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Welcome to our blog "A Wing and a Plan"! We write about personal financial planning and concepts, current legislation affecting our clients, and the things that matter most: Faith and Family.

You can expect to find a new post here on www.provisioretirement.com  every Tuesday morning or you can subscribe to our email list to have it delivered directly to your inbox: Subscribe

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

With the current conditions of the housing market, it is not uncommon for me to get questions about whether or not a client should buy a home or continue renting. Oftentimes, those questions revolve around whether or not interest rates...

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Money means something different to everyone. As we talked about last week, family is extremely important to some and thus money is a tool in which they use to the benefit of their family members. Some want to accumulate wealth so that...

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Recently, I have had the pleasure of getting to know quite a few new faces. Over the years I have grown to enjoy meeting new people and hearing about their lives. Often those conversations begin exactly how you would expect: “So,...

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

When planning for someone’s retirement there are a myriad of factors that come into play. With Americans living longer on average, a person’s retirement can easily span 30 years which can be nerve-racking to think about....

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

As a financial advisor, one of things that I have found to be of the greatest benefit to my clients is making the whole planning process as frictionless as possible. Unfortunately, this is often an uphill battle since many of the...

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Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Artificial intelligence has been coming for a while now yet it seems like it is still taking most people by surprise. The capabilities of programs such as ChatGPT, are paradoxically both extremely exciting on the one hand and...

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

In today’s employment market, it is extremely important for employers to offer special benefits to stay competitive in their industry. Wage increases, new job creation, and sign on bonus offers can make it difficult for small...

Thursday, July 20, 2023

We have covered employer sponsored retirement plans, such as 401(k)s, many times on this blog. There is a good reason for this as we receive quite a few questions about these types of plans. Many people have access to these plans but...

Friday, July 14, 2023

I can’t tell you the number of times I have been asked, “Hey, you do insurance, right?”. I’m sure every member of our team can say that they have been asked the same thing multiple times as well. Whether or not...

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

If you have access to a pension plan there is a good chance that you are either retired or work in the public sector. In the year 2023, most gainfully employed individuals do not have access to the once ubiquitous and lucrative pension...

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

u would be hard-pressed to find many positive news stories on the internet today. Part of the reason for this is that positive news doesn’t get the clicks that negative news does. The other half of the reason is that we have in...

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

However you feel about Canadian psychologist and internet firebrand Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, he certainly doesn’t shy away from the tough conversations. Likewise, in similar fashion, personal finance guru and debt reduction expert...

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Healthcare expenses are one of the biggest line items in every family’s budget. Whether you have a large family or small family, premiums, deductibles, and out of pocket expenses can be a very large burden on the person paying...

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

The longer that I am in this industry and the more people that I talk to, the more I am convinced that the biggest impediment to someone reaching their financial goals is themselves. I used to think that it was purely a matter of...

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

This week’s blog topic is a basic pillar in a person’s financial planning life. The prospect of creating a budget can be cumbersome if not also a bit daunting. Often times, first time budget builders look at a budget as...

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

The last few years of the housing market have been, in a word, crazy. As you look at the value of your home, which has almost surely increased, you might thinking about selling and buying a new home and what that looks like and when...

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

As we begin to wind down the school year, summer is fast approaching. The weather is turning warm and the trees and flowers are beginning to bloom. The grass is beginning to grow like mad and the mowers are being dusted off after their...

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

We often talk about “the market” as well as stocks and bonds without much understanding of what those terms mean. Undoubtedly, you have heard about the various market indexes but what exactly are those and are they at all...

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

The following blog is a guest post by Joe Dykstra, a REALTOR® with RE/MAX of Grand Rapids*.*Joe Dykstra and RE/MAX of Grand Rapids are not affiliated with Provisio Retirement Partners or LPL Financial.The common question first...

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

The idea of retiring early is especially buzzy right now, especially among younger people. If you Google “early retirement” you will likely see sensational stories about young couples leaving the workforce in their 30s...

