strategy

3 Common Mistakes People Make When Claiming Social Security

2023-05-11T15:27:45-04:00July 16th, 2021|Blog, Estate Planning, Financial Planning, Retirement|

3 Common Mistakes People Make When Claiming Social Security By: Margaret Nickens Social Security helps many Americans fund their retirement, but sorting through all of the different claiming strategies and rules can be challenging. Retirees may end up claiming their Social Security benefits too early or claiming in a manner that doesn't best meet [...]

Preparing for Potential Tax Changes in 2021

2020-12-18T14:31:38-05:00December 17th, 2020|Blog|

Preparing for Potential Tax Changes in 2021 By: Stacey Nickens With 2021 on the horizon, many of us are wondering how tax law may change under a new administration. First off, I think it's important to remember that we will likely have a divided government. A divided government is unlikely to pass sweeping changes to [...]

The Bucket Approach to Retirement Savings

2022-06-17T11:53:02-04:00October 2nd, 2020|Blog|

The Bucket Approach to Retirement Savings By: Stacey Nickens When my children were young, we used to go apple picking every fall. Sometimes we would even drive all the way to rural Illinois to enjoy some fresh apples, homemade apple butter, and homemade apple pie. Of course, there are so many types of apples. It [...]

Understanding the Fed’s New Inflation Goals

2023-01-31T15:16:49-05:00August 31st, 2020|Blog, Inflation|

Understanding the Fed's New Inflation Goals By: Stacey Nickens In August, the Federal Reserve announced that they may allow inflation to rise slightly above its 2% target to compensate for years with depressed inflation rates. This move is a shift from the Fed's inflation targeting practices, where the Fed would reduce stimulus or increase interest [...]

Stacey’s 5 Investment Tips for Fall 2020

2020-09-03T16:19:56-04:00August 24th, 2020|Blog|

Stacey's 5 Investment Tips for Fall 2020 By: Stacey Nickens The last few months have brought significant financial uncertainty. Heading into the fall, many of us are wondering how COVID-19, the presidential election, and other events will impact the stock market. With so many unknowns, how can you best ensure that your portfolio will see [...]

Two Social Security Claiming Benefits Going Away

2016-03-25T07:33:37-04:00March 25th, 2016|Blog|

For those considering claiming Social Security, remember that, starting April 30, two claiming strategies will no longer be viable. The first is File and Suspend. With this strategy, you could claim spousal benefits based on Social Security. You would then immediately suspend your individual benefits, which would continue to grow until you turn 70. Your [...]