Blog

How to use your Health Savings Account (HSA) to save for more than just medical expenses!

As financial planners, we are always looking for tricks to maximize the usefulness of the tools available to our clients to help them meet their goals. One of these tricks that has recently been getting more widespread attention...

Will my Roth IRA conversion be penalty free?

This article represents opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject to change from time to time, and do not constitute a recommendation to purchase and sale any security nor to engage in any particular...

Can I make a backdoor Roth IRA contribution?

This article represents opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject to change from time to time, and do not constitute a recommendation to purchase and sale any security nor to engage in any particular...

Our Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

Unfortunately, on my recent visit, I found out taking pictures isn’t allowed, after a gentle admonishment from security. So, I’ll try to find some good public ones to help break up this note! One of the most interesting...

What we do is not hard compared to what you did

What you did, earning the money was blood sweat and tears. Your job. Not messing it up. Our job. We don’t just do this five days a week, we are researching financial topics and opportunities constantly. It's what many of us are...

Should I inherit my spouses IRA?

This article represents opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject to change from time to time, and do not constitute a recommendation to purchase and sale any security nor to engage in any particular...

Can I contribute to a Roth IRA?

This article represents opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject to change from time to time, and do not constitute a recommendation to purchase and sale any security nor to engage in any particular...

Finding a silver lining of high long-term care medical expenses

Life can get really hard. One of the things that we unfortunately see periodically is incredibly high long-term care medical expenses. Recently, we had someone that was spending over $100,000 a year on their medical issues. It's...

The Smart Money

We know markets fluctuate up and down. That ups and downs are a feature of investing, not a bug. See the history of the US Bear and Bull markets since 1926 below. But our brains didn't evolve to tolerate fear without dramatic action....

Am I Eligible For A Qualified Business Income Deduction?

The provisional rules surrounding the Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction can be complicated. There are several issues that must be considered. To help make the conversation easier, we have created the “Am I Eligible For A...

Don't count on sports scholarships and several other great tips from JPM on college planning

Don't count on sports scholarships! But higher education does tend to pay off, even today. Want a job? You get one. It might not be perfect, but ninety-eight out of a hundred people with a college degree have one. Be careful what...

Periodically the Share, Save, Spend program we do with our three oldest kids can be a little bit of

Periodically the Share, Save, Spend program we do with our three oldest kids can be a little bit of a burden around our household. Getting them to the bank can be a challenge, but it's always fun when we do it. Then getting them to...

Will my Social Security benefit be reduced?

This article represents opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject to change from time to time, and do not constitute a recommendation to purchase and sale any security nor to engage in any particular...

#FirstWorldProblems & Alleviating Complexity

We sometimes have really fun financial planning meetings with clients where we discuss what I refer to as “first world problems.” Many of us in this country are so fortunate that it can be hard to maintain perspective on...

I told a millionaire to think about taking out a car loan the other day

Sometimes, financial decisions aren't obvious. The other day, this struck me as I was brainstorming with a millionaire who was planning on buying a new vehicle. We were talking about where to get the funds from, taxes from various...

How does Social Security work when your spouse dies?

This article represents opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject to change from time to time, and do not constitute a recommendation to purchase and sale any security nor to engage in any particular...

How does Social Security work for divorced people?

This article represents opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject to change from time to time, and do not constitute a recommendation to purchase and sale any security nor to engage in any particular...

Am I eligible for Medicare?

This article represents opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject to change from time to time, and do not constitute a recommendation to purchase and sale any security nor to engage in any particular...

Will I have to change health insurance when I retire?

This article represents opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject to change from time to time, and do not constitute a recommendation to purchase and sale any security nor to engage in any particular...

A brilliant Seussian adaptation to an important topic

My son Will and I enjoy reading Dr. Suess together. The other night while doing some post bedtime googling on the topic, I came across this amazing Seussian adaptation. Unfortunately, many of us will face difficult situations like...

Will I be hit with extra Medicare charges because of income?

