"Silver and Gold! Silver and Gold! How do you measure its worth? Just by the pleasure it gives here on Earth!" - Sam the Snowman from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer I can’t help but think about Cornelius the prospector from the Rudolph movie when people ask about...
Steve Carlson
Basic Investing Building Block #3
How can you reduce investment risk? Diversification! Diversification in investing is a technique whereby you allocate your money in different financial instruments, industries, etc. By doing so you reduce your risk by limiting your exposure to any single company....
Basic Investing Building Block #2
Investing can be complicated to the average “Joe or JoAnn.” However, having just the simplest knowledge of what it is and how it works can help you manage your money with confidence. Let’s break it down in a way that makes it easier to understand. This is the...
To Convert or Not to Convert? That Is the Question!
What am I talking about, you ask? Roth conversions. What is a Roth conversion? A Roth conversion is taking all or part of an existing traditional IRA and moving it into a Roth IRA. The main difference between a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA is that traditional...
Retirement Planning Earthquake
Just when you thought you had a good grasp of retirement planning rules, the government changes them! A new federal law took effect January 1, 2020, that affects many different parts of retirement planning. The SECURE Act of 2020 (Setting Every Community Up for...
Being Prepared for Your Loved Ones
Family. One of, if not the most, important part of your life. We love them dearly and would do anything for them—help them study for a big test, throw them a graduation party, help them with the down payment of their first house, etc. The list is endless. And yet,...
You may owe a 50% penalty tax on your IRA!
Individuals who deposit pre-tax funds into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or employer-sponsored 401(k) retirement account are required to begin withdrawing a minimum dollar amount each year once they reach age 70 ½. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires...