Unique Planning Opportunities with TIAA Traditional
Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association, better known as TIAA was founded almost 100 years ago (1918). TIAA provides retirement plan solutions for a majority of the higher education institutions in the United States. One type of investment, called the TIAA Traditional Annuity, is a unique fixed income investment option that is available in TIAA 403(b) […]
Client Care: Beyond Investing
Although our name is Rockbridge Investment Management, there are many services that we provide to our clients beyond managing investments. We wanted to share just a few of these additional skills with our clients. General Questions We are here for you as an ongoing resource for every financial question, big or small. Please ask! Retirement […]
Should I Google My Retirement Plan?
A simple Google search for “retirement plan” or “retirement calculator” will provide thousands upon thousands of results. The number of websites that promise to provide retirement or financial guidance in a short amount of time are plentiful. The real question is, are they accurate? As with anything in life, the devil is in the details. […]
Are There Better Options Than the Lockheed Martin Target Date Funds?
The default investment option for the Lockheed Martin Salaried Savings Plan (SSP) and the Capital Accumulation Plan (CAP) is the managed Target Date funds. A Target Date fund is designed to capture the entire investment market in a single fund. In addition, as you approach retirement, the Target Date fund becomes less and less risky. […]
Would You Rather Visit an Estate Attorney or a Dentist?
I will make the argument here: Most people would rather go to the dentist than get their estate documents (Living Will, Power of Attorney and Health Care Proxy) in order. Why? The dentist appointment usually only lasts an hour and does not require any preparation or thought in advance. In contrast, the estate planning process […]
What’s Happening At Rockbridge
2015 was an exciting year of growth and change at Rockbridge. Market returns were less than ideal for the year, but we continue to see growth in our fee-only business model as prospective clients seek out unbiased advice and professional investment management. We are the leading fee-only investment management firm in Central New York, managing […]
Surprising New Changes To Social Security
Recently, Congress included surprising Social Security rule changes in the 2016 budget legislation. The bill has now become law and the updated rules will become permanent over a phase-in time period. We wanted to reach out to all of our clients to help better explain what you may be hearing in the news and describe […]
Should You Manage Your Own Money?
Over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal writer Lindsay Gellman covered this important topic. She did an excellent job articulating the values of both hiring an advisor and managing your own personal finances. The sole point that I disagree with in the article is titled, “You won’t stick to a pro’s advice, anyway.” At […]
Are 401(k) Fees Preventing Your Retirement?
The Atlantic published an article over the weekend on 401(k) fees that really resonated with me. With employer retirement plans being one of the largest sources of savings, it is disheartening to continually see high fee 401(k) plans. Below is the article. Let us know if your 401(k) fees are eating into your […]
Action Required: NYS STAR Registration Not Automatically Renewed
For almost all New York State homeowners, the School Tax Relief (STAR) program reduces the amount of property tax owed. This program saves families hundreds of dollars every year. Previously, a new homeowner registered for the STAR property tax exemption when purchasing a home. After the initial application, the STAR exemption was carried forward into […]