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

For the longest time, fixed income options from your bank or the broker-dealer you invest through were far from appetizing. For the last 7 years, equities were on a tear. We were in the longest bull market of our country’s...

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Retirement accounts can be a great way to conveniently invest for your future. Whether they be employer sponsored plans like a 401(k) or your own personal account like an IRA or Roth IRA, the benefits and the process for investing in...

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Expenses come in all shapes and sizes. Some are relatively small, like your monthly subscription to Netflix. Others are quite large and take up a large chunk of your budget each month, such as your mortgage payment. Your mortgage is...

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Guest post by Heidi Miller with Buursma Agency ; Original post can be found on their website hereNavigating health insurance can be like learning a foreign language. When you are not immersed in the terminology on a...

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

If you follow the news at all, financial news or not, I am sure you have heard about Silicon Valley Bank. On Friday, March 10, Silicon Valley Bank failed. Upon it’s failing, SVB was placed into the receivership of the FDIC. SVB...

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Making more money generally means paying higher taxes. However, there are some ways to reduce what you owe at the end of the year. Here are three ways to reduce your your taxable income either by paying yourself or giving to others.

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

One of the greatest questions when you are planning for retirement is where is the income going to come from. When the salary and/or hourly wages come to a stop, where is the money coming in from. From a financial planning standpoint,...

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

                 The vast majority of Americans have a mortgage on their home. In this day and age, with high home prices despite rising interest rates, a mortgage has become a necessary...

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Recently we have seen an uptick in in military activity surrounding unidentified flying objects in our country’s airspace. This does not mean that we are being invaded by aliens or that they have finally become bold enough to...

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

When we meet with new or potential clients, we typically ask a lot of questions about their financial situation. This isn’t simply because we are nosey, but rather because in order to give proper advice we need to see the whole...

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

The new year is off to a flying start. We are already into the second month of the year and the stock market has jumped hot out of the gate. The S&P 500 has year-to-date returns of 7.45%. The Dow is up approximately 2.31% YTD and the...

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Perhaps you have heard the marketing slogan, "safe money", and wondered what that means? Learn more about the pitfalls and proper uses of fixed index annuities.

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

It is not a secret that financial education is a big part of what we are trying to offer here at Provisio Retirement Partners. This very blog that you are currently reading, and its convenient podcast recordings, is one facet of those...

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

As an advisor I usually love meeting with clients to review their plan and investment accounts. It is usually a time to reflect on what we have done so far as well as to plan for the future. This year however, I am a little less...

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

One of the major questions that any person has when they are contemplating their retirement is where is their income going to come from. Not only where is it going to come from, but what are the tax implications of the income you will...

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Back in April of 2022, I wrote about the successor to the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act which was passed in 2019. A package of legislation which has been dubbed the SECURE Act 2.0. As I write this...

Tuesday, December 27, 2022

Before we start this blog, I want to say that I hope you all had a very enjoyable Christmas weekend. Hopefully you were able to take some time off and really enjoy the season. Not only is Christmas a time for gifts, family fellowship,...

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

We are coming to the end of another year and with it the busyness that comes with Christmas parties, shopping for gifts, and the like. It seems crazy that Christmas is already this week! “The years are short but the days are...

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

As we are now in the final month of the year, there are so many things to think about. Many people get caught up in “Holiday Seasonitis”. Did I just make that word up? Yes, I definitely did. It is hard not to get lured into...

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

For many, the ultimate in luxury and financial stability is to become a millionaire. There was even a game show that used to be called “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”. Now, whether or not that is a goal that you should be...

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

“Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement” – James ClearToday is a big day as it marks the writing of our 100th blog post! When I wrote the post introducing this blog back in the Spring of 2020, I had to...

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Happy Thanksgiving week to all of our readers! I know that I can speak for Alex and myself when I say that we are very thankful for you all. We greatly appreciate your interest in reading these each week and are humbled that you take...

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

             I use a lot of my time in these blogs to encourage folks to hold tight to their plan during times of economic upheaval. I stand by that sentiment just as strongly now as I did before the...

