MICHAEL McLEOD, CFP®, CTFA
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Interest Rate Planning Considerations
Interest rates have become a focal point for investors in the lead-up to the Federal Reserve’s two-day meeting earlier this week. Fed Chair Jerome Powell announced on Wednesday that the Fed will cut the federal funds rate by 0.50%, which marks the first rate reduction since 2020. Interest rates...
How Qualitative Factors Impact Financial Planning
Warren Buffet once wisely observed: “The most important quality for an investor is temperament, not intellect.” Buffet’s astute understanding of the subjective forces that define the investment process reveals a deeper grasp of the underlying psychology of investing and managing wealth. Investing...
Managing Risk
Since the birth of our nation, risk has been a fundamental component of our free market system. As fiduciary advisors, helping our clients prudently manage risks is a key part of our responsibility. The process of evaluating and managing risk is not a simple task, however, and over time various...
Inflation: Past, Present, and Future
Inflation has been a part of human society as long as goods and services have been exchanged for one another. In ancient Rome, emperors and senators actively tried to manage inflation by striking the ideal balance between money supply and growth. In the thirteenth century, King John of England...
Business Owner Transition Planning
Small businesses are a major economic force in the United States, comprising about half of the country’s GDP and representing almost 27 million companies. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that family businesses, defined as those in which two or more family members exercise control, represent about...
Minimizing (or Eliminating) IRMAA Medicare Surcharges
As with many transitions in life or business, a little advanced planning helps the process run much more smoothly. For investors in their 60s, a number of planning considerations come into sharper focus which means it is an especially important time for prudent planning. These considerations are...
The ABCs of Financial Advice
Like most industries, the wealth management field has its own “language,” with a range of terms, jargon, and acronyms used by people in the profession. If you’re investing, it’s wise to take the time to understand common terms – as well as their implications – to make sound financial decisions for...
Why An Estate Plan Is Essential For Investors
A new President brings new priorities and a new fiscal plan to fund those priorities. Consequently, there has been much discussion this year of potential impacts to income and estate taxes. Despite a lot of conversation and preliminary proposals, we still lack clarity on what changes may ultimately...
The History of Retirement
For many Americans, building the financial assets to transition from daily work to retirement later in life stands apart as a top goal. The concept of retirement is deeply ingrained in today’s culture, but it’s actually a relatively new idea. In 1900, the average global life expectancy was just 31...
Planning Throughout the Retirement Lifecycle
We generally think about retirement in three broad phases. Within each phase, distinct trends and priorities have emerged among retirees in the numerous studies that have been completed on the topic. Each client has their own unique plans for retirement, but understanding these general patterns...