Financial Planning
Do you want to leave an IRA to your Children or Grandchildren?
Recently we have had several client inquiries asking, “Is leaving my IRA to my children or grandchildren a good idea?” The answer to the question is possibly. As so often is the case, it depends on the goals you are trying to accomplish, and of…
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in Financial Planning, Life After Retirement, Retirement, Retirement Planning by
John Stohlman Jan 16, 2023
FAQ- Understanding my Federal Employee Benefits [Video]
How Do I Understand My Federal Employee Benefits? Federal government employees are provided with an impressive benefits package. The standard benefits are considered by many experts to be a valuable component of its compensation package, often exceeding the benefit packages offered by public sector employers.…
Read More in Federal Employees, Financial Planning, Retirement, Retirement Planning by
Medallion Group Dec 1, 2022
Should You Invest In Companies That You Don’t Believe In?
Socially Responsible Investing As the array of investment options continues to grow, investors have the opportunity to be more and more selective about the companies they choose to invest in, often choosing or rejecting certain stocks according to the ethical principles of the company they…
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4 Ways to Help Prepare your Finances for the Unexpected
Are you and your finances prepared for a rainy day? Major fluctuations in the market, new legislation, unexpected health issues and more can put stress on your budget. But, planning ahead can help you handle unforeseen circumstances if and when they arrive. Here are a…
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5 Ways to Set You and Your Children on a Path to Financial Success
You’re never too young to start learning how to deal with the tool called “money.” Once children are old enough to complete basic age-appropriate chores and want to spend money on things they see when out shopping, it’s time to get them on the path…
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Geopolitical Shocks & Historical Trends in the Stock Market [Video]
Does history repeat itself in the stock market? What’s happened in the past doesn’t necessarily reflect what’s going to happen in the future, but it does give us a barometer and a reason not to panic. Let’s look at some historical trends of major geopolitical…
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A Survivor Benefit Primer for FERS and CSRS
Overview The retirement annuities under CSRS and FERS have a survivor benefit option that can provide your spouse with an annuity after your death. Your annuity can be up to 55% of your full retirement annuity if you are a CSRS employee or up to…
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How Do I Get Accurate Info From my HR Department? [Video]
As you’re getting closer to retirement, you may be reaching out to your HR department trying to figure out how you can get good, accurate information from them. There’s some good news and maybe some bad news to this. The good news is that most…
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Why Do I Need a Financial Planner if I have a TSP? [Video]
If you’re invested in the TSP and the TSP is your primary vehicle for retirement, then you may be wondering, “Do I need a financial planner? Isn’t the TSP just managing my money for me?” There’s a lot to unpack in that simple question. Let’s…
Read More in Federal Employees, Financial Planning, Retirement, Retirement Planning, TSP by
Ryan Dunn Dec 30, 2021
Are Annuities Bad? [Video]
When evaluating any sort of financial product, the first thing to understand is that financial products are just tools. When tools are used correctly, they can be effective. When tools are used incorrectly, they can be ineffective. When it comes to the conversation about annuities,…
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Do I Have Enough Money to Retire? [Video]
Do I have enough to retire…will I ever be able to retire? As you get closer and closer to retirement, anxiety can begin to build up around the idea of whether you’ll have enough money to retire. In other words, “What’s that magical number that…
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7 Basic Tips for Financial Success
One of the best gifts you can give your children is an education on the basics of financial responsibility. When a friend emailed us the other day and asked us to write down some basic financial tips for her son, a graduating high school senior,…
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The Art of Choosing a Financial Planner
Choosing a financial planner can be an extremely frustrating and overwhelming task. That’s probably why a lot of people simply avoid it altogether. With that said, please be aware that being overwhelmed is not a good enough reason to avoid seeking a qualified advisor. For…
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What is a Fiduciary and Why Should I Care?
