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20 Best Investing Blogs of 2016 – The College Investor

March 9, 2016 by 2 Comments
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I am very flattered to be included in this list of the 20 Best Investing Blogs of 2016  compiled by Robert Farrington on his outstanding blog The College Investor, with it’s tagline “Investing and Personal Finance for Millennials.”

20 Best Investing Blogs of 2016

I know and follow many of these people and read their blogs on a regular basis. There were a few that were new to me and I plan to add their blogs to my regular reading list as well. If you like to read about investing and financial topics this list is a great place to start.

Jim Blankenship, Financial Ducks In A Row

Josh Brown, The Reformed Broker

Ben Carlson, A Wealth of Common Sense

Kathryn Cicoletti, Ms. Cheat Sheet

Jim Dahle, The White Coat Investor

Sam Dogen, Financial Samurai

Eddy Elfenbein, Crossing Wall Street

Michael Kitces, Nerd’s Eye View

Larry Ludwig, Investor Junkie

Michael Piper, Oblivious Investor

Ben Reynolds, Sure Dividend

Barry Ritholtz, The Big Picture

Jeff Rose, Good Financial Cents

Todd Tresidder, Financial Mentor

Joe Udo, Retire By 40

Tadas Viskanta, Abnormal Returns

Roger Wohlner, The Chicago Financial Planner

The Dividend Guy Blog

Don’t Quit Your Day Job

The Mad FIentist

Please contact me with any thoughts or suggestions about anything you’ve read here at The Chicago Financial Planner. Don’t miss any future posts, please subscribe via email. Please check out our resources page as well.

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Financial Planning Steps for the rest of 2015

September 7, 2015 by 1 Comment
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Labor Day is here and the college football season started with our local Big 10 team Northwestern scoring an upset win over a ranked Stanford team. Next weekend is the first full weekend of NFL football with my Green Bay Packers visiting Soldier Field where they should continue their winning streak over the hapless Bears.

With a bit less than a third of 2015 left there are a number of financial planning steps you should be taking between now and the end of the year. Frankly I wrote a similar piece at this time last year Eight Financial To Do Items for the Rest of 2014 and I would encourage you to check this piece out as these eight items are just as applicable in 2015. The eight items (for those who prefer the Cliff Notes version) are:

While all eight of these items are critical financial planning steps to be tended to or at least reviewed this year or in any year, the environment in the financial markets has changed from this time a year ago.

August and so far early September has proven to be a rough patch for the stock market with much volatility and pronounced drops from highs reached earlier in 2015. The financial press is filled with stories about what to do and this has become a major event for the cable financial news stations.

In this context here are a few thoughts regarding some financial planning steps for the rest of 2015.

Get a financial plan in place or update your current one 

To me a comprehensive financial plan is the basis of an investment strategy and frankly all else in your financial life. If you have a plan in place, revisit it. If you don’t this is a great time to find a qualified fee-only financial planner and have one done.

Where are you in terms of financial goals like retirement and saving for your children’s college education? Do you have an estate plan in place?

With the markets taking a breather this is a good time to see where you are and what it will take to get you where you want to be financially. An investment strategy is an outgrowth of your financial plan and this plan is something to fall back on in times of market turmoil like the present.

Review your investments and your strategy 

How has the recent market decline impacted your asset allocation? Does your portfolio need to be rebalanced? Is your asset allocation consistent with your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon as outlined in your financial plan?

While I don’t advocate making wholesale changes to your portfolio based on some temporary stock market volatility it is always appropriate to do a periodic review of your overall portfolio, your asset allocation and the individual holdings in your accounts. These include mutual funds, ETFs, individual stocks and bonds and so forth.

The recent weakness in the markets may have created some opportunities for year-end tax loss harvesting in your taxable accounts. This refers to selling shares that show a loss to realize taxable losses. If you want to do this but also want to continue to own these or similar investments be sure to consult with a financial or tax advisor who understands the wash-sale rules.

More likely you have many investments that have appreciated nicely and these represent and excellent vehicle to make charitable contributions. Not only do you receive a tax deduction for the value of the gift, but you eliminate the tax liability for any capital gains on the holdings. 

Review your 401(k) 

The current situation in the stock market is a good time to check your account and rebalance your holdings if needed. Better yet if your plan offers it sign up for automatic rebalancing so you don’t have to worry about this.

Fall open enrollment is often the time when companies roll out any changes to the plan in terms of the investments offered, the company match or other aspects of the plan. Additionally most plans were required to issue annual disclosures by the end of August so be sure to review yours to see where the investments offered are compared to their benchmark indexes and how much they are costing you.

