The Life Planning 101 Podcast

Have you ever thought about the information stored on your computer or other devices that someone would need to know about if you were suddenly incapacitated or no longer with us? I recently heard about a CPA in Wyoming that didn't. It took his family more than seven months to sort out the mess after his sudden death.And to add even more pain, it happened right in the...

This is a major question facing our generation. It is expensive - and is becoming even more expensive. Just the thought of needing it is unpleasant and can evoke strong emotions. And at best it appears imperfect:Buying a plan that will only pay for a certain number of years and which might not be enough to protect your family. Trying to predict the level of inflation for when you...

You’re not alone-whatever your excuse may be. It’s too time consuming, complicated, not sure how…Unfortunately, a budget is the very foundation for your entire life plan.Without one, you can’t build any kind of plan without running a huge risk that it may all fall apart. According to a GoBankingRates survey, 1 in 4 Americans’number one...

Everyone has a slightly different definition when it comes to success. Recently we attended a forum that is made up of some of the most “successful” people in our industry. Interestingly enough, this was the focus the forum which lasted almost two hours. One of the definitions I heard, "Success is reducing the“have to’s” and increasing the “want to’s," hit the nail on the head for me. Who wouldn't want this?!...

If you thought the market was going to keep climbing steadily without any hiccups, I am sad to say that’s what we call a pipe dream. We all wish this dream could be a reality, but the reality is market volatility is normal and what we have experienced in the market since 2011 is not normal...

The threat of identity theft was already bad enough, yet now we even have to worry about it when filing our taxes: The latest news from the IRS, released on August 17th, reported that thieves used personal information acquired elsewhere to access IRS website tax records and actually succeeded in about 220,000 cases. (It is interesting to note...

You may have heard that a confused mind says “No.” So today my goal is to simplify investing so that you can perhaps say “Yes.” There is no doubt that investing in today’s world is complicated. It is no longer “just” stocks,bonds and cash. In fact, on a broad spectrum we look at 49 different chassis for investing. Yes, 49…and that is only the beginning. 

I am on a little bit of a soap box about this lately, but for very good reason. We have encountered a few situations that one could hardly imagine. They have been stressful, cumbersome and worst of all--absolutely gut-wrenching. 

Coach John Wooden stated, “It is what we learn after we know it all that counts.” As human beings we like to feel respected and knowledgeable… and we sure don’t like to be wrong. A feeling that usually grows stronger as we get older. Sadly,this overconfidence or pride or whatever you might call it, can have disastrous results - especially when it comes to your health and to your money.