The Million Dollar Question: Pension Lump-Sum or an Annuity?
If you are fortunate enough to have a defined benefits pension plan at work, you may have a very important upcoming decision to make. The task of deciding between a lifetime monthly payment or a 7 figure one-time payment can be daunting, To compound the complexities, there are various different annuity options factoring in […]
Part 4: What Opportunities Have I Missed?
The last part of our “Why to Use a Financial Advisor” series involves missed opportunities. Knowing there are unknowns out there in financial planning is the first step in identifying areas that can be improved. A few examples of common missed items that we optimize for clients are: 529 Savings Plan in NYS – New […]
Part 3: Can’t I Do This Myself?
Believe it or not, the simple answer is, “You can, but most likely you won’t.” Emotions – How do you feel about a 10% market downturn? If you have $10,000 in savings, the $1,000 loss stings, but it is not the end of the world in terms of retirement. How about if you have $1,000,000? […]
Tony Farella in USA Today!
The USA Today published an article by our one and only Tony Farella. (Link) The full text version is shown below. Is it worth paying for 401(k) advice? Christine Dugas, Money Watch columnist5:13p.m. EST March 9, 2013 (Photo: Thinkstock) STORY HIGHLIGHTS Investment advisors usually have more knowledge and discipline 401(k) plan participants may not […]
Part 2: I’m in a Life Transition – Now What?
Years go by with casual spending and saving until one day a major life event materializes. It could be a happy moment such as a marriage, retirement or an additional child. A life event could also be a sorrow-filled experience of a death, a divorce or a loss of a job. Regardless of the event, […]
Part 1: A Coach Can Take You Farther!
No matter how good a swimmer Michael Phelps was, he would have never reached his level of success without a patient and willing coach like Bob Bowman. The coach-athlete interaction, which includes accountability, camaraderie and hard work, pays off in all aspect of sports. No one would question that Syracuse University’s basketball success was in […]
Why Do I Need a Financial Advisor?
This is a very common question, and rightly so. In this series of blog posts, we will highlight four distinct areas where financial advisors add true value to clients. After reading, hopefully you will be able to evaluate and recommend the benefits of a financial advisor with a new light. Part 1: A Coach Can […]
The 401(k) Challenge!
Welcome to the 2013 Rockbridge 401(k) Challenge. This is the easiest competition you will ever face and will take less than 10 minutes to complete! The challenge is simple, increase your employee 401(k) contributions by 2% or more and see if you actually notice the difference in your day-to-day life. Our guess is that you […]
The Questions You Should Be Asking
The NY Times blog author Carl Richards hits the nail on the head when he highlights how emotions are once again taking over media and investor behavior as the stock market presses higher and higher. The question being asked is “Should we buy or should we sell?” as many rush into the market at its recent […]
Finding Advice for More Modest Retirement Investments
The New York Times recently published an article about the various ways people are using the web for retirement planning. More and more companies are trying to find solutions to help people with less than $500k in assets manage money in a similar fashion to large pension funds. At Rockbridge, we have cost effectively been doing […]