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2024 Contribution Limits for Retirement Plans
The 2023 Contribution Limits for Retirement Plans are something every individual or plan sponsor should be aware of. On November 1st, the IRS announced changes to retirement plans for 2024.
Read MoreJoin FFP at the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting
Join FFP at the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting Where: McCormick Place West BuildingLevel 3, Hall F2301 S. Indiana Ave., Chicago, IL 60616 When: February 22, 2023 Event Details: https://www.cds.org/midwinter-meeting...
Read MoreFinding Purpose in Retirement: A Guide for a Fulfilling Future
In this blog post, we'll explore how to create a plan for living your best life after retirement. Whether you're newly retired or looking to make work optional, you can use this guide to find joy and fulfillment in this new stage of life.
Read MoreThe Essential Documents Your College-Bound Kid Needs
College students need healthcare & property power of attorney in case of incapacitation. These docs give parents peace of mind & ensure child's wishes are respected. Talk to your child today!
Read More7 Essential Estate Planning Tips for a Secure Retirement
In this blog post, we will explore essential estate planning tips that every retiree should know. From protecting your assets to minimizing taxes, these strategies will help you create a comprehensive plan to fulfill your wishes.
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I Bonds in 2023: Pros and Cons as an Inflation Hedge
Explore I Bonds as an Investment: Amidst declining inflation rates, discover if they remain a wise choice for investors seeking higher returns on idle cash in 2023.
Read MoreHow To Retire A Millionaire
So you want to retire a millionaire, do you? We can't blame you. There's no better feeling than proper financial security. The good news: you can get there.
Read More10 Things of Note Regarding The March 2023 Bank Failures
Last week (March 10th, 2023) was wild and rocky on Wall Street. Bank-run drama in Silicon Valley and New York and a persistently hawkish Fed contributed to the headlines. There was no shortage of fireworks, and major U.S. equity...
Read MoreA Fiduciary's Ten Tip Guide to Budgeting During Market Uncertainty
Budgeting may seem overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. In this post, I'll share the top ten biggest budgeting tips to help you achieve your financial goals.
Read MoreThe Ultimate Guide to Retirement Planning
Retirement planning is a critical aspect of ensuring a comfortable and secure future. However, the process can be complex and overwhelming, especially with so many factors to consider. To help simplify the process, we've outlined some...
Read MoreRoth vs. Traditional 401(k): Which One Is Right For You?
Roth vs. Traditional 401(k): Which One Is Right For You? When choosing your 401(k) plan, you have a couple options. Yet, you might wonder, "how do I know which one is right for me?" In this blog post, we go through the differences...
Read More2023 Contribution Limits for Retirement Plans
The 2023 Contribution Limits for Retirement Plans are something every individual or plan sponsor should be aware of. Last month, the IRS announced changes to retirement plans for 2023.
Read More5 Common Mistakes 401(k) Participants Make
There’s no one way to do it perfectly when thinking of retirement planning. However, if you participate in your employer’s 401(k), there are some common mistakes you can avoid to get the most out of your plan. This blog...
Read MoreHow to Manage Your Former Employer’s 401(k) Balance
It’s official. You get a new job and are excited to start your new opportunity. However, you still have a nice chunk of change sitting in a 401(k) account with your former employer. What do you do? This blog answers how to manage...
Read MoreMistakes 401(k) Plan Participants Make During Market Uncertainty
When markets are volatile, it’s perfectly normal to want to react. Your emotions might lead you to believe you must make significant changes regarding your retirement plan. However, in this blog post, we’ll discuss common...
Read MoreHow to Minimize Taxes In Retirement
If you asked us one of the most common questions clients ask, it’s definitely how to minimize taxes in retirement. So in this blog post, we’re walking you through the basics of minimizing taxes in retirement to keep in mind...
Read MoreWhen Should I Take Social Security?
