Making Cents: Starting A Small Business In Retirement
Everyone’s vision of retirement is different. Certainly the idea of retirement in 2023 is different than it was in 1950. Today’s retiree is more active, with many to-dos on the bucket list and the time and resources to pursue their vision. To some that means starting a small business. Maybe it’s your hobby that you’ve…
Taking a Bite Out of the Apple
It had been years since we last visited, so a couple of weeks ago when my son was home on his school break, my family decided to take the Acela down to the Big Apple with the goal of being nothing other than tourists for a few days. It can be daunting trying to figure…
Making Cents: How Can The FDIC Help?
The banking industry has seen a bit of upheaval over the past week, and we’ve seen some market volatility as a result. I’m sure you’ve seen the images of the people lining up in front of their SVB-owned local bank, hoping to get their savings back. There’s been a lot of talk about the government’s…
The Picture
I was reminded just the other day to make sure I took my phone out to capture a moment in time. Then I was quickly reminded how I could not, for whatever reason, capture a great picture of my lovely wife but I could capture a perfect picture of just about anyone else. Is this…
Making Cents: Why Many Won’t Discuss Their Finances
Many people would rather talk about their love lives than their finances. This is a conundrum to me, but I have a few theories on what may be holding you back. The fear of confirming ignorance appears to be a riskier place for many than the complacency of innocence. For many, it is as simple as…
Introduction to Dante Coppola
The day has finally come. It is my time to adorn the mantle that my coworkers have done before me – joining the personal article write up rotation. To me, this is one of the final initiations as a member of the Napier Financial team. I am typically not one to drone on and on…
Making Cents: Suddenly Bad News
We should all have our affairs in order as if tomorrow is our last day. If all of a sudden your doctor told you that you had advancing dementia or stage 4 cancer, your thoughts would be all over the place. As you pass from anger to reality, your mind eventually wanders to financial matters and…
What’s Up With The Guys
What are “the guys” up to these days you may be wondering? Specifically, where they’re going, what they’re doing and using lately. Well, I can answer that for you very easily, nothing and everything. Some things change, and some things really stay the same, but they stay dedicated to finding joy outside of the office…
Grass Ain’t Greener
Have you ever caught yourself thinking, ‘if I just had that _______, life would be so much better/easier/enjoyable/fulfilling?’ However, no matter the magnitude of desire & hope, it seems we are quickly let down with how the ________ affects our day-to-day. 2022 was the perfect example of these thoughts; I checked off a couple boxes…
Making Cents: What Type of Advice Are You Getting?
There are so many different terms used to describe a relationship with a financial professional that what you get may frequently differ from what you expected. Terms like investment consultant, financial planner, wealth management or broker are frequently tossed around with little thought as to what each actually means. Regulation surrounding the titles and services…
A True Vacation
Over the years, I’ve had a lot of business trips. There were years in recent memory where each week included an airport, rental car and a hotel. For the more distant trips, I’d always add a day here and there for some time to take in the local sites; especially when those destinations were far…
Making Cents: 401K Trustees Need To Pay Attention
If you own a business, you may have been named as the trustee of the retirement plan when it was established. The trustee of a retirement plan is responsible, in short, for just about everything. In the 401K sense, that trustee is not responsible for selecting the investments for each and every participant. But that…
Back to Hoops
Since the start of the year, I have been trying to take a little bit of time for myself for some fun exercise. I really enjoyed participating in organized sports growing up and I wanted to get back into something like that. Since I would not be able to compete at track and football wouldn’t…
Introduction to Rob Napolitano
I would like to use my first personal note as an opportunity to formally introduce myself; Who am I? What am I doing here? And most importantly, what on earth was it like growing up with John as my Father? I’ll start with the basics. I am Rob Napolitano, the newest member of Napier Financial. …
Making Cents: Selling Your Small Business
In today’s financial markets, hardly a day passes without news of one major acquisition or another. Selling a business is easy when the economy is good, interest rates are low and companies are looking for a way to deploy capital. But what about your small business? According to the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, firms…
Making Cents: Five Strategies For Tax-Efficient Investing
Once upon a time, retirement was defined as sipping lemonade on the front porch waiting for the grandchildren to visit. Today, however, things are different. The grandchildren may be visiting the house to feed the cat or walk the dog because the grandparents are busy. They are traveling, going out to dinner, and working. Some…
Virtual Time Well Spent
Over the past several years a lot of terrible, terrible consequences have been the byproduct of the pandemic, but numerous positive outcomes that have arisen as well. One that many of us have benefited from is how technology has improved enough to allow us to virtually communicate with each other, without ever leaving our homes….