Lastly check to see how much you are contributing to your plan. If you are not tracking toward the maximum salary deferrals of $18,000 or $24,000 (for those who will be 50 or over at any point in 2015), try to increase your contributions for the rest of 2015.

Summary 

Labor Day is here and summer is unofficially over. Use the remainder of 2015 to tackle these issues and to get your financial situation where it needs to be.

Please contact me with any thoughts or suggestions about anything you’ve read here at The Chicago Financial Planner.

Check out Carl Richards’ (The Behavior Gap) excellent book The One Page Financial Plan. Carl is a financial advisor and NY Times contributor. This is an easy read and offers some good ideas in approaching the financial planning process. 

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Financial Advice and Mini Bottles of Liquor

June 9, 2014 by 4 Comments
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Regular readers here know that the inspiration for some of my blog posts comes from non-financial sources such as youth soccer fields and the Rolling Stones.  In that spirit the idea for this post popped into my head while waiting in line to pay for an item at a local gas station.

Financial Advice and Small Bottles of Liquor

I noticed the clerk behind the counter restocking the very prominent display case with mini bottles of liquor of the type you would buy on an airplane.  When I asked if they sell a lot of these she indicated that I would be surprised and I was.  This is the last place that I would think of buying mini bottles of liquor.  My hope is that the contents are not being consumed en route from the gas station.

I liken this to some of the places that people seek financial advice.  Are you getting financial advice from someone best positioned to advise you or simply from where it is convenient to obtain it?  Here are a few thoughts on some of the alternative sources available to you when seeking financial advice.

Insurance companies and agents

We have had our auto, homeowner’s, and person umbrella policies with an agent affiliated with a major insurance company for years.  Our agent is great and has provided outstanding service.  His company made a big push into providing personal financial planning largely to tap into their vast customer base to try to sell various financial products to these customers.  When I asked my agent if he was now going to become a financial planner he just kind of grumbled as he wanted no part of this.

My experience is that insurance companies are looking to sell annuities and other insurance-based products as their answer to your financial and retirement planning needs.  Many of these companies also offer their own proprietary families of mutual funds and other investment vehicles.  As with anything you need to understand the motivations and capabilities of the person trying to sell these products to you.  Is this agent qualified to provide you with unbiased financial advice or do all questions lead to a solution that involves the sale of a variable annuity or a related product?

Banks offering financial advice

Many banks offer investment and financial advice across a number of formats.  It’s not uncommon to have a registered rep at the branch selling various financial products.  The bank may even have their own line of mutual funds and their own brokerage operation.

Other banks have in-house or affiliated investment advisory operations which offer investment and perhaps wealth management services for a fee as opposed to the commission-based services mentioned above.

Again banks view this as a way to expand their service offerings and broaden their revenue streams by tapping into their depositor base.  As with any financial services provider you need to understand what your bank offers, how they offer it, any potential conflicts of interest, and most of all if this type of arrangement is right for you. 

CPAs offering financial advice

CPAs have rightly earned a reputation as a trusted advisor, especially for business owners.  The good ones offer a range of tax and financial advice that is invaluable.  Many CPAs have ventured into the business of offering investment and financial advice as well.  They realize that this is an excellent revenue stream, often a better one than they can generate via their core business.

As with other providers of financial advice you want to understand that if your CPA is qualified to provide financial planning and investment advice as this is a different knowledge base than his or her normal world.  A few other considerations:

  • Does the CPA have specific knowledge or training here?  A designation such as the CFP® or the PFS (the CPA equivalent) can be good evidence of training and commitment to this area.
  • What happens during tax season?  Are they available to answer your questions and monitor your situation?
  • Is the advice offered as an RIA (Registered Investment Advisor) or via a Broker-Dealer type arrangement?  In the latter case the CPA is likely engaging in advice via the sale of commissioned financial and insurance products.   

Financial Planners 

The term financial planner can be used by anyone so you will want to understand a few things about how any financial planner operates before determining if this is the right advisor for you.

  • What are the financial planner’s credentials and training?  Does he/she hold a CFP® or some similar designation?
  • How is the financial planner compensated?  Fee-only?  Commissions?  A combination of fees and commissions?  It is important for you to understand if there will be any conflicts of interest involved in the delivery of financial advice.
  • What type of financial advice does the financial planner offer?  Hourly as needed?  Comprehensive financial planning? Investment advice and wealth management?  More importantly is this the type of advice that you need?
  • Who are the financial planner’s typical clients?  If you are 60 and nearing retirement an advisor who specializes in clients in their 20s and 30s is probably not the right advisor for you.
  • Check out NAPFA’s guide to finding an advisor for some tips on choosing the right financial advisor for you.  