Monday, November 7, 2022

Today is election day. Millions of Americans will be partaking in their civic duty at the polls, and there is a lot to be decided. 36 out of the 50 states that make up the union will be voting for a new or incumbent governor. There are...

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

It is not too often that we see positive changes made to our nation’s tax code but they do occasionally happen! A good recent example of this is the so-called “SECURE Act 2.0” which is set to go into effect as early...

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

We are exactly two weeks away from the midterm elections in this country, but I am sure you already knew that. Everywhere you go there are candidate yard signs to be seen, political smear ads to be watched, and partisan radio addresses...

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

TL; DR Invest early and invest often“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn't, pays it”. This well-known quote from Albert Einstein is one of the most repeated...

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

When starting to invest for retirement the first question many people ask is which type of IRA to open. The fact that there are two types of IRAs is pretty common knowledge. The words “Roth” and “Traditional”...

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

Employer sponsored retirement plans often comprise a large portion of an individual’s retirement assets. And it’s no wonder! Making contributions to those plans is virtually thoughtless, happens automatically, and they are...

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

We all love being right. Being correct feels a whole lot better than being incorrect, even though often times failures help you learn the most. Oftentimes to ensure that what we believe to be true is in fact true, we seek out knowledge...

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

             Whenever the economy experiences volatility there are always a few common questions that we receive. What is going on with the market? What should I be invested in? Should I pull my money...

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

There is no question that the country is currently in a spot of economic uncertainty. The supply chain issues that have compounded since the beginning of the pandemic more than two years ago continue to cause issues. Our gross domestic...

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Unless you live under a rock, you have probably heard about the Biden Administration’s plan to forgive around $300 billion in federal student loan debt. It is estimated that this action would entirely wipe out the debt owed by...

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

There are many attractive elements to trading your own portfolio. Complete independency and the ability to make your own decisions are enticing. Online programs like RobinHood and WeBull make it incredibly simple to open an investment...

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Over the last several months I have had a number of people ask me about ways to make a “passive income” in the market. What they usually mean is, “how can I create a stream of income that I don’t have to work...

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

When I first got started in the financial services industry I wanted to venture out on my own and learn the business. I thought to myself, “it can’t be too hard to bring on new clients, can it? After all, look at all of the...

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

There are many things that entice a person to accept a job offer. Maybe the salary is equal or above what they are looking for. Maybe the culture and workplace environment are very inviting and fits their personality. The vision and...

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

                There has been a lot of talk in recent months about a looming recession in the U.S. economy. Coming off of an incredible bull market run over a decade long, it is not overly...

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Finance Lessons in Football Football season is fast approaching, and I am extremely excited about it. I never want to wish the summer away, but whenever we get about a month away from the football season I have a hard time not looking...

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

                With the cost of college on the rise, it is not uncommon for me to get questions about investing in order to prepare for that cost. Most parents that I talk too aren’t keen...

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

An annuity is a financial planning product which allows a person to have a monthly stream of income until they die. In contrast with a life insurance product which is meant to create an estate when activated, an annuity is designed...

Tuesday, July 5, 2022

         When we meet with potential new clients, one of the things that we do is take a look at their current investments and look for potential areas of concern. Today, I wanted to take a real statement that...

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

With the markets where they are, many people are wondering if now would be a prudent time to start investing and making some financial changes. This includes not only investing for your own retirement, but choosing to start saving for...

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

It is not news to anyone that inflation has become a major problem in this country. Everyone is feeling the sting of higher prices particularly those who live on a fixed income. Perhaps nowhere is this felt more strongly than at the...

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

As the season turns to summer and all of the joy that its weather can bring, there are a few things to be aware of as the dog days roll on. While the fresh air and bright sunshine bring an undeniable spirit of happiness for those of us...

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

No matter the sphere of life, it seems that it is our tendency as humans to meet every obstacle with the need to “do something”. I’ll admit that I am just as guilty as anyone else is when it comes to this reactionary...

