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Rodd's Blog
Wealth Preservation in America: Portfolios Including Alternative Types of Investments
HNW investors are seeking opportunities in alternative investments to protect their wealth from loss. The desire for wealth protection is revitalizing today due to the volatility in the markets. Here's some examples of what they're inves...
Read MorePlanning 101: Implementing a Family Debt Ceiling
Families can benefit from adopting their own debt ceiling as a vital tool in creating a sound financial plan. Let’s explore the notion of a debt ceiling, its importance, and how families can leverage it to work towards financial confidence.
Read MoreWhich Internal Audit is Best for Your Business?
Internal audits play a crucial role in the proper functioning and success of a business. Here are the main types of internal audits that business owners should be aware of:
Read MoreBalancing a Retirement Portfolio with Asset Allocation
Balancing how much of each asset class you should include in your retirement portfolio is one of your most important tasks as an investor. That balance between growth, income, and safety/stability is constant juggling based on your stage of
Read MoreThe Ultimate Downsizing Checklist Before Retiring
As retirement approaches, many older adults consider downsizing their home as a way to simplify their lives, reduce expenses, and focus on what truly matters. To help you navigate this transition, we've compiled a comprehensive checklist...
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A Few Red Flags in the Stock Market to Watch
As an investor, it's important to keep a close eye on the stock market indicators. Currently, the indicators are showing a concerning trend that investors should pay attention to.
Read MoreSmall Business Owners: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Financial Independence
Being a business owner is often accompanied by the stress of growing your company and providing financial stability and growth for your family. There are many paths to financial independence, so here are a few directions for entrepreneurs..
Read MoreEmergency Savings or Your Retirement Goals?
There are a number of competing priorities that can make it difficult to determine where to focus your money efforts. For many people, the choice between building emergency savings or retirement accounts can be difficult. Here are some tips
Read MoreWhat the Looming Debt Ceiling Deadline Means for Investors
The federal debt limit is once again in the news as the country rapidly approaches a critical deadline on June 1. Investors are understandably nervous about Washington failing to reach an agreement, a possibility that both sides agree...
Read MoreTake a Swing at Investing Like a Golfer
Golfing and investing may not seem to share much common ground at first glance. But the more you think about it, a successful golfer and a successful investor share a number of traits such as patience, perseverance, attention to detail...
Read MoreGen Z Should Be Your Retirement Role Models
Generation Z, the youngest working generation, is commonly thought of as being uninterested in the future. However, recent research has shown that this stereotype may not be accurate, as many Gen Z'ers are excelling at saving for retirement
Read MoreWealth Due to Inheritance
If you're the beneficiary of a large inheritance, you'll need to evaluate your new financial position, learn to manage your sizable assets, and consider the tax consequences of your inheritance, among other issues.
Read More6 Retirement Tips for Surviving the Sandwich Generation Squeeze
Adults caring for aging parents and children simultaneously have now become known as the "sandwich generation." The sandwich generation often feels a tight financial squeeze as they juggle the cost of care for their elderly parents...
Read MoreElder Care, Caregivers, and Estate Planning: What You Need to Know
If you or a loved one are approaching the point of needing elder care, you may be wondering what your options are. Here we discuss some of the most important estate planning factors for elders and their caregivers.
Read MoreFamily Wealth Transfer Planning: Keeping it in the Family Through Generational Giving
There are several ways to pass wealth between generations that may provide tax advantages to help preserve it for the younger generations, as opposed to watching it disappear due to a tax consequence.
Read MoreWhy Business Owners Need Financial Planning
If you're a business owner, you are likely the Chief Everything Officer at work and have many responsibilities. A business financial plan can help business owners take the stress off of themselves, and do the following things...
Read More3 Tips for Preserving Wealth in Your Golden Years
You may wonder whether there is any way to maintain your lifestyle and preserve your wealth to pass down to your loved ones. Here are three tips that may help you preserve wealth after retirement...
Read MoreHealthcare in Retirement
Health care in retirement is available from many sources. Depending on your specific needs and circumstances, you may use any number of these resources during your retirement years.
Read MoreBusiness Succession Planning
When developing a succession plan for your business, you must make many decisions. The key is to pick the best plan for your circumstances and objectives, and to seek help from financial and legal advisors to carry out this plan...
Read MoreLife Insurance and Estate Planning
To illustrate how life insurance can help you plan your estate wisely, let's compare what happened upon the death of two friends: Frank, who bought life insurance, and Dave, who did not.
Read MoreA Quick Guide to Estate Planning for Those With High Net Worth
For many individuals who hope to leave a legacy for their loved ones, estate planning may take on new importance. Here are two estate planning tips every high-net-worth individual should consider.
Read MoreOptimizing Your Social Security Retirement Benefits
Optimizing your Social Security retirement benefits means getting the best return possible on each dollar you've contributed to the system. The amount of Social Security benefits you receive will partly be determined by law, inflation...
Read MoreSECURE 2.0 Top 10 Provisions
Congress enacted retirement legislation known as SECURE 2.0 which will incentivize individuals to save for retirement, while increasing access to workplace plans.
Read MoreCharting the Course
Charting the CourseAugust 30, 2022Recently, I took some time to get my ASA sailing certification. Spending 5 nights on a 40-foot catamaran with an instructor and a few other students was quite the experience. We all knew our end...
Read MoreBiden's Student-Loan Fiasco - First Trust Advisors L.P.
This month I share a blog from a group of economists that I routinely follow at First Trust Advisors L.P.Biden's Student-Loan Fiasco
Read More"I" for Inflation. Is an I Bond a Good Option for Me?