I’m often puzzled by the process used by many folks in choosing a financial advisor, but I guess it is no stranger than buying mini bottles of liquor at a gas station.  Choosing the right financial advisor can be very rewarding, choosing the wrong advisor can have a devastating impact on your financial life.

Please contact me with any thoughts or suggestions about anything you’ve read here at The Chicago Financial Planner. Don’t miss any future posts, please subscribe via email. Please check out our resources page as well.

The Chicago Financial Planner is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.  If you click on my Amazon.com links and buy anything, even something other than the product advertised, I earn a small fee, yet you don’t pay any extra.

  

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Merry Christmas and Thank You

December 24, 2012 by 2 Comments
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Merry Christmas

I want to wish all of you who celebrate a Merry Christmas and to everyone a happy and prosperous 2013.  I also want to thank all of you for your readership and support.

Since moving The Chicago Financial Planner to Word Press from Blogger in June, my readership has steadily increased and again I want to thank you for that.  Here are my top 5 most read blog posts since the conversion:

How much is Financial Advice Worth? was born out of a discussion with a financial advisor colleague about a new 401(k) advice service we were trying to launch for 401(k) participants.  I asked “So how much is competent, unbiased financial advice worth?  Part of the answer lies in the benefit that you expect to receive from spending the money.”

401(k) Fee Disclosure and the American Funds was written on the heels of the initial fee disclosures for 401(k) participants mandated by new regulations this year.  I used the multiple retirement plan share classes offered by the American Funds to illustrate the need for plan participants to understand these fee disclosures and the details of the funds offered in their plan’s lineup.

Why Financial Planning is Important-An Illustration is based upon and excellent infographic offered by NAPFA a professional organization of fee-only financial advisors of which I am a member.  The infographic does a great job of diagramming the need for financial planning and how the process works.  The statistics are sobering and illustrate the need for many Americans to seek the help of a qualified financial planner.

Target Date Funds-A Look Under the Hood looks at the composition of the “Big 3” Target Date Fund families:  Vanguard, Fidelity, and T. Rowe Price.  Together these three families control about 80% of the assets invested in Target Date Funds.  Target Date Funds are a staple in 401(k) and similar retirement plans.  They are frequently used as the default option for participants who don’t specify an investment choice.  However, like any investment, it is important that you understand how these funds will be investing your money and if their approach is right for you.

Can I Retire?  is the question that I am most often asked by perspective clients.  Can I Retire?  This is not a simple question to answer.  Moreover it’s not just about being able to retire, but rather can you retire “in style?”

Again I want to thank you my readers for your support and for your readership.  My question to you is how can I be of help?  What questions are on your mind?  Please use the contact form to let me know and I will do my best to answer them.

Also please feel free to let me know what you like or don’t like about The Chicago Financial Planner.  Your thoughts are important to me.

We will continue to evolve the blog into 2013 and look for ways to offer you more information about financial planning, investments, retirement plans, and related topics.

I hope that all of you have a wonderful holiday season.

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Financial Planning Really Does Make a Difference

July 25, 2012 by 11 Comments
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Financial Planning Really Does Make a Difference

According to a joint survey by the Consumer Federation of American and the CFP Board, households with a financial plan in place felt a higher level of financial well-being than those without a plan.  According to the survey of 1,508 financial decision makers in households nationally:

  • Those with plans are more likely to feel they are on pace to meet all of their financial goals, such as saving for retirement or for emergencies, by a margin of 50% to 32% and for all but the lowest income bracket (those making less than $25,000 a year);
  • Those with plans are more likely to feel “very confident” about managing money, savings and investments, by a margin of 52% to 30% and across all income brackets;
  • Those with plans are more likely to describe themselves as living comfortably by a margin of 48% to 22%. In addition, as many people who plan and who make $50,000 to $99,999 a year say that they live comfortably as non-planners in the $100,000 and above income bracket;
  • Among respondents in the two highest income brackets, those with plans report saving a higher percentage of income and having built greater wealth than those without them. For example, people with plans who have incomes between $50,000 and $99,999 are more likely to report they save 10% or more of their income (57% vs. 39%) and to have accumulated at least $100,000 in investments (37% versus 19%);
  • For those in the two lowest income brackets, people with plans who use credit cards report being much more likely to pay credit card bills in full. That is true both for those who make $25,000 to $49,999 – 46% for people with plans and 26% for those without them – and for those with incomes under $25,000: 41% for people with plans and 16% for those without them; and
  • Overall, only 31% of respondents said they have a comprehensive financial plan, while about two-thirds or 65% indicated they follow a plan for at least one of their savings goals.

