Planning Perspectives

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Perspective

With Hurricane Irma now in the rearview mirror, I can gratefully say how lucky we were. My home sustained minimal damage and we thankfully never even lost power. However, we had no internet, we had no cable, our cell service was spotty at best and we had no landlines. As we were busy trying to regroup and clean up, we learned that our air conditioners had been leaking, our dryer was the victim of a power surge and our pool heater had sprung a leak virtually draining our pool!

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Financial Freedom – It’s Not All About The Size of Your Bank Account

The way in which we respond and react to events that unfold in our daily lives are often the result of our past experiences. This is especially true when it comes to money. Whether you grew up in an affluent household, you grew up in a home where having food on the table was not a foregone conclusion or you grew up in a home somewhere in between, it is likely that the way you think about money today is influenced by some of these first experiences.

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When You Know Better …

“When you know better, you do better.” These words, famously spoken by Maya Angelou, suggest that the more knowledge we have, the better we can do for ourselves. If we know something is bad for us, we will avoid it, if we know something can enrich our lives, we will seek it out and as we learn more about the world around us, boundaries will continue to be stretched and advancements will continue to characterize our society. But knowledge in and of itself is not enough. We must use this knowledge to change our behavior.

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The Sources of Retirement Cash Flows

When you hear the word “diversification” in the context of investing, one thinks of owning multiple holdings across asset classes, geographical locations, and industry sectors. The concept of diversification also applies to the sources of cash flows that are generated from an investment portfolio. Michael Kitces, a well-renowned author, and industry thought leader, suggests that there are 4 pillars of retirement cash flow that can come from an investment portfolio: interest, dividends, capital gains and principal.

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Give Yourself Permission To Hire a Real Financial Advisor

Setting goals are important. It gives you something to work towards. But there is a huge misconception about goals that most people don’t figure out until it is too late. Achievement of your goal will not bring you happiness. Having a certain amount of money in the bank, getting a promotion, owning your dream home, retiring at age 50 – those may be your goals, but what happens once you get there? Then what?

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My Personal Finance Vision Statement

A little while back I began jotting down some of the rules that I try and live by when it comes to personal finance. Eventually, I turned it into what you see below, something I’m calling a personal finance vision statement. My plan is to update this over time as I continue to learn more about money, investing and life. For now, here is version one.

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Standard of Care – Fiduciary or Suitability

Financial advisor, financial planner, financial consultant, wealth manager, etc. – there are many names used by investment professionals today. But what’s more important than the title that a professional gives him or herself is the standard of care the investment professional is held to a fiduciary standard or a suitability standard.

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