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Our current financial situation will make any buyer of any new financial product think twice about what they are buying as well as the integrity of whom they are purchasing the product from. However what many people miss is the need to be be as equally vigilant in evaluating those assets they already own.

Very soon, Joe, the plumber, will say good-bye to his twenty minutes of fame and return to his real calling, unclogging drains and fixing leaky pipes. Joe’s absurd rise to notoriety made me think of the real unsung heroes in our communities who earn their living working with their hands and their hearts. Their voices are rarely heard, but their observations about life could provide some of our greatest wisdom.

As you attempt to build your financial life over the coming months and years, consider that if you are not working with a trusted financial advisor, you should make this priority number one. I have been a certified financial planner for the past thirty years and have always reminded clients that good financial advice doesn’t cost, it pays in more measurable ways than you can imagine.

But today, never has this been more true. Given the current world financial collapse, it has been the watershed event that proves that no one  

If an IRA owner dies and leaves his IRA to a nonspouse beneficiary, that is considered to be an “inherited IRA”.

Example:
 

Overeating isn’t the only cause of acid indigestion during this start of the holiday season. The other reason is that investors are examining their year-end statements and seeing the dramatic decline in value in just the past twelve months. This is especially true of those with IRAs and it raises many questions. Should they change the asset allocations? Continue to make contributions? What about switching to a Roth IRA?

WELCOME WALL STREET JOURNAL READERS!

Chances are pretty good that if you stay healthy eat right and take care of yourself you’ll get to live a long healthy life. The Trusted Expert in our network want to remind you that with longevity comes an added responsibility to do things today to help you financially and emotionally prepare for that long life. This type of planning helps assure yourself that the rest of your life will be filled  

In the midst of all of the economic turmoil, everyone is scrambling to get advice. How can I protect my assets from further loss in a declining market? Can I still plan on retiring when I thought? Are there year-end tax strategies I should be considering?

When it comes to making deposits into a 403b or 401k, a typical investor goes on auto-pilot. They make the same decision they did the previous month or quarter, assuming that it’s safer to stick to an old game plan rather than explore new opportunities. But if we have learned anything from this market volatility, it is that to insure growth, you must be proactive, assess your risk tolerance and focus on long term goals.

The first step in accomplishing all of this is to understand your mindset. When making a deposit, are you only thinking about buying the safest investments and parking the money until you have more confidence in the market? Or, or are you an opportunist who is willing to look for the greatest values, knowing that your  

Whether Youre A Corporate Executive, Business Owner  Or A Professional, The Chances Of You Or Your Key men Or Partners Suffering A Significant Loss Of Income Due To A Disability Are Staggeringly High.

The time has come for a new addition to the traditional estate planning process, I’ll call it  “The Family Meeting.”  Since talking about the things we don’t want to talk about can be extremely difficult, it unfortunately most times just doesn’t get done.  However, this “Family Meeting” can become one of the most important and pivotal things we can do for and with our children and grandchildren.

You know the drill. New Years is approaching and that means making your resolutions to improve on everything that didn’t go as planned. This year, however, we’ve all gotten a huge wake- up call and the need to regroup is far more urgent because our finances were so affected by the economic collapse. In addition, much of what we thought we knew about investing, saving and planning ahead has been redefined. Of course we still have to make sensible decisions, including reigning in expenses, but here are some ideas on how to approach the coming year to help you become more fiscally fit.

Clients keep asking me if there is a silver lining beneath the market turmoil and believe it or not there is not one, but two. Just as the sky high gas prices forced us all to rethink our driving habits and our daily trips, the dramatic downturn in the market has forced us all to rethink our spending habits. Who among us isn’t holding off on expensive vacations and the latest gadgets? And it’s a good thing. By putting the brakes on our excessiveness, we will all be better off by not abusing credit cards and subsequently having more money to save and invest.

Life seems to just get more challenging for all of us. Who could have predicted the economic crisis that our country is facing today? I am sure that we will all pull together as Americans and get through this crisis but we are in for tough times.

With that in mind, it is important to take steps to ensure that each one of us
 

(Hint: maximizing your tax refund may be the best investment advice you get this year)

As a financial planner, I have always urged my clients to do their taxes twice a year. And though I’ve grown accustomed to hearing the grumbling about