Proactive Procrastination
I am having vivid flashbacks to high school and college, so real, it has me sweating and glancing at the clock constantly. It’s 9pm and I am writing my personal article the day before it’s due. It’s not that I don’t have anything to say (hah!) it’s just that I don’t know what to say….
Making Cents: Spending Your Retirement Wisely
In today’s world of people living and working longer, the old vision of retiring and sitting on the front porch with a glass of lemonade just doesn’t cut it. Some people may continue to work because they have to, but for others it is often because they really don’t know what else they’d do with their…
Making Cents: Financial Guidance for Elders
One of the signs that someone is aging is that they simply can’t do some of the things that they used to do. When that comes to their financial decisions, it may manifest itself in their investment choices, bill paying or some sort of financial deal or scam that may not have been in their…
The Art of the (Electronic) Deal
As a few of you have kindly pointed out over the past week, I’ve had a greenish tint to my already pale skin. I am on Day 5 of COVID quarantine and hating every second of it. Thankfully the symptoms have been rather mild, but it’s being locked down in this godforsaken apartment that is…
The Results Are In!
The Results Are In!! We asked you to vote for your favorite holiday tune, and here are the results! We had a tie for first place: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Bruce Springsteen) and All I Want For Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey) were the most popular amongst our voters. There was a three-way…
Making Cents: How Are Your Buckets Filled?
One strategy utilized to allocate assets and generate retirement income is commonly called the bucket strategy. In the bucket strategy, a retiree would consider setting up different buckets of money with a different investment strategy for each bucket. The buckets are established utilizing a time horizon. The first bucket should be designed to hold money…
Hello 2023
Another January 1st has come and gone which marks a fresh start to another year. 2022 had some of the highest highs in the Weiss household, but it was unfortunately matched with some pretty harsh lows. Having such a large immediate and extended family comes with pros and cons. On the bright side, you get…
Christmas 2022!
A few Christmas photos from the Napier Team… We hope you’re enjoying the holiday season with your loved ones!
Cast your Vote! All-time Favorite Holiday Tune
By the time the end of December rolls around many people have had enough of Holiday Music. I can see why, especially if you work in retail or some other venue where the music rolls on 24/7 with playlists that repeat songs regularly. Not me, in fact, I used to get a little sad when…
Making Cents: Thinking Of Large Holiday Gifts
One of the common questions this time of year is “How much can I gift to family members without tax consequences”? It’s certainly a loaded question, and the answer is, it depends. Let me explain. The Federal annual gift limit is $16,000 per donor to anyone and is increasing to $17,000 in 2023. For a…
Making Cents: Professional Skepticism
When I was trained as a rookie CPA candidate in the late 70’s, the term professional skepticism was first introduced to me. What it means is that we should not accept all stories at face value. In the accounting world, it goes even further to mean that one should corroborate or validate through examination and…
The Apple Tax
My wife mentioned the other day the hard drive on her current MacBook Pro is so full that the laptop is starting to misbehave. I was reminded that with all the photos she takes, a replacement laptop with a larger hard drive will also require a larger price tag and could Santa help out? I…
Holiday Giving Inspiration 2022
Here is the Holiday Gifting Inspiration list for 2022. I feel the need to always say that the Holidays are obviously not about giving and receiving gifts, however the majority of us do exchange gifts with those we love around this time of year. It can be stressful when you do not know what to…
Making Cents: Getting Your Business to the Next Generation
Most businesses in America are small businesses. A large portion of those small business are classified as family business. Family businesses can range from those run by siblings, cousins or other relatives and those that may have a multi-generational situation. A common goal is to keep the business in the family. The odds are against…
MAKING CENTS: Roth IRAs – A Gift to Last a Lifetime