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

As the stock market continues to fluctuate it is easy to start to worry or get nervous. Loss aversion is a natural thing and not at all uncommon. The last five months and even especially the past four weeks have been difficult to watch...

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

In 2019, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act was passed by the U.S. Senate and signed into law by President Trump. The bill made sweeping changes to individual and company retirement accounts aimed at...

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

                A plumber fixes your pipes. A doctor provides lifesaving medical care. A mechanic makes sure that your car is running smoothly. However, what...

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Auto insurance is an area of personal finance that we do not handle directly. Thankfully, we have awesome partners to lean on who are available to help our clients answer any questions that they might have! One such partner is Jordan...

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

In high school, I used to work at a local restaurant washing dishes, bussing tables, and cooking food. It was a typical high school job and I worked with many people that were around my age. Oftentimes, I was one of the last people at...

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Financial Advisor Grand Rapids - It is very likely that you have heard people refer to “the market” and have probably even used the phrase yourself. However, does anyone actually know what they mean when they say, “the market”?

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Financial Advisor Grand Rapids - In his book, “The One-Page Financial Plan”, Carl Richards coins the phrase, “The Big Mistake”, to refer to the act of buying when the market is high and selling when it is low.

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

What is the Fed and what does it have to do with rising interest rates? The S&P 500 index is down almost 9% year to date as of January 27th. The explanations for this are varied and include everything from supply chain issues...

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Financial Advisor Grand Rapids - The past decade has seen an incredible shift in how we receive news and how quickly we can receive that news. While the internet has been increasing the speed of information for decades now....

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Financial Advisor Grand Rapids - For many of us, college was an integral part of our lives and played a huge role in our ability to begin a career in our chosen field. Still many others received a degree from a college or...

Thursday, January 13, 2022

Financial Advisor Grand Rapids - Like Alex talked about in our last blog, psychology plays a much larger role in our investing habits and choices than we might be inclined to believe. Because we are all human,...

Thursday, January 6, 2022

Financial Advisor Grand Rapids - Anyone who is fighting a bad habit will tell you that it all started with one, seemingly tiny, mistake. That first press of the snooze button giving way to a struggle with oversleeping.

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Financial Advisor Grand Rapids - "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards." - Soren KierkegaardThe current year is quickly coming to a close. From a very macro level, this past year..

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Financial Advisor Grand Rapids - Today, I will be taking a bit of a departure from my normal blog posts to discuss something that has been on my mind with Christmas coming up. In the last month, our work load has...

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Financial Advisor Grand Rapids - It appears that inflation is increasing, and doing so at an increasing rate. What is inflation? In short, inflation is the increase in prices of goods and services throughout an economy.

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Financial Advisor Grand Rapids - I have heard the criticism from some that, “investing in the market is no different than going to the casino!”. Their contention is that putting money into the ever volatile, ever unpredictable..

Monday, November 29, 2021

As we near the end of the fourth quarter and subsequently the year, now is a good time for some self-reflection. We all have had triumphs this year, big and small, as well as defeats. The triumphs give hope for the future and what is...

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

When it comes to more complicated issues in life, it can be difficult to tackle them alone. When these problems are of a financial nature, they take on added importance and, unfortunately, stress. Finding someone to help you with these...

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

The holiday season is in full swing. While many are already looking forward to Christmas, we cannot forget about America's second favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is coming up next Thursday and I will admit I am really...

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

It is hard to believe, but we are only 46 days (at the time of writing this) from Christmas day. You would think from the state of things that we would be much closer. Homes are already beginning to don their decorations for the season...

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

The term “unrealized gains” has been in the news a lot lately and for good reason. Democrats in congress are expected to introduce legislation that would levy a tax on the unrealized gains of the so-called “ultra...

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Hello blog readers! Before we delve into our topic for today I wanted to express that I am so excited to begin contributing to the blog on a regular basis. I hope to keep the style congruent to that which Alex has already implemented....

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

I want to start this blog post by expressing my sincere apologies for being absent over the last couple of months. While this is not an excuse, I have been quite preoccupied with bringing on new clients, serving our current ones, and...