This article represents opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject to change from time to time, and do not constitute a recommendation to purchase and sale any security nor to engage in any particular...

Lessons from the Bernie Madoff Scandal

I recently heard from Diana Henriques, she is a New York Times best-selling author and wrote The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust. This was turned into the Bernie Madoff HBO movie, and she had the opportunity to...

Insights from former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen

It was exciting to hear directly from Janet Yellen the other day about her views on where we are and how it relates to economic policy. Here are some of the high points: July of next year will likely mark the longest economic expansion...

Should I set up a 401k for my business?

You know you own that right?

Helping kids learn about money and how it works is an important job as parents and mentors to grandchildren. I know you've heard us talk about the share, save, spend strategies that we've employed with some success. Recently I was...

Mid Term Political Insights

Recently I was able to hear one of my favorite political strategists, Greg Valliere, while in Washington, DC. Here are some of the short high points. Lots of talk about the shootings and bombings, a negative mood in the country, the...

Can I make a deductible IRA contribution?

This article represents opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject to change from time to time, and do not constitute a recommendation to purchase and sale any security nor to engage in any particular...

Views from Ben Bernanke

I had the opportunity to hear from former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke recently. He's had quite a career and now serves on the PIMCO outside advisory committee. There are several outside advisors that hopefully will help...

Will a distribution from your Roth IRA be tax and penalty free?

This article represents opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject to change from time to time, and do not constitute a recommendation to purchase and sale any security nor to engage in any particular...

Are there accounts for family members that you don't see when you log in?

For example, if you would like to view both your spouse's and your own accounts with one login we can get this set up for you. Furthermore, and perhaps more exciting is if you'd like online access with similar information to what we...

Should you roll over your old retirement account?

This article represents opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject to change from time to time, and do not constitute a recommendation to purchase and sale any security nor to engage in any particular...

Discrimination (against the not yet wealthy) is Still Open and Common in Wealth Management

“Small accounts” to some investment professionals means less than $250,000.00. Some places don’t pay their advisors anything for managing such small accounts aka dreams of retirement and other important goals....

Can I do a qualified charitable distribution from my IRA?

This article represents opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject to change from time to time, and do not constitute a recommendation to purchase and sale any security nor to engage in any particular...

The Pomposity of Investing

I was reminded that investing is not a pastime, while looking at this collection of seashells in our home. It's a lifetime collection from some unknown person that I purchased for a mere $6 at a garage sale. To me, it represents...

If you love charts like I do, you might like this

The following dozen or so slides represent some of the best illustrations that I know of for explaining some of the things that are currently going on in the world, particularly with finance. Starting with slide four, you can see the...

A picture is worth ten thousand words

This is still probably a partial list of the financial terms in this photo, thanks for your replies! 529 (college savings account) - with the 5 and the 2 upsides down QTIP - Qualified Terminable Interest Property TIPS - Treasury...

Ninety Pounds!

I was helping a client update their financial plan recently, and when life expectancy came up I took a double take. They had made some major diet and exercise changes and lost ninety pounds! Life changes, often for the better. We...

I'm Moving to a No Tax State, Do I Need A New Financial Planner?

Nope. Source https://www.irs.gov/publications/p555#en_US_201502_publink1000168754 Thanks for taking a look! Tom Gartner, MSAPM, CFP® This article represents opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject to...

On Market Timing and Risk Management

A potential client asked me recently how I planned to time the stock market. Here is my response which will help you understand my investment philosophy if you too are considering working with me. I have learned through observation and...

Bad News for Charities

The new tax law is hopefully going to save you some cash, or at least you’ll be about equal. Though, there is one big potential negative impact for charities. Consider a typical successfully retired couple. The new standard...

Will your kid’s or grandkids be going to private school?

If they are and you have your other core financial planning priorities like retirement in order, this might be helpful. What is one of the best “College” savings tools, now can also be used for K-12 education! Starting in...

The top 10 reasons someone actually seeks out (financial) advice

I thought this was a terrific graphic from one of my financial planning heroes Michael Kitces. It also brings up one of our concerns when we meet with a potential new client. We want our advice to stick so it makes a positive impact....

Property & Casualty and The Commodity Sales Trap

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on advertising between all the property and casualty companies. Progressive, Gieco and The General commercials dominate the television advertising space in this market. What are they...

New Capital Gains Tax Rates

If you have after-tax investments, you might have recently been given a tax planning opportunity. New long-term tax rates on gains are ZERO for married couples filing jointly up to $77,400, and $38,700 for singles. So, if your income...

Tough Mudder Completed

Finally, Tim, Rich, Jon, and Matt participated in the Tough Mudder this summer and had a blast. Plenty of bruises and cuts, but they did it! These articles represent opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject...

Most people know that value has beaten growth recently, but these graphs are quite remarkable

We obviously need to avoid jumping to conclusions here. The past doesn't necessarily mean revert. But the numbers are interesting to see. Thanks for taking a look! Tom source: brandes.com This article represents opinions of the authors...

So, you are eligible for the company's 401k. Now What?

If this is your first time participating in a 401(k) retirement plan, there are a lot of things to consider and decisions to make. I hope this helps a bit. First off, if you're lucky, your company does a match. This is where they will...

The Marriage Penalty and You

The marriage penalty for your federal taxes has virtually been eliminated for all but the highest of income earners. This means if you have a change coming, like an upcoming marriage, divorce, or death checking with your CPA could make...

99 things to do with extra cash

Prioritization is a big part of financial planning. We almost always have lots of needs, wants, and wishes but rarely enough to fund everything 100%. A call from a soon to be new father got me to thinking; people could use some help...

It’s time to change the conversation regarding qualified plans

I sit here on an airplane flying back from a great national retirement plan advisors best practice seminar. About fifty of my peers from very successful retirement planning practices across the country met for two days sharing what is...

Tax Planning for 2018 to 2025

On December 31st, 2025 Federal taxes are scheduled to go back to the 2017 rates. While there is a chance of locking them in lower for longer, given our national debt problem, there is a good chance they will revert. As a result some...

The Million Dollar Meeting

I just had an alarming real-life story that might encourage you to get your estate planning done and/or reviewed. Parents of a single child were finally doing their will with the same attorney as their parent's. During this process,...

I feel duped

A local law firm has been sending me well-written articles for ten years. I have enjoyed reading them as they are highly applicable to financial planning, and I’ve often have wanted to share. However, they are never uploaded to...

The Tariff Conversation

Over the past month, we have had many clients concerned about tariffs, how they actually work and how they will impact the market. This topic has been a great ‘headliner’ for the media. However, let’s dig a little...

Decision Decisions – If you get to the bottom maybe you should convert some dollars to a Roth IRA

We likely have an era of low-income tax rates at least until 12/31/2025. This flow chart might help you think about some of the considerations. This isn’t designed to be an end all be all, so your results may vary. Before making...

Turning 70 can be a confusing time for investors

It begins the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) phase for most types of retirement accounts. This is mostly because the government wants you to take out money so you will have to pay taxes. As a result, often these funds are at least...

Some charts and graphs that I thought were interesting

Whole 100+ page slide deck here if interested https://bit.ly/2LJlhe3 Thanks for taking a look! Tom Gartner, MSAPM, CFP® This article represents opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject to change from...

Fitbit For Your Finances

Are you headed toward a smooth retirement or a brutal surprise? Ok, I’ll spare you the cliché quotes about planning, Google brought up 202,000,000 inspirational quips. You probably get the point of this article already,...

BREAKING NEWS: NOT ALL HEADLINES ARE IMPORTANT

Every day we are inundated with attention-grabbing headlines from financial news sources, the writers of these headlines use catchy puns, fear, or the reader's curiosity to get clicks and views. Sometimes, the news stories that...

4 favorite graphics from second quarter

JP Morgan has some good graphics to help explain how the financial world looks. Here are my four favorites from last quarter. This really is a remarkable time. There is a lot of doubt in the numbers though, here is some of the...