With holiday shopping nearing its peak, maybe you can skip the lines and set your sights on a gift that will last a lifetime. Of course, I’m talking financial gifts that go beyond an envelope with a little hole in it to show the face of one of our past presidents. A gift to a child…
Craigslist Turkey
As you read this article, I am still trying to work off all the salt and butter I consumed over the Thanksgiving Holiday. This year, Ashley, Natalie, Holly, and I made the trek up to New Hampshire to enjoy a long weekend with Ashley’s extended family. That meant that we all had to pack our…
The Podfather
When it comes to prepping for road trips, my dad-senses truly flourish. Well before the stated time of departure (which is strictly adhered to), the car is packed, tires are full of air, tank is full, but most importantly, the entertainment for the duration of the trip is planned. What’s the entertainment comprised of? Strictly…
Making Cents: Maintaining and Disposing of Important Documents
Don’t Let Your Trash Become Some Else’s Treasure It’s a technologically influenced world, and we hear a lot about cloud computing and being paperless. I don’t know about you, but the piles of paper still seem to be there and the only way to manage that ever growing pile is to have an efficient, secure,…
Big Winners and Big Losers
Winning is great, isn’t it!? Anyone who is remotely competitive probably has a resounding yes to that hypothetical question. I think Tom Brady once summarized some of his most successful seasons as a Patriot were credited to the fact that the team despised losing more than they enjoyed winning. On Monday and Tuesday, the lines…
Making Cents: Using a Roth IRA In Your Estate Plan
The Roth IRA is a powerful financial tool. Roth IRAs are a retirement account that allow for the potential growth without taxes, have no required minimum distribution and distributions are tax free if over the age of 59 ½ and the account has been open for a minimum of 5 years. The downside to a…
Making Cents: Estate Plans Are Not Only For The Elderly
When the topic of estate planning comes up, it is often in the context of saving taxes, making gifts, protecting assets and discussions of incapacity. Naturally, the most interested audience for these topics are those over age 50 or those approaching retirement. But estate plans are necessary for anyone who has the possibility of getting…
Happy Halloween From The Napier Financial Team
We hope you had a fun and spooky Halloween! Check out some of the Napier Team photos…
Making Cents: When Your Own Success is an Impediment
The day the Queen of Soul died, I jokingly asked “I wonder what type of mess she left for her heirs”. At the time, the comment was truly in jest, but sure enough, just like many before her, it appears that Aretha Franklin died without a will. Why would someone do that is the big…
Greetings from Sunny Florida… NOT
As many of you may already know, I am in SW Florida. Not just anywhere in SW FL, but ground zero to the worst hurricane induced catastrophe in US history. And yes. It is as bad as you’ve seen, heard or viewed on the news. The good news is that I survived, thanks to my…
Making Cents: The Dumbest Estate Planning Moves
Rarely does a day go by where I don’t hear of an estate planning blunder that could have been easily avoided. These plans sound great when you make the dumb move. You need to know that your error shall survive until you don’t – and then things can hit the fan. Most common is the…
Black Monday: The Anniversary Most Would Like To Forget
My wife and I recently celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. Fortunately for us, we’ve had 20+ happy years together. I’m ever grateful that I met such a wonderful person who can put up with someone like me for such a lengthy period of time. There’s another day however, that I wanted to write about. Today…
Celebration Month
October is one of the busiest months of the year for our family as we have almost a dozen birthdays to celebrate. And this year, we decided to pack in a few more celebrations because we wanted to really make sure we had cake, ice cream and cookies every day in October without looking for…
Making Cents: Selling Your Home Is Not Easy In Any Market
They real estate market may be starting to cool, but many people are considering selling their home. While this may still be a good time to do so, consider these important factors before getting swept up in the market. First, answer the question of where to go. It’s one thing to get your price, but…
Mia and The Beast
Jordan’s buzzer-beater in the ’89 NBA championship, Tyree’s Superbowl helmet catch in ’08, Woods’ ‘05 chip-in at the Masters, my brother in-law’s surprise gift of a puppy in ’17. Arguably my four favorite ‘Hail Mary’ attempts of all time, with three out of four of them being successful. Let me explain. As I’ve led on…