If you’ve begun planning for retirement, you might wonder when you should consider taking your social security benefits. In this blog, we’ll discuss a few concepts that will help you answer the question, “when should...
Read MoreWhen Can I Retire?
A quick Google search will tell you that the standard retirement age in the U.S. is 66 years old. However, you don’t want to wake up on your 66th birthday wondering if you have the means to retire. There’s really no...
Read MoreWhat's Important To You About Money?
People often struggle to make financial decisions/progress because they don't have clearly defined goals. Setting good, motivating financial goals requires making sure those goals align with your values.
Read MoreShould You Add I Bonds to Your Portfolio?
Inflation remains top-of-mind for investors and their respective portfolios. With inflation continuously on the rise, investors naturally want to look for ways to hedge against it. The good news is that there's an excellent option to...
Read MoreThree Actions Investors Consider in Times of Uncertainty
You may be seeing increasing attention paid to the word recession in the financial entertainment industry. Suddenly, you've flipped on your TV to see banner headlines about the news in the financial markets, and "recession" is...
Read More5 Huge Differences Between Fiduciaries And Brokers (part 2)
Fiduciaries and brokers aren't the same – in this continuation of our previous post, we explore three more key differences that you'll want to be aware of.Broker: "So tell me. How do you feel about risk?"Client: "I hate it. I...
Read More5 Huge Differences Between A Fiduciary And A Broker (part 1)
Fiduciary. Broker. Same thing, right? Wrong. In a series of blog posts, Fiduciary Financial Partners is here to help clarify the key points of difference."Look. I've worked tirelessly for decades to accumulate the kind of life savings...
Read More5 Questions On The Minds Of Investors
At Fiduciary Financial Partners, we know that there are growing concerns for both our clients and the community in an ever-changing marketplace. That's why we stay up-to-date with the latest events impacting markets. This blog post...
Read More5 Easy Steps to Improve Your Financial Security
5 Easy Steps to Improve Your Financial SecurityAt Fiduciary Financial Partners we are committed to educating our clients and the community in order to improve their financial lives. In our last blog we broke down the pros and cons of...
Read MoreShould I make Roth or Traditional 401(k) Contributions?
Should I make Roth or traditional 401(k) contributions?This is a question Fiduciary Financial Partners get asked almost every week, so we decided to write a blog on the topic to help you improve your retirement outlook.As much as we'd...
Read More2022 Contribution Limits for Retirement Plans
The 2022 Contribution Limits for Retirement Plans are something every individual or plan sponsor should be aware of. Last month, the IRS announced changes to retirement plans for 2022.The contribution limit for employees who...
Read MorePlanning Your Financial Future: The 5 Ws You Need to Consider to Walk Away
Planning your financial future is intimidating. And, the coronavirus has people rethinking everything about work. And not just work from home. People are resigning in record numbers, shifting careers, or just walking away from work...
Read MoreWhat Biden’s Tax Proposals Mean to Your Financial Plan
Key PointsThinking with a tax mindset: While changes in taxes aren't a certainty, if they do happen, investors should increasingly consider thinking about their financial plan and portfolios with a tax mindset.Changes in policy should...
Read More2020 IRS Contribution Limits for Retirement Plans
Earlier this month, the Internal Revenue Service announced cost-of-living adjustments and increased retirement plan contribution limits for tax year 2020. The IRS raised the 401(k) contribution limit by $500 to $19,500, but the limit...
Read MoreCreating Financial Plans To Spark Retirement Joy
Our last post on The Fiduciary Advisor blog talked about decluttering and organizing our finances Marie Kondo style to spark joy. Most of us enjoy talking about our dreams and values, but financial planning to realize our dreams can be...
Read MoreOrganizing Finances Marie Kondo Style To Spark Joy
Getting organized is such a hot topic right now, a Wall Street Journal article on decluttering books cluttering our bookshelves was front-page news earlier this month. Annual print sales of books on organizing nearly doubled...