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

An odd phenomenon has occurred over the last year and a half. If I had not seen and experienced it myself, I never would have believed it. Yet, despite a period of economic instability, higher than average job loss, and general...

Monday, August 9, 2021

It is 9:38 AM EST on a Monday and I am pouring myself another cup of coffee and preparing to meet with our team for our regular Monday morning meeting. I turn on the TV and flip to CNBC (on mute) so that I can watch the market movement...

Monday, August 9, 2021

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to...

Thursday, June 24, 2021

I recently had the tremendous pleasure to appear on the "Hot Off the HYP" podcast hosted by Johannes Boot. This is the official podcast for the Holland/Zeeland Young Professionals or "HYP". I had a fantastic time speaking with...

Thursday, June 10, 2021

As an advisor, it is encouraging when a new client chooses to work with us as opposed to their current financial professional. It means that we are communicating our message of diligent financial planning and common sense investing and...

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Experts and amateurs alike have been warning of the market’s inevitable crash for over a decade now. Economists and advisors for years have cautioned, and rightly so, that the bull market will come to an end. However, no one...

Monday, April 26, 2021

I have a terrible habit of constantly trying to “fix” everything. I ironically say that I am attempting to “solve the world’s problems” except sometimes I think that, in my pride, I might just believe that...

Tuesday, April 6, 2021

When President Biden took office earlier this year, one of the big-ticket items on his agenda was to roll back the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 put in place by President Trump. The Biden Administration’s proposed tax plan should...

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

The name “Warren Buffett” is not often associated with the words, “panic sale”[i]. The famed investor and so-called “Oracle of Omaha” is often known for the exact opposite of panic. Mr....

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

In the words of Pam Beesly, “What a long, strange trip it’s been.” Well, at least it feels that way. In reality, it has only been a year but it has been strange nonetheless. When we started Provisio Retirement...

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

In speaking with clients, connections, family and friends it is inevitable that many people will share the same questions and concerns about their finances. This week, I want to take a moment to cover a few of the questions that I...

Monday, February 22, 2021

Last week, I wrote about the recent controversy regarding popular trading app, Robinhood. It got me thinking more about the whole concept of “free” financial advice and investing. We are increasingly living in a DIY world...

Thursday, February 18, 2021

When I wrote about my concerns regarding online stock trading app Robinhood back in July of last year, I had no idea what was to come in 2021. Nor did I realize fully the dangers associated with Robinhood. In other words, I had no idea...

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

A Roth IRA is a fantastic option for saving for retirement as it provides tax free withdrawals of both contributions and gains when taken in retirement. A majority of people are able to contribute $6,000 a year to a Roth or $12,000 for...

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

One of my all-time favorite phrases is, “you don’t know what you don’t know”. When directed at an individual, it is meant to highlight their overconfidence on a subject that they are actually quite ignorant...

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

As many of you mourn the loss of The Office from Netflix, I thought it might be a good time to revisit one of my favorite blog topics from last year. That is right, more finance lessons from everyone’s favorite Dunder Mifflin...

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

How do I start investing? It is a simple question and an understandable one at that. With the seemingly endless strength of the stock market and the rise of easy-to-use investment apps like Robinhood[i], everyone wants to try their...

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

In continuing my series on financial terms and ideas that are widely misunderstood, I thought it best to start the year off with a topic that is on everyone’s minds after this past year: Risk. No not the risk that you will run...

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

What a year it has been. Yes, I realize that is an understatement, but I want to avoid the hyperbole that is so frequent in our news and social media. Let us just say that 2020 was a year that will lend plenty of material to the...

Thursday, December 17, 2020

It is not difficult to see why so many people have not started investing or planning for their future. With a myriad of financial terms, products, and companies, one can easily become overwhelmed and suffer from “analysis...

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Several weeks ago, I broke from my normal theme of financial literacy to speak to the growing disregard we seem to have for one another in this country. Particularly, the great divide there seems to be in politics, ideology, and...