Making Cents: Estate Planning Reviews Can Prevent Future Problems For Loved Ones
Talking about the follies of wealthy or famous people is so popular that even the lousy estate plans that they leave makes headline news. Think about all the celebs, like James Gandolfini who have left a mess for their children and other loved ones. Very few, on the other hand, are motivated by these stories…
Making Cents: A Thoughtful Approach to Philanthropy
We all receive those same email, telephone or direct mail solicitations from a charitable organization asking for a donation to support a needy group. It isn’t easy to say no as the solicitors are well trained at pulling your heart strings to get you to open up your wallet. But a better plan is a…
7th Annual Napier Financial Jimmy Fund Golf Classic
Thanks to everyone who supported our fundraising efforts for The Jimmy Fund and Dana Farber Cancer Institute! With your help, we’ve raised close to $80,000 for the research of Acute Myeloid Leukemia in honor and support of Mike Aizenstadt. We had a great day on the golf course last Friday! Take a look at some…
Making Cents: Unexpected Financial Treasures
We all eventually clean out a closet or basement, and find things that we forgot about and deem useful or valuable. From a financial perspective, the same process may also yield unexpected treasures. The living proof of this is your state’s unclaimed property list. In Massachusetts, it is estimated that one in 10 residents have…
FundrAIZing Impact
We are approaching our 7th Annual Jimmy Fund Golf Tournament which is set for this Friday. This year we are fundraising for the research, treatment, and cure of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in honor of Mike Aizenstadt. We are often asked to donate to various charities and fundraisers throughout the course of the year, and…
Making Cents: The Four Financial Potholes That Can Deflate Your Dreams
Not all financial issues stand out and ask you to fix them. In fact, your financial problems are a lot like potholes in the night. Unlike the potholes visible in bright daylight, financial potholes are like night time road potholes – you don’t really see them until you hit one, and then it may be…
The Big Empty
It’s quiet. For a change, the bed is made, the bathroom remarkably clean, the refrigerator well stocked; crackers, chips and nuts are available in abundance, despite fewer trips to the grocery store. Our car is full of gas most of the time and we can now locate where it is parked without hunting around the…
Making Cents: Getting Your Financial House In Order
There is a big difference between knowing what to do and then doing it. Take a look at the health food and diet business and how it is booming. It’s not like people can’t learn what to do on their own – but making a routine out of tracking intake and sticking to an exercise…
Labor Day 2022
We hope you had a great Labor Day weekend! The Napier Financial team is squeezing in some fun in the last days of summer…
7th Annual Jimmy Fund Golf Fundr’Aiz’er
Asking someone for money isn’t fun or easy for me. But then I recognized three facts thanks to my friend Mike Aizenstadt who invited me to a Jimmy Fund Golf DFCI fundraising event 8 years ago. I have never met a family that was not impacted by cancer The Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) uses…
Making Cents: Acquiring Large Sums of Money
Whenever the purse of any lottery game gets large, more tickets get sold. Most people realize that your odds of winning are no greater with one ticket or 20. But if your numbers ever do come up or you suddenly have money or assets that you didn’t have yesterday, these are some of the steps…
A Matter of Months
Twenty-four to thirty-six months ago I would have argued that we were in the midst of the golden age of Schulte Family vacations. We had ten fun-loving individuals all above the age of twenty-one who thoroughly enjoyed our time together. Our days were spent on the beach and our nights were spent playing games to…
Making Cents: A Small Business With Partners Needs A Plan
Many businesses with more than one owner operate for a long time. If one of the owners decides to check out, however, then all of the gaps that existed during your partnership will become exposed and possibly cause damage to someone. The situation may be different for each type of check out. One can check…
An Uplifting Experience
A couple of weeks ago my son was shooting the breeze with one of his summer job work colleagues and learned that this guy’s soon to be father-in-law had a passion for flying helicopters. Apparently, he enjoyed taking passengers on sightseeing flights, and asked if we would be interested in joining him one day. Of…
Making Cents: How Much Life Insurance Is Enough?
