How Divorce In Wisconsin Impacts Your 401(K)
Divorce isn’t just a legal event—it’s a major life change that touches every corner of your finances. While the divorce process can feel overwhelming on its own, another curveball often comes when you realize your […]
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Understanding Wisconsin Estate Tax Rules
After someone passes away, the government may take a slice of what they’ve left behind through estate taxes. How much gets taken depends on the estate’s value. However, there are also plenty of ways to […]
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How To Pay Less Tax On Your Retirement Account Withdrawals
Retirement is your time to unwind, travel, and spend time with loved ones—not worry about surprise taxes cutting into your savings. But the reality is, without a solid plan, taxes can take a bigger bite […]
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Legacy Planning: What You Need To Know
Legacy planning, though not appropriate for everyone, goes beyond arranging finances; it’s a way to pass down what matters most to you. By considering your values, supporting loved ones, and making a positive difference, you […]
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Wisconsin Gift Tax: An In-Depth Look
When planning to pass on your wealth, it’s important to think beyond just a will or trust. The gift tax is a key factor that can impact how your estate is structured. By learning how […]
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RMD In Year Of Death: What You Need To Know
Understanding required minimum distributions (RMDs) is a big part of managing your retirement savings. These mandatory withdrawals start when you turn 73, allowing the IRS to collect taxes on the funds you’ve saved. However, when […]
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Retirement Income Planning: Strategies for Creating a Reliable Income Stream
Retirement income planning is all about making sure your finances are ready to support your lifestyle once you stop working. It involves organizing your money so it covers regular expenses, medical bills, and any personal […]
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17 Questions To Ask A Financial Advisor About Retirement
Getting ready for retirement is a key part of shaping a comfortable future. The decisions you make now will shape how you live later on. Whether you’re only beginning to think about retirement or already […]
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Revocable vs. Irrevocable Trust in Wisconsin
As you plan for the future, a trust can be a useful step for many Wisconsin residents in managing their estate. Trusts (and wills) give you control over how your property is handled and allow […]
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Consolidating Your 401ks: From Chaos to Control
Are you tired of keeping track of multiple 401k accounts from previous employers? Are you overwhelmed by the thought of managing different investment portfolios and tracking their performance individually? Consolidating your 401k accounts may be […]
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Understanding Estate Planning In Wisconsin
When you think about the future, you’re likely concerned about protecting what you’ve worked for and making sure your loved ones are safe. The right estate plan helps you do both. However, understanding estate planning […]
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The True Cost of Owning a Second Home in Retirement
Retirement is full of wonderful possibilities. When you don’t have to show up at the office, you can spend your days just about anywhere you please. Maybe you’ve always pictured yourself at the beach or […]
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Are Roth Conversions Going Away? Ideal Timing Insights (2024)
In the world of retirement planning, Roth IRA conversions are a standout strategy with huge potential tax savings! But here’s the thing: changes in legislation may be around the corner, potentially putting these opportunities at […]
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Investing Outside of 401k: The “Where to Invest Next” Order of Operations
The goal of retirement is to live out your golden years in comfort, correct? Then it’s critical to make the most of your retirement savings strategy. And for many, contributing to an employer-sponsored 401k plan […]
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Should Couples Retire Together or Separately?
After spending decades working hard and earning paychecks, it seems like a given that a married couple would want to sail off into the sunset to enjoy their new enriching life together. However, it may […]
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Case Studies: Real-Life, Pre-Retirement Debt Payoff Success
Managing debt as we near retirement is a great way to free up cash flow and offer peace of mind. It’s a relief to know your investments and assets have increased financial security as you […]
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The Key to a Fulfilling Retirement: It’s All About Connection
In 1938, an ambitious project began at Harvard University. Researchers aimed to answer a straightforward yet elusive question: What truly brings happiness in life? Their study spanned an impressive 85 years, collecting insights from 724 […]
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Medicare: What is it? What it Covers & Other Health Insurance Options
Retirement—that milestone you’ve worked so hard to reach—is now just around the corner. With your retirement savings in place, it’s time to explore your healthcare options, and Medicare is a key piece of the puzzle. […]
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Why and How to Map Out What Your Life Will Look Like in Retirement
Retirement—the golden phase in one’s life when the hustle and commitments take a back seat, and well-earned rest and leisure time take the wheel. However, retirement isn’t just an extended vacation; it’s a significant life […]
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How Long Does Your Money Need to Last in Retirement?
Planning for retirement can often feel like trying to hit a moving target. It’s an endeavor rife with variables, each with a degree of uncertainty. You’ll need to account for fluctuating markets, evolving personal goals, […]
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How to Make Sure you Don’t Run Out of Money: Retiring in a Down Market
As a seasoned financial advisor, I’ve seen it all: the triumphs, the trials, and most importantly, the worries that keep retirees awake at night. High on that list is the fear of running out of […]
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How to Maximize Your Retirement Income for Greater Freedom & Flexibility in Your Golden Years
You’ve tied up all the loose ends before walking out the door on your last day, the farewell office party’s over, and the future stretches out like an endless vacation…you’re finally on the brink of […]
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How to Make Last-Minute IRA Contributions
If you hurry, you can still lower your 2022 tax bill. Yes, it’s true. While most tax-saving actions must be completed by year-end to count for that year’s return, taxpayers can continue making contributions to […]
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5 Things That Matter More Than Money for a Happy Retirement
Retirement is a stage of life that most of us eagerly anticipate. After all, those well prepared for retirement have given their time, energy, and emotions to a long and successful career. And now, FINALLY, […]
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Tax Domicile: How To Maximize Retirement Savings
Relocating in retirement is relatively common, especially to a state with nicer weather, lower property taxes, and low (or no) state income tax. Determining your tax domicile is crucial for retirees looking to optimize their […]
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Four Reasons to Delay Social Security Benefits
At a certain point in our adult working lives, we set a countdown to retirement. And the clock is ticking for those nearing 62—the age at which you can start collecting Social Security benefits. By […]
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How Secure is Social Security?
