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15 Nov Is Saving to a 529 Plan Worth It?

Posted at 08:00h in The Friday Brief by Ryan Smith, CFP®, RICP®, CTS™, MSFP

A few weeks ago, Geoff and I were discussing whether it made sense for a potential client to contribute to a 529 plan (“college savings plan”) for their kids who were entering college in a few years. Yes, the gains would be tax-free, provided the...

18 Oct The Roth IRA: You’re Using It Wrong (Most Financial Advisors Are, Too)

Posted at 08:00h in The Friday Brief by Ryan Smith, CFP®, RICP®, CTS™, MSFP

Most Roth IRAs are used incorrectly. It’s not only some DIY investors that are getting it wrong, but, based on my experience, a good percentage of financial advisors, too. In order to understand why most are getting it wrong, it’s important to know the three primary...

13 Sep How Much Should You Save Each Year?

Posted at 09:46h in The Friday Brief by Ryan Smith, CFP®, RICP®, CTS™, MSFP

There’s ample research about how much you can safely withdraw from your portfolio once you retire. There’s less research about how much you need to save annually so you can retire (this is called your “savings rate”), probably due to the large number of variables...

16 Aug Two Charts that Can Make Investing Easier

Posted at 08:00h in The Friday Brief by Ryan Smith, CFP®, RICP®, CTS™, MSFP

Investing offers what in theory seems like an easy trade: long-term wealth creation for short-term volatility. But the reality is that it’s not so simple. The promise of gains over 10 or 20 years becomes less compelling as you face large market drops that take...