Is a “Back Door” Roth IRA Right for You?
Have you ever known something was right for you and been told you couldn’t have it? It can be pretty frustrating. Many high-income earners, who would like to contribute directly to Roth accounts, cannot do so because of IRS income limits. However, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for high-earners to reap the benefits associated with […]
Did You Miss the Gorilla?
Last week we hosted our first session of Brain Games in which we found as many ways as we could to trick the audience. We unveiled to them their own biases and ways their own instincts work against them, especially when it concerns investing. It’s especially interesting to see how most people believe that they […]
Plan Early, Plan Smart
The old adage goes, “the early bird gets the worm.” The same rings true of financial independence. Those that start young are more likely to build substantial wealth over the course their lifetime. Those that wait may end up being forced to make concessions on their standard of living during retirement. Millennials are faced with […]
Something we can learn from the French
Each year when our anniversary rolls around, I’m typically looking for something new to surprise Jennifer with. We both love to travel, so this usually involves a trip of some type. We usually go somewhere warm to scuba dive or somewhere cooler for good snow skiing. Napa was the choice this year because we won […]
Financially Independent Children in the Age of Entitlement
“Father Merchant, Son Gentleman, Grandson Beggar” – Spanish Saying A few years ago, meeting with new potential clients who were considering retirement, it became clear that the biggest hurdle that stood in the way of a successful future was the continued dependency of their adult children. Even though the children were well into their forties, […]
Do Yourself a Favor on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. Not just because I’m surrounded by spectacular cooks who create some of my favorite dishes or round the clock football games. It is also the time of the year where we take time to say thank you and think of all that we have to […]
Do You Really Know What You Own?
WALL STREET’S PIGS AND WOLVES Brokerage firms are finding many stealthy ways to market proprietary products and strategies these days. We wrote about some of these conflicts of interest in our blog a few weeks back entitled Wall Street’s Pigs and Wolves. There are many good advisors at brokerage firms that are primarily focused on providing good advice […]
Playing to Win by Changing the Rules
I don’t profess to being a huge soccer fan but watching the USA team progress in the World’s Cup has definitely gotten my attention lately. On Sunday night watching the match between the U.S. and Portugal I did my best to learn how the clock works and figure out how many points teams receive for […]
Grapes and Good Values
Last night reminded me of our off site team retreat at Chateau Élan just outside of Atlanta last year. We took a private tour of the winery and our guide was a very well-spoken gentleman in his thirties who was extremely knowledgeable and personable. During our tasting we were all asking him what line […]
Music to Soothe The Soul or “Appetite for Destruction”?
“When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be.” – Paul McCartney As the lyrics suggest to the classic song “Let it Be” written by Paul McCartney, in times of trouble people turn to soothing melodies, songs that uplift the soul and words of wisdom […]
