Blog
Phil's Tax Hacks & Other Retirement Facts
Finance, tax, and retirement guidance from Phil Putney, CPA/PFS.
Earlier posts
Everything else from the blog, newest first, page 2 of 2.
10 Financial Resolutions for the New Year
As we kick off the new year and the celebrations draw to a close, it’s customary for many to engage in a little retrospection, to reflect on the past year and make resolutions for the year that lies ahead. Setting financial resolutions for what you want to acc
January 1, 2024
The Financial Red Zone
The final decade before you reach retirement is often referred to as the financial red zone, and it’s arguably the most important time for planning. Not only is it typically your highest-earning years of work, but the window for getting your retirement in orde
November 1, 2023
5 Simple Retirement Questions (That Are Hard to Answer)
Retirement planning is complicated, especially when you boil it down to an individual level, and many of these questions can become overwhelming to answer. As you think ahead to what your retirement might look like, spend some time with each of these and see i
October 1, 2023
Preparing to Face the Realities of Retirement Planning Today
The reality of retirement planning is that things are always changing and each passing generation faces a new set of challenges as they prepare for their future.
September 1, 2023
Even Responsible Savers Can Make Mistakes
It might sound a bit counter-intuitive but saving might also get you in trouble once you reach that next chapter. Even for people who have been very responsible with their money over the years, entering retirement can still be a challenge because it’s such a d
August 1, 2023
Getting Started: A Financial Plan’s First Steps
If the thought of putting together a financial plan is overwhelming to you, know that you aren’t alone. With many moving pieces and endless sources of information, the most difficult part of building a financial plan is knowing where to start.
July 1, 2023
Inflation: Retirement’s Silent Killer
As you plan for your golden years, you may be focusing on amassing a healthy nest egg to ensure a comfortable and worry-free retirement. However, one often-overlooked factor that can erode your hard-earned savings is inflation. Dubbed as the ‘silent killer’ of
June 1, 2023
Sales Pitch vs True Planning – How to Tell the Difference
If you aren’t sure how to tell whether an advisor actually has a planning process or just gives sales pitches all day, we’re going to tell you what to look out for to help you identify the difference.
May 1, 2023
Why Retirees Need to Pay Attention to SECURE Act 2.0
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act 2.0 was recently passed by Congress as a follow-up to the original SECURE Act that was passed in 2019. The new legislation includes dozens of provisions designed to make it easier for Ameri
April 1, 2023
Is Having ‘Cash’ Good or Bad?
Of course, we all want a healthy bank account. Having a good amount of dollars within easy grasp is helpful in the case of emergencies or for medium-sized purchases where you don’t want to have to liquidate assets.
March 1, 2023
The 5 Dangerous Mindsets That Can Sink Your Retirement
In many phases of life, our attitudes and mindsets can have a big impact on where we go and what we do. The mental side of life is as or more important than the physical side, and financial planning is no different. Having the right mindset not only helps you
February 1, 2023
Where to Find Bias in the Financial Media
It’s always prudent to stay abreast of what’s going on in the financial world but it’s also important to understand that the information you get from the media isn’t completely unbiased. We live in a day and age where drawing viewers, readers, and listeners is
January 1, 2023
Why a Long Life Can Be a Planning Risk
We all want to live a long, healthy life and thanks to developments in modern medicine, Americans are living well into their 80s and 90s on a regular basis. Life expectancy has increased by nearly a decade since 1970, and there’s no reason to believe that tren
December 1, 2022
Is a 401(k) Rollover Right for You?
Gone are the days where people enter the workforce and stay with the same company for 30+ years, eventually riding off into the sunset of retirement with a nice pension. Instead, employees are often moving between jobs as they explore new career paths and sear
November 1, 2022
Financial Planning and The Role Your House Will Play
For most people, their home will be the most valuable asset they own during their lifetime so it’s no surprise that we get a lot of questions about how a home (or homes) fits into retirement plans.
October 1, 2022
Building an Investment Plan to Sustain Your Retirement
Retirement planning requires having every piece of the puzzle in place to ensure a successful transition to financial independence, and one of those pieces is investment planning, which takes thoughtful construction and execution.
September 1, 2022
Building an Income Plan for Retirement
Walking away from a working career means leaving a consistent paycheck behind, and that can be a scary thought. How will you replace that income and ensure yourself that your money will last the rest of your life?
August 1, 2022
Finding the Right Financial Advisor
The common hesitation keeping people from beginning that relationship with an advisor is figuring out who to work with. It can be a challenge picking the right advisor because of the various designations, the different types of specialties, and worry that a pe
July 1, 2022
Understanding the Three Worlds of Money
A major hurdle to getting started with saving and investing is trying to figure out exactly where to begin. With so much information and so many products available, trying to narrow things down can feel a bit overwhelming.
June 1, 2022
Busting the Biggest Social Security Myths
You shouldn’t buy into everything you hear when it comes to Social Security. Believe it or not, there’s quite a bit of misinformation floating around about the future of the program and what you need to know when claiming the benefit.
May 1, 2022
Annuities – What You Really Need to Know
One of the products that often gets mixed reviews is the annuity. The perception of annuities isn’t always great, but that doesn’t mean they might not be perfect for you.
April 1, 2022
How Inflation Impacts Retirement Planning
Inflation has long been known as the silent killer for financial planning because the small increases in prices each year weren’t noticeable day-to-day. Over time, however, those increments add up and eventually become magnified over the years.
March 1, 2022
How Do You Know When You’re Ready to Retire?
The number one question that every advisor hears from a client is when will they be able to retire? A number of factors will play into that timeline, but even if you are in a financial position to retire comfortably financially, are you actually ready to do th
February 1, 2022
How Your Risk Tolerance Plays Into the Financial Planning Process
In order to build a financial plan that’s customized to your goals, it requires assessing a wide range of factors. Maybe one of the most important for determining your investment strategy is how well you handle risk.
January 1, 2022
You’ve worked hard for your money. We help make your money work hard for you.
Want help to plan your Tax-Smart Retirement™? Click below to schedule a call.
Yes, Let’s Talk