Another Day Another Dubious Fear Mongering Sales Pitch

This is a note I sent recently in response to an advertisement masquerading as a legitimate news article. Thanks for sending this over, I hadn’t seen it yet even though I skim over 100 news sources daily. This is probably because...

Credit Card Debt: Where to start?

Pro-Bono Financial Advice is a particular area where we can make big impacts on people’s lives. Unfortunately, the need is immense, but surprisingly the opportunities to help don’t come as often as you might think....

Should I take an early distribution from my retirement account?

This question comes up a LOT, particularly when people change jobs, have a big unexpected expense, or wish to pay down debt. This way of thinking about it might be helpful: For example, consider a 35-year-old taking out $50,000 from...

Stress Testing – What if I get killed in a car accident today?

One of my friends likes to tease me about my morbid posts, and this might be the worst... It doesn’t matter what recent observation spurred the thought, but it was really bad. Since the most important thing to me is my family, I...

Outlook Productivity Tip

Seeking improved email productivity (read spend less time on low priority emails) I recently upgraded to the latest desktop version of Outlook 365, from 2013. I was excited about the new clutter feature, but I quickly learned it...

What is a “Hybrid Bond” Investment

These days when I see a fixed 3% mortgage, I want to tell people never to pay it off, but that's the black and white in me. Finance people tend to see things more as probabilities and miss the emotional parts. However, there certainly...

An 8% Simple Return for Eight Years

Most people take social security early, and I understand many of the reasons why. People don’t think it’s going to be around, short life expectancy expectations, everyone else is doing it, etc. However, I was recently...

PSA on Health Savings Accounts

I'm seeing an alarming number of people not utilizing their health savings accounts effectively. If you have the means to pay for medical expenses out of pocket, using your health savings account as an investment account is a brilliant...

Sometimes Tom’s Articles Bore Me...

Sometimes Tom’s articles bore me, so he thought I should write an article on a speaker that I heard recently. We have adopted many of his principles regarding money with our children, and I was completely sold on his information....

Financial RoadMap

When I first started driving, there were three ways that you could get to an unknown destination. The first method was just to start driving, and hopefully, you'd get there on time. Taking a Sunday drive through the country...

The World is Changing, Should Your Investments Change Too?

We have quietly been managing portfolios for a small number of clients whose desire has been to avoid holding certain types of investments, for years. This investment style is usually referred to as Socially Responsible Investing or...

The Top 10 Reasons to Start Financial Planning Early

It seems the common perception is you need to be nearing retirement or have already accumulated a significant portion of your life savings before considering to work with a planner to build a financial plan. While starting a financial...

How your tax bracket might change and 7 other great infographics

To Roth or not to Roth by age and income How long do you have to live and how much do you need to earn for Social Security Claiming strategies Motivation to get started, or not even bother? If you don't need a big income in retirement...

So excited with my new normal distribution device!

click on the image for short video

Burial Insurance

I had a friend come into the office recently that had a question about buying final expense insurance or, put more bluntly, burial insurance. This is life insurance that can be bought without having to go through the traditional...

Loving Equally and with Mathematical Precision

With recent investment performance, we are seeing more grandparents and parents reviewing secondary financial goals, such as college planning. Often when the first child is born, parents and grandparents alike are excited and motivated...

Not Funny

It recently struck me as “not funny” how our latest financial planning software euphemistically refers to my clients dying as “end of plan”. Although I shouldn’t be so harsh, I too like to make light of...

Costco tip to maybe save you $400

Debate abounds whether this health kick will hold, but after some family health scares, I bought myself a treadmill for my birthday. While patiently waiting for my 300+ pound fountain of youth machine, I happened to notice that the...

Allison may hate this, but I think our maintained $4,000 SUV works just fine

We aren't car people, so why not let someone else waste $50,000 on depreciation, and use the money saved for more important goals? I read a study a few years back on when was the optimal mix of value vs. risk for buying a used car. It...