(Bullet points taken from an article on financial-planning.com Financial Planning Critical Regardless of Wealth: Survey) 

None the less, the findings of this study and others clearly show that having a financial plan in place is a key element in achieving your goals.  Financial planning typically encompasses areas such as:

  • Saving for College
  • Insurance
  • Tax Planning
  • Estate Planning
  • Retirement Planning
  • Employee Benefits
  • Investing

Some financial planning best practices (via the CFP Board) include:

  • Setting measurable financial goals.
  • Understanding the effect of each financial decision.
  • Re-evaluating your financial situation periodically.
  • Start planning as soon as you can.
  • Be realistic in your expectations.
  • Realize that you are in charge.

As a practicing financial planner I believe in the value of hiring a trained financial planner to help you through this process.  However there are many web sites that have financial planning tools that might be of help to you if you choose to do this yourself.  Among them:

  • T. Rowe Price has a number of tools and calculators on their site.
  • Morningstar.com has several planning tools; some may fall under their inexpensive premium umbrella.
  • If you participate in a retirement plan through your employer, many plan provider sites have a number of calculators and planning tools.
  • Mint.com has a number of budgeting and planning tools.

If you are seeking the help of a professional, you can find someone in your area here:

  • NAPFA is the largest professional organization of fee-only financial advisors in the country.  (Full disclosure I am a NAPFA Registered Advisor)
  • The Garret Planning Network is a group of fee-only advisors who mostly work on an hourly basis.  Many Garret members are also members of NAPFA.
  • The Financial Planning Association (fpanet.org) has a find a planner function on their site.
  • The CFP Board site has a link to help you find a Certified Financial Planner™ as well.

Whether you do it yourself, hire a professional to help you, or some combination of the two, the best time to get started is now.  In my experience, your investment strategy should be an outgrowth of your financial plan, not the other way around.

Please remember this:  Financial planning is an ongoing process not a one-time event.  

Please contact me with any thoughts or suggestions about anything you’ve read here at The Chicago Financial Planner. Don’t miss any future posts, please subscribe via email. Please check out our resources page as well.

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The Similarities Between Buying Coffee and Choosing a Financial Planner

January 17, 2012 by 8 Comments
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Choosing a Financial Planner

A couple of years ago my family bought me a Keurig single cup coffee maker. I love the ability to make a freshly brewed cup on-demand; the convenience has served to fuel my already robust coffee addiction.

Our local Sam’s Club sells a variety of K-Cup brands; they typically are boxes of 80 for around $37. Starbucks recently entered the K-Cup market so when I saw their box for sale at Sam’s I bought one. It wasn’t until I opened it a few days later that I noticed there were only 54 individual units for the same $37 price. It was clearly marked on the box, but I was so used to boxes of 80 that I never noticed.

When looking for a financial planner it is also important to know what you are getting for your money before entering into any sort of relationship.

First you need to understand that anyone can call themselves a financial planner. This is no requirement that they have any particular training or credentials in order to hold themselves out as a financial planner.  Do they hold the CFP® certification or perhaps the PFS certification (the CPA’s financial planning certification)? There are an ever increasing number of certifications and designations in this field. Some are more meaningful than others so be sure ask many questions here.

Understand the services offered. Do they provide comprehensive financial planning; investment advice; or advice on an ad hoc basis? More importantly does the planner offer services that match your needs?

Understand how the planner will be compensated. Is this person truly a financial planner, or do they simply sell financial and insurance products? Are they paid an hourly fee, an ongoing retainer or percentage of the investment assets they will be managing for you, or some sort of fixed project fee? Is their compensation all or in part based upon the sale of financial products?

Understand the planner’s value proposition. What does he or she bring to the table that makes their services unique and right for you?

Just like my coffee buying experience, it is important that you fully understand who you are hiring as a financial planner, what they will and will not do for you, the benefits of hiring that person, and how much you will be paying for their services.

NAPFA (the largest professional organization for fee-only financial advisors) has published a guide to finding an advisor.

As always please feel free to contact me  if I can be of help.

Check out our Resources page for links to some tools and services that might be beneficial to you.

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