I’ve never heard anyone say that the death benefit check that they cashed from the passing of a loved one was too big. On the contrary, there are way too many situations where there are foundations and community fund raising efforts to help those who clearly had too little. So the big question is, how…
Making Cents: Talk With Your Spouse About Money
Whether you have more money than Elvis or aren’t sure that you can retire, keeping either spouse in the dark about material financial issues will eventually be a problem. I’m not saying that you’ll be headed for divorce court, although money is frequently a root cause of marital disharmony. In the case where your family…
PMC Weekend
PMC is short for the Pan-Mass Challenge. Just like our Jimmy Fund golf tournament, this is another charity event focused on raising awareness and money for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Unfortunately, cancer has affected all of us directly or indirectly during our lifetimes. This weekend I had the great honor of watching both my brother (Nate)…
Cat Days of Summer
Here we are, August 3rd. Approaching the ‘cat’ days of summer as they should have said! Summer is my favorite season, and in my prior years I would spend it at the beach as much as the weather would allow. I had the whole beach trip onboard and offboarding down to an origami-like science ensuring…
Making Cents: Planning for Valuables, Collectibles, and Family Heirlooms
When most folks think about their estate plan, little attention is paid to the personal property in your estate. That may include Mom’s engagement ring, Dad’s 1969 Camaro, or anything else of sentimental or monetary value. The most common and least effective way of dealing with this is often a clause in the will which…
Goats and Knots
When we hear the word Goat these days, many think of the word as an acronym for the “Greatest Of All Time’. This term was made widely popular in New England as the media and fans alike began to refer to Tom Brady as the GOAT. While he may be the GOAT in the eyes…
Making Cents: Home Renovations and the Risk That You May Be Assuming
If you hire a home builder to fix up your house, and your home is not properly insured, any problems such as fire, theft or injury to workers could bounce back into your lap if you hire someone who is uninsured or underinsured. Home builders and renovation professionals have not been this busy in quite…
Making Cents: Transitions Shine A Spotlight On Your Preparedness
By: John P. Napolitano, CFP®, CPA, PFS, MST Now that I have decades of experience working with families and recognizing what causes many folks to spring into action, I can easily say that transitions cause the most angst. Transitions can be expected and simple like having a baby, getting married or retiring. But transitions are…
My Little Brother
FINALLY, my youngest brother Nate got married. Affectionately known to our two girls as “Uncle Nate”, he is the playful, fun loving, and jovial uncle. For those who do not know, I come from a large, blended family. I am 1 of 4 brothers (I am #3) and I have 5 step-siblings. Nate is the…
Weekend Warrior Trips
By: Thomas W. Schulte, CFP® If last summer was the Great Reopening, what do we call this? I, like the other 334 million Americans, have been on the road to visit new places with friends & family. I traveled roughly 125 miles south of Boston then 125 miles north of Boston over two weekends to…
Snaps From Our Independence Day Weekend!
What To Do With Your Elder Parents’ Home
The strategy of gifting the family home to the next generation as your parents mature is fraught with possible pitfalls. Yes, it may save the home’s value from being consumed for long-term health care issues, and in the end, that may or may not matter. Consider the case where the home is your parent’s major…
Graduation Extras
Thinking about the major events that take place in one’s life, one that stands out to me is graduating from high school. The other is being a parent of a child graduating from high school. Perhaps a third is coming to the realization that you’re old enough to have a child graduating from high school….
Best Day Ever?!
