow and consume a variety of voices concerning investing and personal finance. I believe there is always something to be learned – both from those we agree with and those we may not be fully aligned with at all times. Earlier this week, I saw a post from an […]

If you listen or read investment-related news, you are likely to encounter the term “factor” or “factor based investing” as this concept has taken off in recent years. A client recently asked for our take on this concept. Great question! Definitions Think of factors as traits or characteristics of the underlying company. Factors are not […]

Some problems are definitely better than others. A recent client question about possible ways to circumvent a material gain in a taxable account is certainly a nice problem to have – but one that still deserves some discussion. Investment Taxation Basics Let’s start with an overview of taxation of investments. If you are buying and […]

As we approached the end of June 2022, markets seemed to be in a free fall. There was no shortage of things to worry about as an investor – inflation, rate increases, global unrest, midterm elections, covid variants, and perhaps front and center: Recession fears. With reports of a slowing economy and the persistent belief […]

If you are at or nearing Medicare age, you are well aware of its underlying complexities. We frequently work with clients as they navigate this program – but always recommend the inclusion of a Medicare insurance advisor/broker as well, given the intricacies and considerable nuances. One such nuance that a client just ran across this […]

It was only a few years ago that inflation reports would go virtually unnoticed. Nowadays, they receive “breaking news” headlines, live news coverage, and follow-up press conferences at the White House. July’s inflation report (published August 10, 2022) was yet another hotly awaited release. The key question at hand – are things getting worse or […]

July 2022’s CPI print brought some relief, showing a 0% increase since June. A big reason of that change was the decline in gas prices month over month. The data published on August 11th, 2022 by AAA helped to reiterate this development. As shown in the graphic below, the national average per gallon of regular […]