How Much Should Parents Contribute to College?

The rising costs of college is a topic that most parents grind their teeth thinking about when it comes up. CNBC reported that the value of student loans parents are taking on for their kids has skyrocketed in recent years. In financial planning discussions with parents, I find we spend most of their time discussing their children's education over just about any other topic. The reasons are clear parents want to give their kids every opportunity at success.

Andrew Comstock, CFAMay 11, 2021College Savings, college tuition, college planning, college contribution, student loans, fafsa, saving for college, financial planning, financial advisor, financial goals

A Guide to Your Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Employee stock purchase plans (ESPP) give plan participants the ability to purchase shares in their company stock at discounted rates. ESPPs, sometimes called Associate Stock Purchase Plans or other branded names, are overlooked but are a smart way to invest. You could be leaving thousands of dollars in free money on the table by not taking advantage of your company’s plan.

Andrew Comstock, CFAMarch 16, 2021employee stock purchase plan, espp, employee stocks, employee stock, complex compensation, compensation plans, compensation package, workplace benefits, benefits, financial planning, financial goals, financial advisor, finances, financial planner

5 Financial Habits of Happy Couples

It’s probably no surprise that the number one cause of stress for any marriage is money. To prevent unneeded financial stress, you and your partner must focus on practical ways to manage your family finances. Luckily, we’ve outlined 5 simple money habits that can lead couples towards a harmonious financial partnership.

Brandy Branstetter, CFP®February 16, 2021financial planning, finan, financial mistakes, financial advisor, finances, financial goals, financial habits, money mindset, money goals, money, money habits, married, marriage finances, long term financial planning, investment, investing, investor

What If You Were The Unluckiest Investor Ever?

People often think they have terrible luck. If you search on Google for the unluckiest person in the world, you can find a lot of very bizarre stories. One that I found interesting is from a town in Spain. Each year there is a Christmas time lottery run by the Spanish government called “El Gordo,” where the jackpots now reach over a billion dollars.

Andrew Comstock, CFAJanuary 18, 2021investing, investments, investor, financial advisor, financial planning, financial planner, financial goals, investment mindset

The Power of Simplicity: Why Your Finances Shouldn’t Be Complicated

One of the trickiest biases to navigate when it comes to managing your finances is known as complexity bias, or the human tendency to “give undue credence to complex concepts.” In other words, we’re more attracted to complicated products and solutions…even when the simpler approach would serve us better.

Brandy Branstetter, CFP®January 18, 2021financial planning, financial advisor, financial reading, financial mistakes, financial books, financial planner, financial goals, financial mindset, avoid financial mistakes, money, money goals, grow your mindset with money, personal finance

Year End Financial Checklist

As the end of the year approaches it’s a good reminder to take a second to reflect on all the things that have happened this year. It’s also a fantastic time to check some of those financial to-dos off of your list. Today we are going to give you a few items that should definitely make it onto your end of year financial checklist. These year-end topics will cover a number of financial planning issues and while there are certainly a lot of things that could be added to this list, I believe these are the top 10 that apply to everyone.