My neighbor and her family recently purchased a suite at a Red Sox Game to celebrate her mother’s 70th birthday. Her mom is a lifelong fan and had only been to one game back when she was a child. So, 25 family members, (yes, 25!) treated her to a day at the park in a luxury…
Partners Are Good Until They’re Not
Most partnerships are forged because people want to work together. There may be a little more to that in some cases, as in one has the capital and the other has the knowledge or business acumen. But generally, unless you inherited something with someone else, partnerships should be based on an amicable relationship with a…
Right Now, Internet Security is More Important Than Ever
We have seen a lot of credit card fraud over the past few months. While I don’t know who to blame, what I’ve gathered from the News reports is that since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, hackers have been working overtime to target the USA. They may be Russian hackers, or professionals being paid by…
Lemonade Stand
With the unofficial first summer weekend behind us, you can start to feel the change in the air. The grass is green, the smell of the BBQ surrounds us, and the good ol’ neighborhood lemonade stand is open for business. With our first ‘normal’ summer in front of us since we moved to Westwood, I…
A Hub for Stubs
My fiancé, Khrista has the nostalgia-gene. Several times a week she’ll dig up old pictures and videos from years ago for long walks down memory lane. In a similar, but different vein, I’ve been known to be a hoarder of sentimental, tangible items. In the mid-1990’s I was given a red zippered pouch with the…
Hello From The (M)Other Side
Adele said it best, and in this case I’m saying Hello from the (M)other side. Six months ago, my husband and I welcomed our daughter Tessa. They are not kidding when they say kids turn your life upside down in the most exhausting and rewarding ways possible. The Team did a great job holding down…
Making Cents: Financial Discussions for Newlyweds
Is it just me, or does it seem that it is always peak season for weddings? If one were allowed to give a financial toast to the newlyweds, here’s what I’d say. Money is the root of all evil, but like any tree, a good root system is essential for anything beneficial to happen. Have…
Making Cents: The Financial Side of an In-Law Apartment
Elderly parents whose children are willing to allow them to live in their residence are lucky. Although I’m not sure that everyone involved in this arrangement agrees with me. There are at least three or more people that have to embrace this concept for it to be a success. For family harmony to work well,…
Watching Spring at 75 MPH
As you may know, one of my favorite hobbies is caring for trees and shrubs. I love to plant them, trim them, feed them and watch them. Call me nuts, but that is one of the ways that I find joy outside of work. Each year, I sit here in New England and ask… “Where…
Making Cents: What’s The Cost of Retirement?
When it comes to retirement, the big question is how much you’d like to spend and whether or not that is sustainable. There are crazy myths or rules of thumb touted to help determine your retirement needs, but don’t believe them. The only way to know what your retirement years will cost is to spend…
Welcome Back, Jenn!
It is officially official, Jenn is back helping the team and clients as of this past Monday, April 25th. For those who did not know, Jenn and her husband welcomed their daughter, Tessa, on November 10th last year. It’s hard to believe that in just two weeks Tessa will be 6 months old! Oh, how…
Pickle-what?
As I’ve shared with you all before, my father and I are quite competitive. Golf and basketball are no contest in my favor, Scrabble is not a sure-thing for him anymore, and even his suffocating grasp on Progressive Rummy (or as we call it ‘Greg’s Game’) is relinquishing. His last safe haven and my final…
Financial Tips For The College Sendoff
Are you sending kids off to college this fall? Whether this is your first trip with the car packed up or your child’s last year packing and taking herself off to college, consider these discussions and tips for helping them thrive in college. Talk to them about income and expense budgets. Some kids are paying…
Noise, Noise, Noise
There are not many slow news days in Washington. The broadcast and print media are all fired up for 2022. This year has noise on a lot of levels.
We’re Heading in the Right Direction
Two plus years into this crazy pandemic environment and we’re all still having to deal with Covid variants, sub variants and the continual mischief they create. My family’s taken the whole thing pretty seriously: we’ve all received the vaccines, boosters and have worn masks throughout much of the pandemic. Thankfully we’ve avoided any infections along…
Making Cents: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
Life revolves around relationships. Your family, friends, co-workers and those who serve you. Changing a relationship after any long period isn’t easy. But changing a professional relationship that you’ve maintained for years is even harder to do. After all, the incumbent financial professional knows a lot about you and may have served you well at…
Cheap Private Air Travel
If you love to travel, you know the pain of the airport experience: the security lines, the delays, the crowds. Flying private is a great option to avoid these issues, but has historically been prohibitively expensive. Insider has published a list of 6 options for flying private that could be less expensive than you might…
It’s A Girl
A week and a half ago (one week early) the newest addition to the Weiss Family arrived. Her name is (drum roll please!)…. Holly Parker Weiss. The entire experience was once again a reminder of just how amazing Moms are and the multitude of different physical/emotional challenges that they go through to bring a child…
Making Cents: Treating Your Personal Finances Like A Business
When it comes to your financial life, it really is like a small business of its own. Your finances have income, expenses, risks, taxes, assets and liabilities. There are some things that you can control and others you can’t, but this wide array of moving parts needs to be treated like any well run business….