How to Make Money on Your Tax Payments in Retirement?

It's a new year, and if you're over 70, you might be looking at your required minimum distribution from your retirement account and wondering when you should take it. As I see it, there are two camps of people: 1) If you need the money...

The Dow just passed twenty-six thousand, should you sell?

So should you sell when the market makes a new top? Probably not, since we have likely already done so as part of our process. The main caveat is unless your situation has changed dramatically, for example if you can’t work...

What a Year!

2017 Highlights include: Politics – Continued to produce major headlines. Tax Reform – Approved at the 11th hour, and provided last-minute tax planning for accountants everywhere. Double-digit market returns –In the...

If you like visual representations of financial data, here are some of my recent favorites

These are from JP Morgan Full JPM Guide to the Markets slide deck available here This article represents opinions of the authors and not...

Eight late-stage college planning strategies you don't know about but should

Recently I had the opportunity to learn from Chris Wills from collegeinsidetrack.com. He's a specialist on how to fund a college education. He claims to help about half a million students per year and saves on average over 75,000 off...

Social Security tips from the Guru herself

Mary Beth Franklin writes a weekly Social Security tip column for one of my favorite magazines Investment News, and was recently in town sharing some good information. When looking at SS claiming strategies, wrapping our heads around...

The Cabin Trust Solution

If you have a family cabin that you would like to leave as a legacy to your family, this might be of interest. Recently I had the opportunity to learn from an attorney in the Twin Cities that specializes in cabin trusts, Joel Mullen....

When will the market crash?

It seems like every weekday for the last five years someone has asked me, “When is the stock market going to crash?” This has been almost the longest bull run in history at 9 years, and as it stands we're essentially at an...

What are your dominant charitable motivations?

Recently I learned more about some of the specific reasons we give from the Minneapolis Foundation. Now you don’t have to be in a single category, you might see yourself in several. But narrowing this down this can help identify...

‘Tis the season to consider giving, and here is some food for thought:

‘Tis the season to consider giving, and here is some food for thought: For many people giving to family reduces the amount that will go to the government, and keeps those hard-earned assets in your family instead. There may be...

Holistic financial planning

Holistic planning is defined by ISC Financial Advisors as - Evaluating all your moving parts, creating a unique strategy specific to your situation, goals, then working with your professional team to design and implement your plan with...

If you know someone who is grieving, these rough notes may be helpful.

I recently heard a presentation from Amy Florian; she is a “Thanatologist” which is the highest level of certification in grief studies. She lost her husband at 25, and has studied how to help people suffering ever since....

Schwab is now providing charitably minded clients a checkbook for their IRA’s!

I’m a little embarrassed to be so excited about this, but here we go: Schwab is now providing charitably minded clients a checkbook for their IRA’s! In the past, we were whipsawed by last-minute tax law changes on whether...

You never know

People often amass large positions of one company stock; it can be from stock options, significant appreciation, inheritance, etc. I see it all the time. Recently I saw a portfolio with two companies that had been held for probably...

Did you ever hear these sayings?

Well they kept going through my mind recently as I went to see an orthopedic surgeon about my knee that has been giving me some trouble. I popped it, and figured I would walk be able to walk it off. Lo and behold, that was a terrible...

Dance Like the Undertaker

When I was growing up during family weddings, there seemed to always be one man who was first on the dance floor and last off at the end of the night. He overflowed with a passionate enthusiasm for life, and left an impression on me. I...

Times continue to change for the better

Most people assume that when they go to a doctor, the care given will be in their best interests. This has also been assumed by those seeking financial advice from a professional, but, to many investors’ surprise, this does not...

Some really remarkable volatility levels and more

Some really remarkable volatility levels and more from SSGA Is this the calm before the storm? Price to book is at 15-year highs for the S&P 500 Index Some industries stand to benefit more from the proposed tax breaks if they go...

Paperwork is boring but it can be good

Are you wondering what to do, when you are faced with a class action lawsuit on one of your investments? You probably get lots of junk mail from companies that you own stock in, but once in a while, there is a piece of paper that might...