Perhaps you have heard the buzz about how financial advisors need to be fiduciaries. It comes up in many advertisements on T.V. and radio. Maybe you were surprised to hear that not all people who call themselves financial planners are required to put your interests…
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4 Reasons to Consider an Age 59 ½ In-Service Withdrawal
An under-used and misunderstood strategy that can help you preserve your assets while managing risks associated with investing. Let us review a few of the basics of the “age 59 ½ in-service withdrawal.” Many company plans such as 401(k), 403(b) and Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)…
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How to Avoid when Something Bad Goes Wrong [Video]
So, what do you do when something bad goes wrong? You may get away with bad investing. As a matter of fact, I ran into somebody the other day who had all their money invested in Apple. Fortunately, that’s been a very good stock.…
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Top 5 Qualities to Look for in a Financial Planner
As the adage goes, “no one will care more about your money than you do”—which means that selecting the right financial planner can require a great deal of trust. Financial advisors can help guide your investments and provide you with invaluable advice to help place…
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Affordable Christmas Gift Ideas: Festive Holidays Without Breaking the Bank – Part 2
Review In our first post in this series, Affordable Christmas Gift Ideas: Festive Holidays Without Breaking the Bank – Part 1, we gave you a few ideas and rules to follow to have a fantastic (and affordable) holiday season with your family. Besides shopping for…
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Affordable Christmas Gift Ideas: Festive Holidays Without Breaking the Bank – Part 1
Holiday Shopping Season Comes Earlier and Earlier I think by now we’re all resigned to the fact that the Christmas shopping season starts right after Labor Day. A visit to your local Costco or Sam’s warehouse on the way back from an end-of-summer vacation makes…
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Financial Planners Don’t Have a Crystal Ball [Video]
Today I want to clear up a misnomer that I hear all the time. I get asked… “What does a financial planner do?” “Can he get me out of the market and keep the stock market crash from happening to me?” The answer is No.…
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Retirement SMART Goals
You have probably heard of the term “SMART goals” before. The term has become a bit of a cliché these days and it’s almost impossible to listen to a motivational speaker or read a self-help guide without hearing the phrase. When something has become this…
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Starting A Business After Federal Employee Retirement
Federal employee retirement can mean different things for different people. For some, it means traveling. For others, it means spending time with family. Starting a new business is an option that’s becoming more and more popular, and many retirees are launching successful startups as a…
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RMDs for 2020 are waived by the CARES Act [Video]
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) is a relief bill passed by Congress in late March 2020 to provide economic relief to Americans during the current pandemic emergency. This bill has suspended the Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from retirement accounts for…
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Establishing Reliable Retirement Income Portfolios [Video]
Let’s explore how to establish Sustainable, Stable Retirement Income Portfolios Growth We all want growth in our portfolios and, ideally, that growth at least exceeds inflation. If you don’t have growth in your investments, you’re going to get poorer as you get older, which is…
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Surviving Difficult Times with Fran Tarkenton [Video]
I was fortunate to have the opportunity this week to interview Fran Tarkenton, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback and successful entrepreneur and TV star. We were discussing “Surviving Difficult Times” which couldn’t be more timely. I encourage you to take a little time and soak…
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Should You Buy That New Car?
If you’re like me, the prospect of being without a car is a scary one. Cars are what we use to get around, whether it’s a trip to a friend’s house, a restaurant, the grocery store, work, or anything else. And they cost a lot…
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Albert Einstein and Our Tax Code
The great physicist and philosopher Albert Einstein once said, “The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax!” The man was a genius and even he couldn’t make sense of our tax code, and it’s only gotten worse over the years. The…
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Financial Planning Disaster: The Tim Duncan Story
There was a recent story about NBA and San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan losing over $20 million in investments. He got advice from a certified financial planner with a conflict of interest, and now that money is gone after the investments tanked. This has…
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OPM Hacked: What You Need To Know and What You Can Do
Last week, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced that in April they found a data breach in their system from last year. OPM manages security clearances for most government agencies, as well as managing the Federal Civil Service. What Happened? According to OPM,…
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How to Handle Financially Dependent Adult Children
Being Fair Dear Medallion Group, I have two sons. One is doing very well, financially. The other married late, has a big mortgage, two car payments, and costly private school tuition for his two daughters. We want to help him out, but we don’t want…
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