Making Decisions About Your 401K After Switching Jobs or Retiring
For those who have changed jobs or retired, you have learned that you have options regarding your 401K plan post-employment. In short, you can; take the balance and spend it, keep it in the former employers 401K plan if permitted, roll it to an IRA and self-manage or roll it to an IRA for an…
What The Shed
It appears that spring has arrived here in New England, well, at least most days. I still have that uncomfortable feeling that a snow storm is still around the corner as I vividly remember back in the mid-90s when we had the April Fools blizzard. It still haunts me to this day. Anyway, spring turns…
Making Cents: Age Disparity and Marriage: A Different Financial Plan
It’s common to see marriages between a couple where the age disparity is more than a few years. For purposes of this conversation, let’s set the stage for spouses with an age disparity of 10 years or more. It doesn’t matter which spouse is older. In my experience it’s more common to find a 10+…
Spring Is Sprung
Forgive me for potentially jumping the gun, however, I am pleased to announce that spring has officially sprung. I left my apartment without my winter jacket for the first time since October this morning and if I am reading my weather app correctly, the high temperatures for the next ten days range from 50 –…
Making Cents: Fake News About Your Finances
The term ‘fake news’ has been spouted, jousted and used quite a bit in the past couple of years. At its root, we all want to believe news and other statements made allegedly on fact. But when it comes to financial issues, there’s plenty of fake news being delivered every day by unknowing or unscrupulous…
Get Smart
I’m typically a late adopter, especially when it comes to technology. A dozen years ago while my wife and all my friends were enjoying the benefits of their new iPhones, I proudly held on to my thrifty Verizon flip phone. From my perspective, that phone could do most anything an iPhone could, such as texting,…
How Low Can You Go
I’m not talking about stock markets, the Limbo or being a bad person. I’m talking about Geography. If you’ve been reading this for a while, you may recall that about 7 years ago, Joan and I went to Africa, and in that trip we visited the Cape of Good Hope. Close to, but not quite…
Making Cents: Internet Security While Traveling
The topic of Cyber Crimes has crept into our daily news and lives. Even for those who claim that they don’t go online for sensitive data, especially financial data, still have reasons to be concerned. Just because you choose not to look at your bank or investment accounts online doesn’t mean that the information isn’t…
Making Cents: Term Life Insurance Reviews
Many people buy their life insurance and then don’t think about it until the next premium notice arrives. Even if you’re in the early stages of a 20 year term policy that was to replace income for the premature death of a young parent, there may be issues for you that were not addressed by…
Preparation
Preparation is in full swing as we get closer to the due date for baby #2. We are getting the new room set up, pulling out all the baby stuff from the basement, and trying to mentally prepare as best we can. One person that always needs an extra shout out is my amazing wife,…
A Different Path
Back when I was a young pup at Napier (then US Wealth), circa fall 2016, I found myself in a bit of a tizzy. During my morning routine I received a text from Jenn (also in a tizzy) reminding me that it was Alex’s birthday. Since I had only been on the team for a…
Making Cents: Retirement-Phobia
I’m not sure that there is such a word, but it’s clear that many experienced workers entering their 60’s begin contemplating retirement. Whether it’s brought on by the social security clock ticking, retirement rules where you work or just the desire to see what life could look like without work. I see two main types…
Making Cents: Diversification or a Scattered Mess
Many investors know the concept of diversification. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket, spread your risk, own a little bit of everything… These are some of the words we hear from families whom we politely refer to as a scattered mess. That scattered mess may be organized, in that you’ve got great…
Embrace the Mess
Hey, how about all of those crazy snow/sleet/ice storms lately? Don’t you just love shoveling the 2+ feet of snow that piled up on the walk, only to have another storm dump another three more inches of ice on top of that a few days later? Welcome to New England, my friends. As they say,…
Golf Goals
If you follow these pages, you know that I am a very average to below average golfer. But for some reason, I enjoy being outside and hitting that little round ball, even if it doesn’t go where I intended it to land. In 2022, my objective is to play at least once per month in…