Read MoreFiduciary Fun: Goals & Values Brainstorming
Fun isn't usually the first thing that comes to mind for most people when the word "fiduciary" is mentioned — but what isn't fun about dreaming up the best possible life for you and your family? Even more fun, what if you had a...
Read MoreFiduciary Financial Planning Webinars
Earlier this year, we launched a fiduciary financial planning webinar series to help educate retirement plan participants on five steps they can use to put their goals first in personal financial plans. Our mission is to change the...
Read MoreFiduciary Risks Webinar Recap
Last week on The Fiduciary Advisor blog we recapped our fiduciary financial planning educational webinar series to date for participants in the retirement plans of our plan sponsor clients.Now we turn our focus to plan sponsors...
Read MoreFour Tips To Boost Your Employees’ Retirement Outlook
As many employees look ahead to retirement, 47% of workers feel somewhat confident that they'll have enough money saved to retire on time and then live comfortably.1 However, forward-thinking employers have the ability to help their...
Read MoreRisky Business: Why Plan Governance Matters
Participant-driven lawsuits are on the rise, and employers are facing heightened scrutiny of the way they manage their retirement plans. In today's continually-evolving regulatory and legal environment, it's more important than ever to...
Read MorePlan Sponsor Guide: How Protected Is Your Company’s 401(K) Plan?
Did you know cybercrime is a possible threat for your company's 401(k) plan?Technology is evolving fast, but cybercriminals are evolving just as fast. Cybercriminals are now going after a plan sponsor's company 401(k) plans and you...
Read MoreWhy Should You Diversify?
As 2019 approaches, and with US stocks outperforming non-US stocks in recent years, some investors have again turned their attention towards the role that global diversification plays in their portfolios.For the five-year period ending...
Read MoreWe’re Hiring! Join Our Team As A Financial Planning Associate
Do you have superior client service skills and a great work ethic that you want to contribute to an established and continually growing financial advisory business? Fiduciary Financial Partners is looking for strong, detail orientated...
Read MoreThe Financial Marathon
A Marathon for EveryoneRecently, I went to cheer on a friend running in her first marathon. The excitement of watching thousands of people accomplish such an amazing goal was an experience like no other. I waited at the last bend...
Read More“Lipstick On This Pig”: Why The Broker System Is Broken
It was supposed to be so much different by now.Check out this ad from Schwab where the head of a brokerage firm instructs his staff to “put some lipstick on this pig.”"But wait," you say. "What about all the problems...
Read MoreEducation Shopping Now May Mean Everything For Your Kids Post-Graduation
We continue to see a trend in which employers are considering how to help their people tackle the challenges of paying off high student loan debt. If this seems outside the norm, think again. In fact, we believe the need for employer...
Read MoreIs Your Retirement “Magic Number” Stressing You Out?
As someone who is obsessed with watching market numbers in all varieties daily for my clients, it may seem odd for me to talk about one number that constantly comes up in planning conversations: Your retirement "Magic Number."It's not...
Read MoreFinance Is Never About Your Feelings
How do you FEEL about the stock market?Do you FEEL that it is too high and ready for a big fall?Well, people may love to share their FEELINGS about investing. Yet at Fiduciary Financial Partners, we spend a great deal of our time...
Read MoreA Fiduciary Duty Question: Is What’s “Suitable” For Your Portfolio Enough?
Why should you care that a financial professional follows a fiduciary duty instead of what's suitable for your portfolio?At first glance, the idea that someone like a wealth manager, broker or financial advisor touts an investment...
Read MoreWhy Protectionism And Portfolios Don’t Always Mix
We're really not into making political predictions at Fiduciary Financial Partners (projecting market behavior is more our specialty), but this much is easy to predict: The debate between proponents of free trade vs. anti-globalization...
Read More7 Smart Ways To Kick More Financial Stress To The Curb
The bad news is that we have many categories of financial stress.The good news is that if we can prioritize and plan better, that financial stress can feel more manageable.Anxious. Overwhelmed. Headache. Upset stomach. Insomnia.What...