Friday, October 23, 2020

As the world begins to open up again, I am finding myself finally being able to meet with people in person (albeit safely distanced of course). This means seeing my clients face to face but also getting introduced to new contacts and...

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

For many around the country (particularly down south) the college football season began over a month ago. But for those of us who’s loyalties lie in the B10 Conference, October 24th can’t come soon enough. The season will...

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

There comes a point in all of our lives where the prospect of retirement appears like a speck on the horizon. It is still a ways off but you can see it coming. Likely, you are in your prime earning years and have 10-20 years until...

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

For the past five months I have been trying (and failing) to publish a new blog post every Tuesday. For the most part I have focused on financial topics that I feel will benefit my readers. I sincerely hope that whether you are a...

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

On November 3rd, Americans around the country will perform their civic duty by either going to the polls or filling out a mail-in ballot. As that day fast approaches, I have heard from many in my circles who have vastly different...

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

It is no surprise to anyone who knows me well that I am a huge fan of “The Office”. Behind the ridiculous, cringe worthy moments, is an accurate portrayal of working in an office setting (albeit hyperbole). I have often...

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

It’s 6:30 on a Tuesday night and you are already ready for this week to be over. Your stomach grumbles to remind you that you have not eaten since breakfast. At home, you have a pantry full of groceries and healthy foods to cook...

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

This week I want to talk about something that has been on mind a lot lately. Fair warning, this has little to do with finance so if you would prefer not to read my rambling stream of consciousness then I suggest that you click away...

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Financial products in general are often looked at through the lens of skepticism because, as with many industries, there is a history of past abuses. The “annuity” is a prime example of a product that is sold almost as...

Thursday, August 13, 2020

I can always tell when the question is coming. It is the same question I get all the time, and it is almost always asked with awkwardness and uncertainty. I suppose that those who ask it do so out of respect for my time and efforts,...

Thursday, August 13, 2020

In 1975, Jack Bogle wanted to offer the average investor a way to achieve market returns without paying a steep fee to a fund manager[i]. Thus, index investing, and investment manager behemoth Vanguard, was born. Bogle initially...

Friday, July 17, 2020

If you are a do-it-yourselfer and a millennial then odds are you have stumbled across the mobile app, Robinhood. Even if you do not fit into that category there is a good chance that you have heard of Robinhood as it has been surging...

Thursday, July 9, 2020

The first half of this year was brutal and included a nationwide lockdown and quarantine to our homes. The pandemic has driven mass layoffs in numbers that are hard to believe. Thankfully, the jobs are beginning to come back, and our...

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Ah yes, life insurance, the great paradox of financial products. The only product that you will ever purchase that you hope you will never use. Easily the least exciting thing that I discuss with clients as the conversation typically...

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

It has likely happened to all of us. We leave a job in search of greener pastures and in the process leave an old 401(k) behind. 401(k) plans are a great way to accumulate wealth while working for an employer especially if that...

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

My wife and I have been married for five years now and one of the hobbies that we have come to enjoy together is taking hiking trips. One of our favorite places to hike is the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s...

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

I do not have a military background, nor do I come from a family with a large number of veterans. My great-grandfather fought in the Pacific during WWII but regretfully I was not as close to him as I would have liked. When Memorial...

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Look, as a financial advisor I would love to have everyone and their brother work with me to create a killer financial plan. But as I continue to talk with those in the early stages of planning, I am seeing a couple of common threads...

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

I have had many conversations that go something like this: Me: “So, what have you done thus far to plan for your future financially and what do you hope to accomplish with your investments?” Prospective Client: “Well,...

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

My schedule right now feels weird. I get up, eat breakfast, make a pot of coffee and then…. go down to my office in the basement to work on my laptop for 8 hours. It is very strange not being able to see my clients face to face...

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

As human beings, we have a need for a sense of security. A sense that we have it all together even if it is just an illusion. The same can be said for our personal finances although we certainly hope our financial security is not just...

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Financial Advisor Grand Rapids - One of my new favorite quotes comes from the author James Clear in his book “Atomic Habits”. Early in the book he states,"Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.”