Posts by Eric Peterson
Uses for Life Insurance
When you’re younger, life insurance is often thought of as an income replacement as needed. But as you get older and into retirement, you might find other uses for life insurance. When thinking ahead for your estate and how it passes to beneficiaries, life insurance can prove to be a useful tool. Currently, the proceeds from life insurance are tax-free. How does that change how you include it in your financial plan? Eric outlines some of the options and benefits life insurance can provide.
Read MoreUnderstanding Financial Risk
What kind of risks do you take in your financial life? As you get less comfortable with things like climbing up ladders and riding on skateboards, you might also become less financially risky. When you enter retirement, how you view your money in the market changes significantly from your working years. It’s important to look at your portfolio to ensure your investments match your risk tolerance.
Read MoreThe Good Old Days
Why is retirement planning different than the “good old days” that our parents and grandparents experienced? Things like pensions, Social Security, and even RMD age have changed. Is your financial plan set up accordingly or is it in need of some changes to match?
Read MoreMailbag: When Should I Retire?
When is the perfect time to retire? One question from the mailbag asks whether retiring now or in two years will make a big difference. Eric explains what you’ll need to consider and what differences you might encounter from a work and lifestyle standpoint. Then, he answers Nancy’s question on how important it is to have a financial advisor in retirement.
Read MoreDiscussing Dave Ramsey and His Core Beliefs
More than likely, you’ve heard about financial commentator, Dave Ramsey. Today, we talk about some of Dave’s core beliefs and how it may differ from those of a licensed financial advisor. While Dave’s tips and baby steps have helped people, it’s worth taking some of his advice with a grain of salt.
Read MoreMailbag: What Should I Do With My Inheritance?
Every day you have to make choices about your money. What to spend it on, when to save, and how to manage it well. We tackle three questions from the mailbag today from people facing a financial decision. From learning how to take care of the household finances after one spouse passes to deciding about helping a child pay for college, Eric can help point clients in the right direction.
Read MoreThe Voice of Greed
What does the voice of greed sound like? We hear a lot in the financial space, some of it sound advice, and some of it just plain greedy (and even risky). There’s a time and a place for risk, but it comes down to planning. Not all of your money should have the same risk profile. Working with a financial advisor can help you determine how much risk is good vs. having safety.
Read MoreThe Financial Guessing Game
Sometimes we fall into playing the guessing game when it comes to our finances. For instance, how much do you really need in retirement? Instead of grabbing at arbitrary numbers, first think about how much you spend. Some of your expenses may change in retirement compared to your working years, but plan for your needs based on your expenses and your goals.
Read MoreMailbag: Should I Pay off my Daughter’s College Loan?
When you retire, you have to be strategic about what you do with your money. On today’s show, Eric answers three questions from the mailbag about how to make the best financial decision possible with your money once you’re retired.
Read MoreInheritance FAQ
We’ve found that some common questions come up around inheritance, so today we are going to tackle a few! Whether you have recently inherited or want to set up your estate in a way that makes it easier on your beneficiaries, there’s something for you to learn in today’s show.
Read MoreFinancial Lessons from Christmas Songs
There are so many different ways to approach the subject of financial planning. In light of the holidays, we wanted to have a little fun and compare some Christmas classic songs with financial lessons.
Read MoreQuestions that Are Hard to Answer
When you sit down to talk about your finances, sometimes you run into a question that stumps you. Even if you can’t fully answer the questions, it’s still important to consider these when financial planning.
Read MoreThings Your Financial Advisor Might Not Be Doing
Sometimes people get advice from financial “professionals” who maybe aren’t the right fit for their needs. Today, we discuss some of the things your advisor might not be talking to you about.
Read MoreTax Consequences
Taxes are a major part of your life, especially your life in retirement. Having a good understanding of how you can prepare may save you in the long-run. Discussing your options with a financial advisor can help point you in the right direction. Listen in as we chat about tax consequences in today’s episode.
Read MoreCutting Corners Financially
Sometimes we want to take the easy way out instead of the smarter way. Today, we talk about ways people have tried to cut corners financially and where that falls apart. Think you can take extra risk to make up for lost time? Letting your financial life fall to disarray?
Read MoreRisk Aversion
No one loves losing money. So how do you strike the right balance of investing vs. being overly risk averse? Eric talks through how he guides clients through this dilemma. You might be surprised to find out your investment accounts are riskier than you realized!
Read MoreTax Planning in Retirement
Next to income, tax planning is the most important thing Eric focuses on with his clients. If you can control how much tax you pay, it’s more money you get to keep, spend, and enjoy. Retirement is a prime time to focus on tax planning as you have more opportunity to control the taxes you owe.
Read MoreOverconfidence in Your Financial Life
When can overconfidence cause catastrophe? If you are setting your financial goals based on a rule of thumb or a certain arbitrary dollar amount, you might want to reconsider. Having overconfidence, especially in the wrong things, can lead to financial disaster.
Read MoreLearning From Financial Mistakes
Sometimes we learn from our mistakes, and unfortunately, sometimes we make the same mistake over and over. Having a financial advisor can help you navigate through your financial decisions so you don’t get stuck in the same rut of financial mistakes on repeat. In today’s episode, Eric will share some of the mistakes that he sees people make frequently.
Read MoreThe Hierarchy Of Retirement Needs
You may be familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs which breaks down a human’s needs into five different tiers. In today’s episode, we apply those tiers to what you need when retirement planning. Have you planned and saved in a way that will cover all of these needs?
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