The Life Planning 101 Podcast

My Farm & Ranch: Transitioning and Retirement Planning

If you haven’t thought about your own legacy, please do. In order to help you get off on the right foot, here are some things you need to consider. We call it the “Who, What, When, How, Sam and Plan Approach.”

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month

Life insurance should be a staple in all households where possible, but it requires financial professionals educating families, individuals, and business owners on the correct insurance type and amount for their unique situation. 

Stress Test Your Investments Before It's Too Late

Would it be okay if your investment portfolio went down $400,000?
Absolutely NOT!
This was a conversation we recently had with a couple we have just come to know. The reason? We stress tested their current investments against the Financial Crisis of 2008 and 2009, and this was the result.

Social Security Planning for Death and Divorce

Most people believe that if their spouse dies, they simply receive the higher of their benefit or their spouse's benefit.  In reality, this may not be the case and will depend upon multiple facts.

Have the Urge to Own Your Home Free and Clear?

There are situations where paying down a mortgage makes perfect money sense. However,there is a good chance your situation is not one of these.

Naming Your Beneficiaries

Naming the beneficiaries of your IRA, life insurance policy, annuity or any other contract property may not be as simple as choosing the ones you love to inherit the assets and writing those names down. Let me offer you a scenario: Suppose you name your two daughters as the...

Retirement - What Do You Do Now?

For many of us we only get the chance to retire one time. This means we definitely don’t want to mess it up. In today’s economy, this can be downright scary and sometimes feel impossible. See if any of this sounds familiar: You decided you would like to retire and move to Colorado. You feared the current turmoil in the economy and the market; however, you knew you must keep up with inflation. So you placed your money...

3 Great Ways to Help Your Child Save

The first thing that comes to everyone’s mind
when you begin to discuss saving for your child’s future is…college savings. But
what if your child does not go to college? What if they need a down payment to
purchase their first home? What if they are faced with an unexpected hardship? There
are countless what if’s in life and there
are not two people that will face... 

What is Life Planning and Why?

Most of the people we talk with believe that “retirement planning” deals exclusively with money and this is true… to a certain point. Experience has taught me that effective retirement planning is about much more than money: it is about all areas of Life.

Worried About College Savings?

Don’t
worry…you’re not the only one. Whether you’re planning for college in the very
near future or in the not so near future, you probably have concerns…and why
shouldn’t you?
Today I would like to address these concerns and
offer some alternative planning strategies that just might...

What Will Happen if You Get Sued?

Will you stand to lose some of your hard-earned money,income or assets? Or will it be protected? Do you know for sure?
 One evening while driving home, you glance down to adjust the radio. When you look back up, you are inches away from broadsiding a bus.Several passengers are seriously injured, resulting in a major law suit.
 Again, will your assets...

3 Questions About Your Retirement Income

Recently, I spent two days at a conference focused on income during retirement. I want to tell you a story I heard that you will probably think sounds familiar, but the tone I will set today may shed new light on it.
 One of the speakers talked about his grandfather, who worked for the same company for 30 years, did everything by the book, and followed his...