We are excited to announce the launch of your new online account dashboard!

If you have Schwab accounts with our firm, some of the potential benefits to you include: Quickly view all of your accounts on one page with the household view Access up to date balances, account values and create custom reports Share...

How to save $50,000 or more per year pre-tax with a cash balance plan

Download here: Cash Balance Plans

Gut Check - Now that the market is high, it may be time to revisit the risk

One of the hardest parts of investing, other than making the money to put to work is controlling one's emotions when times are scary. Preparing yourself in advance to be aware of the risks is a great way to reduce anxiety, and prepare...

Some of my favorite big picture updates from JPM

full slide deck here https://am.jpmorgan.com/us/en/asset-management/gim/adv/insights/guide-to-the-markets This article represents opinions of the authors and not those of their firm and are subject to change from time to time, and do...

7 Tips to staying the course with your investment strategy at work

We have recently seen some large swings, both positive and negative in the equity markets. While these swings are typical and expected in any market cycle, they can make some investors nervous. Below are a few thoughts to help you...

The one that almost got away…

My father-law-in asked me to join him on a fly-in fishing trip to Ontario, Canada. When we got to camp, I put together my fishing rod but was having some problems with the reel. Instead of reeling in the fishing line, the reel was...

Why not have your cake and eat it too?

Please read if you have significant assets within your retirement account! There is a planning option that we recently learned about that you may want to consider. Typically, spouses simply leave their individual retirement account...

The big data breach and you

A few clients have reached out to us recently with questions about the big data breach from Equifax. If you are a client or prospective client, and have questions about this information or want to brainstorm regarding your specific...

Tips to staying the course with your investment strategy in your retirement account

Swings are typical and expected in any market cycle, they can make some investors nervous. Below are a few thoughts to help you navigate this choppy market. Asset Allocation - Make sure your investment account is properly invested...

I literally just got 10 Trillion dollars in the mail

Be careful out there! Check out the history of their inflation here. Take care, Tom

Finding a Financial Planner, You Can Trust

Looking for a Financial Planner you can trust? This post gives some things to consider when looking for one.

If you bet on the end of the world and you “win”, who are you going to collect from?

This a timely message. In "Worrying About Risk Can Be Very Risky" Tony Isola frames the endless turmoil we are seeing in today's world, and how it relates to your finances. A few years ago, I never would have thought we would be...

We are pleased to announce the promotion of Charlie Achterkirch and hiring of Matt Bennis

Charlie’s great work has earned him a promotion to an advisor role on the team with Tom Gartner and Tim Jaynes. His primary duties moving forward will be to work closely with Tom and Tim on client service and investment...

Knowing That We Don’t Know

Knowing That We Don’t Know Knowing that we don’t know certain things, and then planning with that in mind can make a big impact on investment results. Very few people thought that the stock market would rally 10+% after the...

Rising Education Costs: Paying more to be paid less

Charles Achterkirch Investment Advisor Unless you have been living under a rock, it is highly probable you have seen a news program or read an article on the topic of increasing costs of college tuition. It seems that a lot of the...

Up to our eyeballs!

Chad Duppong, CFP®, ChFC, CLU Certified Financial Planner at ISC Financial Advisors Over my career, there’s one topic that no one wants to talk about when divulging their finances to me. I’m not sure why this topic is...

Health Savings Account – The ROTH IRA on Steroids.

Over the course of the last two years, we have seen many companies either add or switch entirely to a high deductible health plan for their employees. For some companies, the high deductible health plans compliment a major medical plan...

The Financial Football

Tom Gartner, MSAPM, CFP® Independent Fiduciary Advice Do you remember during the cold war years the President carrying the nuclear “football”? It was a brief case which held the launch codes to authorize the use of...

I had the opportunity to hear a billionaire speak the other day.

Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan is famous on Wall Street for being one of the “good guys.” He and his colleagues had a lot of insights about the current state of the world. Below are my distilled notes in case you are...