Fee-Only vs. Commission-Based Advisors: Why it Matters How your financial advisor is paid can tell you a lot about whether their financial interests are well-aligned with yours. To help you make an informed choice, here’s a quick comparison of the three ways in which advisors may be paid: fee-only, commission-based, and fee-based. Fee-Only Advisors Fee-only…
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What is a Fee-Only Financial Advisor? How your financial advisor is paid can tell you a lot about whether his or her financial interests are well-aligned with yours. A fee-only financial advisor is compensated solely by client fees, unlike commission-based advisors who earn income through product sales or fee-based advisors who may be compensated by…
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How Today’s Women are Taking Charge of their Financial Well-Being The concept of women and money has undergone significant transformations over the years. Many female baby boomers, who often filled traditional roles in child-rearing and household management, found themselves financially dependent on their spouses. Comfortable taking a backseat in managing the family’s financial affairs, many…
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We are in the midst of graduation season. While I do not have a graduate this year, I have been reading and listening to commencement addresses; renowned speakers offering insight to students as they get ready to embark on the next phase of their journey, be it college, graduate school or entering the workforce. I cannot help…
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For many, social security income, in conjunction with pension income and investment portfolio withdrawals, is relied upon to meet cash needs in retirement. For several years now, there has been concern that the social security system may not provide the benefits that many workers are counting on. First, for some background: Social Security is a pay-as-you-go program. This…
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If you follow the financial news, the term fiduciary has come up repeatedly over the last several weeks, primarily due to the Department of Labor announcing a rule mandating that financial advisors put client’s best interests first when making recommendations for retirement plan rollovers to IRAs and annuities. There are many who oppose this rule; primarily advisors who…
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When seeking a financial advisor, you might come across recommendations from friends, podcasts, or online forums to look for a NAPFA advisor. But what exactly does NAPFA mean and why are its advisors highly regarded?
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Many had predicted that 2023 would be an extremely difficult year for the financial markets, but instead, both the stock and bond markets demonstrated remarkable resilience adapting to the new realities of higher interest rates and persistent inflation. After a challenging 2022, we saw a strong rebound with the Russell 3000 up over 25%, the…
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Choosing a financial advisor is an important decision, as he or she will play a critical role in helping you achieve both your personal and financial goals. When considering a fee-only financial advisor, there are a few key questions you should ask to ensure you find the right advisor for you. What services do you…
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There are several provisions in Secure Act 2.0 that relate to ROTH IRAs and ROTH accounts within workplace retirement plans. ROTH AccountsFirst, as reminder, ROTH accounts are funded with after-tax dollars. In other words, no tax-deduction is taken when funds are contributed to the account. The funds within the account grow tax-free and when they are withdrawn…
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