Prioritize Savings Now

By Kristan L. Anderson, CEBS®, CFP®, Dir. Of Retirement Plan Services & Dir. Of Financial Planning and Rasti Nikolic, Associate Financial Planner

When we meet with retirement plan participants, an almost universal recommendation is to try to increase savings each year by one percent. But in order to get to that extra one percent, you have to be maintaining a positive cash flow. And the best way to establish and maintain savings is to prepare a budget.

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The Biggest Purchase of My Life – Part I

By Ryan Streilein, CFA®, Equity Analyst

During the pandemic, my fiancé (now wife) and I arrived at the conclusion that a one bedroom, 750 square-foot apartment is not ideal for two people and a dog to share 24-7 for an extended period of time.

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Cryptocurrency in Your Estate Plan

Rasti Nikolic, Associate Financial Planner

Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security. Each cryptocurrency uses a unique electronic address for transfer between users’ digital wallets. The user must have a ‘private key’ to be able to move cryptocurrency. If the owner does not provide a fiduciary with a ‘private key,’ the cryptocurrency is inaccessible by anyone upon the owner’s incapacity or death. This is known as a “black hole” wallet because the cryptocurrency becomes inaccessible and essentially worthless. Cryptocurrency is difficult to counterfeit because of this security feature. A

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Buy vs. Lease — Car?

By Kristan Anderson, CEBS®, CFP® | Dir. Of Retirement Plan Services & Dir. Of Financial Planning

Last summer, my daughter wanted her own car, to get to work and show rehearsals. But I didn’t feel like we needed to buy another car, specifically for someone who was going off to school soon. So, I was left with the task of figuring out how to provide transportation, without creating unnecessary long-term costs. This led me to the question: When should you buy a car, versus lease? It’s complicated and, like a lot of financial decisions, depends on a number of circumstances.

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Who Let the Dogs Out?

By Kristan Anderson, CEBS®, CFP® | Dir. Of Retirement Plan Services & Dir. Of Financial Planning

As an independent young adult, soon after I brought home my first puppy, I found myself in the vet’s office. He had apparently ingested a piece of metal, making him throw up repeatedly.

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What’s in Your (Digital) Wallet?

By Rasti Nikolic | Associate Financial Planner

If you want to own Bitcoins or any other cryptocurrency, you need to have a digital wallet. The purpose of a digital wallet is to provide a space to send and receive cryptocurrency and to store private keys. Private keys are known only to the owner and are needed to authorize transfers.

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