Have you heard about the I Bond? It is making a name for itself because it currently offers an attractive yield to fight inflation.I Bonds are inflation-protected savings bonds and are 100% backed by the U.S. federal government....
Read MoreInteresting Times
As they say, “May you live in interesting times”. Russian forces invading Ukraine, oil prices skyrocketing, and market gyrations through the first 5-months of the year have created plenty of uncertainty. Let me...
Read MoreUnprecedented - First Trust Advisors L.P.
This month I share a blog from a group of economists that I routinely follow at First Trust Advisors L.P.Click Here to Read the Article
Read MoreRecession Unlikely in 2022 - First Trust Advisors L.P.
First Trust - Recession Unlikely in 2022
Read MoreBaked Brie
Baked Brie 2 TBSP Unsalted Butter1 Small Onion Diced (about 1 cup)½ TBSP Minced Garlic 8 oz Brie (rind trimmed)8 oz Cream Cheese½ Cup Sour Cream2 tsp Lemon Juice2 tsp Brown Sugar½ tsp Worcestershire SauceSalt &...
Read MoreInflation - Where Are We Headed?
Inflation continues to be one of the most discussed topics in financial circles. The bottom line: it’s here and will continue for several years. In my last blog I discussed the M2 money supply and its effects on investable asset...
Read MoreFrom The Lookout Tower
Are stocks and real estate part of an asset price bubble? Lately, I’ve been asked by many clients, friends, and acquaintances if I think we are in an asset price bubble. Should they sell their investments and their home and wait...
Read MoreIRS Makes 2021 IRA Cost-of-Living Adjustments
IRS Makes 2021 IRA Cost-of-Living Adjustments
Read MoreYou Can't Be Reached...Now What?
As part of your overall financial health, let’s look at an often-overlooked scenario. Hopefully, this is something you’ll never need, but what if you can’t be reached for an extended period of time. Sometimes it as...
Read MoreThe National Debt is at Record Levels. Should Investors Be Concerned?
For years, the mounting federal debt burden has been a major point of contention between political parties, economists, and fiscal planners. Some claim the escalating debt is a time bomb -- a mortgage on America’s future. Others...
Read MoreFinding a Financial Path: The Big Boy Pants Plan
As you read this blog, if a friend or relative comes to mind, please share it, as I’m sure someone in your life will appreciate the read. You may find yourself in the milestones below, as well. So, let’s get started…...
Read MoreShould You Take an Early Retirement?
The story is a common one these days. You have been furloughed or laid off, just a few years before you plan to retire. Or, your work-from-home arrangement is ending, and you're not keen on resuming the commute or going back to a...
Read More3 Things To Do if Your Credit Card or Debit Card is Involved in a Data Breach
This month I share an article from Brian O'Connor at Experian. With the frequency of online transactions increasing, the article is a reminder of actions to take if you are involved a credit/debit card breach. Click Here to Read the Article
Read MoreThe Economy and The Virus
This month I share an blog from a group of economist that I routinely follow at First Trust Advisors L.P.
Read MoreSmart Financial Strategies for Unexpected Events
A once-in-a-lifetime event such as the coronavirus pandemic forces us to reassess many things we may have taken for granted. Most of us take our personal good health for granted. Many of us assume we will always get by financially,...
Read MoreCoronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security (CARES) Act Highlights
The new $2.2 trillion stimulus package that was passed by our Federal government has features intended to keep workers paid and employed, allow businesses to remain operational and make necessary health care system enhancements to...
Read MoreThinking of Timing the Market? Think Again
Volatility is back. The sustained rally that produced 30%+ gains in the S&P 500 in 2019 and continued into 2020 came to an abrupt halt in late February, when fears of the new coronavirus epidemic and its effects on the economy swept...
Read MoreCoronavirus - What Are We Going To Do?
In periods of extreme volatility like we have witnessed over the past few days, I want to assure you that I am no ostrich hiding my head in the sand. Our process at Miller Wealth Management is to construct a personalized portfolio...
Read MoreWhy the New SECURE Act Matters to You or A Loved One Now
Effective January 1, 2020, the SECURE Act is in effect. While there are several areas that this new legislation impacts, these four changes may impact you and your friends now: Inherited IRA distributions must now be taken within 10...
Read MoreSetting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act
Click here to read about the top 10 provisions of the SECURE Act.
Read MoreShould You Buy Long-Term Care Insurance?
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, someone turning age 65 today has almost a 70% chance of needing some type of long-term care services and supports in their remaining years. Whether you or your spouse will...
Read MoreFIRE - Financially Independent, Retire Early
Some folks, whether 30, 50, or 70 years old, might feel they are too young to retire. But others, can’t wait to get retirement started. A millennial buzz word in the past few years has been FIRE, an acronym standing for...
Read MoreLowering Your Tax Bill with an HSA - Today and in Retirement
For years, Americans have been schooled on the benefits of saving: for retirement, for a child's higher education, and even for a rainy day. It's time to add another item to that list: health care. As health insurance premiums,...
Read MoreGoals: Steering in the Right Direction?
As the famous saying goes, “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” Will you end up on the side of a Mt. Everest when you want to be on Waikiki Beach. Hopefully not. So, let’s...
Read MoreHow Much Social Security Can You Expect?
Independent Investor – June 2019 Title: How Much Social Security Can You Expect? One of the first steps in planning for retirement is to get an accurate read on just how much income you can expect to receive from Social Security....
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