Long touted as a program that would ensure the “American Dream,” the Social Security system – one of the critical achievements of President Franklin D. Roosevelt – was created in 1935 to promote economic security. […]
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6 Often Overlooked Retirement Concerns
Retirement planning is a multi-step process that evolves over time. To have a comfortable, secure, fun and fulfilling retirement, you have to build a nest egg robust enough to fund your retirement lifestyle. Pulling this […]
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New Retirement Contributions for 2023
Well, here we are, nearing the end of another year. Now is the time where people commonly wrap up their to-do list before December 31st hits and anticipate what might change for the year ahead. […]
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How to Protect Your Retirement from Inflation
Are you living comfortably in retirement, or do the latest news headlines have you concerned about your future? With inflation the highest it’s been in 40 years, 70% of Americans consider it a big deal, […]
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How to Retire During a Recession
You’re so close you can taste it. Your first post-retirement vacation is planned. You’ve prepared for years for this next glorious chapter – and then – a financial downturn. Now what? First, remain calm. You’ve […]
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Why Americans Are Retiring Now More Than Ever
With inflation at its highest point in 40 years, it would only be natural to see people holding tight to their jobs. After all, you need your paycheck more than ever with the increasing cost […]
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Why a Single Retirement Number is Misleading
Maybe you’ve seen it referenced in ads. Maybe you’ve read it in articles. Maybe you’ve even heard it from a financial planning professional. There is a notion that everyone has a magical retirement number and […]
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Nearing Medicare Eligibility? Beware of the IRMAA Tax Bump
Typically, the subject of Medicare doesn’t pop up on anyone’s radar until they’re near age 65. By then, they know they will be required to pay a baseline Medicare Part B premium ($177.10 in 2022). […]
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Tired of Retirement Already? 5 Tips for Staying Fulfilled When the Novelty Wears Off
You were so excited to retire. You did it all right and saved and planned and saved and planned. And you’ve taken full advantage so far. You’ve been on numerous cruises in the past few […]
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For Love and Money: How to Keep Your Relationship Free from Financial Stress
Has money ever caused a rift in your relationship? If so, you’re definitely not alone. According to an annual study by Fidelity Investments (who coincidentally has a very “punny” name when it comes to this […]
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Top 3 Challenges of a Fixed Income for Retirees
In retirement, your only real challenge should be choosing between what umbrella drink you want or what trip to take next. (Pina colada and Bermuda being the obvious answers.) But in between all the relaxing […]
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3 Financial Mistakes to Avoid as You Approach Retirement
If you have retirement in your sights, you can feel good about all the work you put into building your retirement nest egg—not an insignificant accomplishment by any measure. However, as you gaze into your […]
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401K, SEP, Simple, or Other? Which Retirement Account Should You Offer Your Employees?
With the recent extinction of pension plans, workplace retirement plan options have become a cornerstone of most employee benefits packages. Not only do these plans help employees save and invest for their future, but often […]
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The Good, the Bad and the Essential Facts About Social Security
If it feels like tax rules and retirement plan limitations are constantly changing, that’s because they are. And, once a year, Social Security benefits are also reviewed and up for potential adjustments. So, while the […]
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4 Tax Moves to Bust Out at the End of the Year
The end of the year can be really taxing, and we don’t just mean all the craziness of the holidays. We mean the Uncle Sam kind of taxing. The financial world is constantly changing, especially […]
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5 Years to Retirement? Here’s How to Master Your Retirement Income Plan
Your working life is almost over, but the work isn’t done yet. With just five years until you retire, it can be tempting to just coast the rest of the way and sit back and […]
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Sheena’s Lifestyle Blog: Halloween!
I love Halloween. I don’t even know why exactly or when it started, but there’s something about this time of year. It’s fun, mysterious, and especially beautiful in Wisconsin. To clarify, I’m not talking about […]
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Sequence of Returns Risk: The Biggest Financial Risk for Retirees and How to Guard Against It
You followed all of the rules: Start saving early. Don’t touch it; just let compound interest do its thing. Diversify your portfolio. Now you are primed for the retirement you’ve always dreamed of. Lake-side fishing […]
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Investing for Income: A Retirement Planning Necessity
When you stop earning a paycheck and start relying on your retirement savings and investment accounts to cover your living expenses, you can’t afford to wing it or hope for the best. This is where […]
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5 Overlooked Tax Strategies to Consider When Retirement Planning
If you were thinking that once you reach retirement, you can finally put your finances on autopilot, you’d be mistaken. Yes, it’s true. After decades of hard work, careful planning, and tireless saving, you may […]
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4 Smart Ways to Accelerate Retirement Savings
Recent retirement planning surveys conclude that more than half of retirees have retirement planning regrets. The main regret: Not saving enough. The second runner-up: Not saving sooner. But hindsight is 20/20 and you can’t change […]
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