Read MoreWhat’s Your North Star? The Compass For Your Investment Plan.
The answers to these questions can uncover the North Star to guide you toward an investment plan that's right for you.One day, the market is at an all-time high. The next day, the Dow loses hundreds of points. Not more than a week...
Read MoreCalling BS On Monday Morning Investment QBs
I had to chuckle. How could I not?The headline at the top of my Google Finance page read: Here's Proof That ‘Definitely This Is A Stock Pickers Market'.Finally! The proof we've all been waiting for!OK, I'm being a bit sarcastic...
Read MoreWomen And Retirement: Why Is The Struggle Harder Than Men?
Generally speaking, it's no secret that people aren't saving enough for retirement. But when the conversation focuses on women and retirement, that struggle may be even more pronounced than what men face.We continue to see data that...
Read MoreWhat Are Negative Interest Rates And Could They Impact My Portfolio?
As we were watching former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan the other day being interviewed about the current state of the economy, he was pessimistic about the economic outlook here and across the globe. That's not terribly...
Read MoreIs Insurance Really My Best Investment?
Whenever you've heard about insurance as an investment option, there's an excellent chance that you've heard pitches rather than plans. The truth is, insurance could be a perfectly fine option to consider, but it's challenging to know...
Read MoreWhat If I Reach Retirement And Hate It?
Can you imagine fearing retirement once you're actually in it? It's more legitimate and common than you realize, even as you have a blank canvas for mapping out the rest of your life by engaging in retirement planning.Allow me to...
Read MoreWill Trump’s Fiery Talk Give Investors Heartburn?
"America is going to hell. Our workers are losing their jobs. We have a problem with China. We have a problem with Japan. We have a problem with Mexico both at the border and in trade."- Donald TrumpAs we're getting soundbites from...
Read MoreAre Blue Chips Really “Safe” Investments?
Something about that Blue Chip stock just seems to be safer to you. After all, it's a household brand name. It's listed on that exclusive list of only 30 companies, the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Its earnings appear stable and...
Read MoreFear Sells, But Should Investors Be Buying?
If you consume any kind of financial media, you can't help but notice a recurring theme: Negativity.Why all the doom and gloom? Our theory is that there's actually an incentive to scare from the media because it makes for a compelling...
Read More3Q 2014 Market Review Recap
The editorial mission of the Fiduciary Advisor blog, and all of our FFP University publications, is to help investors translate the latest market news from a fiduciary perspective - putting their needs first on an active basis. Our...
Read MoreThe Longevity Risk of Extended Care Needs — What’s Your Plan?
Planning how you will make up for any potential shortfalls from reductions in Social Security and Medicare benefits is critical to minimizing longevity risk. My inaugural post for The Fiduciary Advisor went into some detail on this....
Read MoreRetirement Funding Risk & Working Longer as “Plan B”
Our post for The Fiduciary Advisor briefly discussed funding risk and the fact that most Americans do not adequately contribute to their retirement plans. Funding risk is simply the risk of not having enough money with which to retire....
Read MoreLongevity Risk & Social Security — Pay More, Get Less
In our last post for The Fiduciary Advisor, we went into detail on investment risk. Another major retirement risk that has increased for many individuals is longevity risk. Simply put, longevity risk is the risk that payout levels are...
Read MoreAvoiding Investment Distractions & Reactions with Fiduciary Advice
In our inaugural blog post for The Fiduciary Advisor, we discussed how the risks of the American retirement crisis call for fiduciary advice — financial guidance that puts investor needs first by law. In this post, we'll explore...
Read MoreThe Fiduciary Advisor
The daunting risks of the American retirement crisis call for fiduciary financial advice — financial guidance that's legally obligated to put investor needs first. In 1983, 62% of private sector employees had a defined benefit...
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