When working with clients to help them determine a retirement savings strategy, a common question is whether to contribute on a pre-tax basis, like in Traditional IRAs or 401(k)s, or an after-tax Roth basis to Roth IRAs or Roth 401(k)s. This choice can significantly impact your financial future. Today, I will shed light on some of the key considerations to help you make an informed choice. As I begin, remember… Read More
Making large purchases is generally an unavoidable aspect of life. These can certainly be stressful experiences when they involve unfamiliar territory. Aside from acquiring homes, businesses, or properties, the next largest purchase most people will make sometime in their life is a vehicle purchase. There are a lot of layers to this process, some of which can be very confusing or misleading for buyers. I wanted to address some of… Read More
As of April 1st, Master’s has become Master’s Wealth Management, a fully independent Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm! This means we will no longer be using the back-office services provided by Securities America & NFS. The relationship we have had with them for the past 22 years has served us well, however, the time has come for us to amicably part ways and become an independent RIA-only firm. Thankfully, Master’s now… Read More
Companies marketing retirement often portray couples holding hands as they walk on the beach or sailing on the high seas with their hair blowing in the wind. These commercials give us the impression that retirement is an extended vacation filled with fun and leisure. Several months ago, I wrote a blog article exploring nine real-life retirement transitions and the factors influencing individuals’ decisions to retire. At the end of that… Read More
“Being joyful isn’t what makes you grateful. Being grateful is what makes you joyful.” – Ann Voskamp Gratitude has been on my mind recently. While it may not come naturally to many of us, myself included, gratitude can truly have a significant and broad impact. Practicing gratitude helps me to appreciate the small details in life that I otherwise may tend to overlook, particularly given the busyness of daily life…. Read More
Within the past week we have experienced the “Super Tuesday” Primaries and a State of the Union speech that sounded much like a campaign event. Friends, like it or not, we are speeding headlong into another Presidential election year. This will be the 8th Presidential election that has occurred since Master’s was founded thirty years ago! It is safe to say that the most common question we have gotten… Read More
Since 2008, I’ve been a Facebook user. Admittedly, I lean more towards the “social media stalker” category than an active participant, yet I’ve amassed 348 Facebook “friends”. Occasionally, I’ll share a post or comment, but mostly I use it to keep tabs on old friends, especially those who aren’t nearby, and to follow updates from my favorite sports teams and other interests. Continuing our series on Core Values, this final… Read More
This is the fifth installment in our blog series devoted to discussing how our personal life values impact our decisions. The value that I will be highlighting today is a popular one amongst our clients: Integrity. There are various aspects to the value of integrity: a chair can be described as “having structural integrity” if it can hold the weight of a person sitting on it without issue. In a… Read More
As we continue our blog series on values, we move on to Family as another value we see often. This value may seem simple at its surface, but the concept of Family means many different things to different clients. For some, it encompasses only their immediate family members, while for others, it extends to include close friends or distant relatives. What is interesting is when we bring the topic of… Read More
In today’s world, it seems like every time I make a purchase with a credit card, there’s an option to add a tip. It often leaves me wondering whether I should tip and if so, how much. Generosity is a core value in our family, so my default inclination is to leave something, even if I’m unsure whether the extra money will truly reach the server or if the… Read More
