The opportunity to save money through a company sponsored retirement savings plan is an incredibly valuable benefit. Whether you are leading a small business or a nonprofit, the long-term ability to put money away on a tax-deferred basis is critical to building a nest egg that will provide financial flexibility in the later stages of life. Small business leaders can start a 401(k) or 403b Plan (“Plans”) that is cost effective for your organization, helps...

Planning for retirement can be a source of confusion or anxiety for many people. Retirement can be fraught with uncertainty given the fact that many people will face a long retirement period of 25 years plus. While many factors need to come together to make a cohesive and sustainable long-term plan, the biggest concern most people face is the fear of making financial mistakes or decisions based on emotion as they plan for this next...

I was listening to a podcast recently that got me thinking about being alone in the universe. The podcast began with a journalist, who also happened to be a particle physicist, who was having an emotional conflict with a science principle known as Fermi’s Paradox which states that there is an enormous probability that we are completely alone in the universe. This journalist explained that it made him feel really sad every time he thought...

When your child(ren) leave home for the first time, the transition to having an empty house can be challenging. It can also be very exciting! Similar to retirement, divorce, or any life transition, the range of emotions can vary and how you manage your time, feelings, finances and relationships through that transition can have an impact on your well-being and lifestyle. Having a child is a life-changing event. So is having a child leave home....

Behavioral biases directly challenge an investor’s ability to make consistent, rational and logical investment decisions when faced with distractions. These distractions come from the media, uncertainty and volatility in the markets, or pressure to buy and sell from friends, relatives, financial “gurus” and other less than reliable sources for investment advice. Being able to identify distractions and put them in context can help investors see beyond their own human nature and act with more discipline...

In recent years the number of people getting divorced in their fifties and later has been climbing—rather steeply. According to a recent study, one in four divorces are initiated by couples over the age 50.[i] If a divorce occurs close to retirement it can be incredibly challenging to recover from a loss of assets and, according to Susan Brown, author of Gray Divorce: A Growing Risk Regardless of Class or Education, a study on the...