As we celebrate Beacon’s 20th anniversary, we’ve spent time reflecting on how far we’ve come. A lot has changed over the years, and our evolution has been remarkable.
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One area that often sparks debates in the financial arena is pet insurance. Is it a necessary investment, or can you afford to self-insure? When I got my dog, Penny, I was torn on whether pet insurance would be right for us. Penny is my first dog and we got her when she was just 8 weeks old. I quickly found out how much of a financial commitment she was going to be once we brought her to our vet for the first time. Shots, exams, spay… It was adding up quickly.
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The current tax code is set to expire in 2026. The article shows what has happened with tax rates since 2016 and what is scheduled to happen going forward until 2030. There are some notable changes beginning in 2026.
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Are you the type of person who celebrates your personal victories? According to a number of psychological studies, celebrating victories—even the small ones, has an extremely positive impact on a person’s sense of happiness and well-being.
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You can definitely make a difference is with your grandchildren’s personal financial education. Teaching kids early will build a lifetime of good financial habits. How can we help them develop good financial habits? By taking advantage of the fact that they really are already watching and learning from what we do and say.
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We explore the four elements of an investor's risk profile - risk capacity, risk required, risk tolerance and risk perception. Understanding each type of risk is an essential element of building an investment portfolio that can both meet your specific investment needs, while allowing you to sleep easy during times of personal and financial stress.
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Through hard work and sound financial planning, some find themselves in situations in which they are contemplating intra-family financial planning. That is, identifying financial planning techniques that can be used to financially strengthen the next generation—children and grandchildren.
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On this special episode of Finance In A Flash, we interview Chip and Erin on the history of Beacon Financial Strategies. We discuss the story of Beacon, the background of how Chip, and Erin met to form Beacon and the vision of Beacon moving forward!
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This article provides insight into a number of strategies and methods for making charitable gifts.
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On this episode of Finance In A Flash, we continue our series on Mid Career Professionals by discussing different savings strategies. Erin and Nick discuss what types of accounts you should save to, and in what order. Do you save to a 529 education account before a 401k or a Roth before a personal brokerage account? We discuss these types of questions and more!
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On this episode of Finance In A Flash, Nick & Chip discuss the varying types of investment accounts and the pros and cons of each. Investment accounts that were discussed include; personal brokerage accounts, Roth IRAs, Traditional IRAs, and 401ks.
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Asset "location" - which types of investments should be held in which accounts -is different based on your stage in life. An accumulator and a retiree should have a different investment strategy.
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In this episode of Finance In A Flash, we discuss the new 10-year Inherited IRA rules set forth by the SECURE Act in 2020. Chip and Nick discuss what this means for people who have inherited an IRA after 2020, and what scenarios or opportunities you should think about when withdrawing funds from your Inherited IRA.
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Do you have a well-defined investment philosophy? Is your philosophy grounded in academically proven research, or is it influenced by recent events, the media, or individuals promoting an investment product?
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While the US hasn’t experienced a period of high inflation since the late 1970s, is it possible that we are in the beginning stages of an inflationary cycle?
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Small business owners have a number of alternatives to choose from when it comes to establishing retirement plans for their business. Each plan type can vary in their contribution level and matching requirements, as well as their ongoing regulatory and administrative burden.
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In this episode of Finance In A Flash, Nick & Chip continue the Insurance Planning Series and discuss "Annuities". They go through a general overview of annuities and discuss the three major types of annuities: Immediate Annuities, Fixed Annuities, and Variable Annuities.
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The idea is simple—get enough life insurance to protect your family from the potentially devastating impact of an unexpected death. While the concept is straight-forward, as with many components of financial planning, deciding on the appropriate type and coverage level of life insurance is not quite that easy.
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In this episode of Finance In A Flash, we begin our Insurance Planning Series by discussing Life Insurance. We believe that life insurance serves an integral role in a family's overall financial health and answer important questions about life insurance including:
What are some reasons someone would need life insurance?
How much life insurance does someone need and what are factors when determining this?
Why is it a good idea to get life insurance sooner rather than later?
What is the difference between term and permanent life insurance?
In this episode of Finance In A Flash we discuss a simple, yet popular question; “Should I buy dividend-paying stocks to supplement my income?” The answer to this question varies on a person-by-person basis, but for most, the answer is a resounding no. Let us explain on this podcast!
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