Montgomery Community Media

I often read about how investors can lower their 401(k) costs, and the suggestion seems to be that participants have the power to control everything in their plan. This is not the case. The structure of a 401(k) plan doesn’t provide participants with all the power they need regarding costs. However, there are a few […]

As Jerry Garcia sang, “What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been.” The same might be said today of the stock market—over the past ten years of market expansion, there have been a lot of wild swings and surprises. Nevertheless, as evidenced by a very strong 2019 first-quarter performance, the bull market in stocks continues. The […]

It’s easy to find tips on how to pick a financial advisor, but it’s harder to know what is best for you. We all see the endless ads from the legacy brokerage firms, banks looking to expand their ‘share of wallet,’ low-cost discount shops, and robo-advisors. Further adding to the confusion is that the industry […]

Retirement planning is a major challenge for millions of Americans. Desirable defined benefit retirement plans, also known as pensions, are being phased out. With the demise of pensions, individuals increasingly have to invest their own money to fund their retirement. When an employee is investing their own earnings into a Company-sponsored retirement plan, they are […]

This weekend’s Super Bowl gave us the chance to see the results of a well-designed plan, hard work, and sound execution. Those same qualities also need to be present in order for a financial plan to be successful. But with the realities of work life, kid’s schedules, and social commitments, adhering to financial planning goals […]

The Federal Government shutdown is approaching its fourth week. According to the Washington Post, over 800,000 American workers have missed their first paycheck. As the shutdown continues there are many unfortunate stories about the personal hardship thousands of Americans are facing. An unexpected loss of income is an upsetting personal and financial setback. As a […]

As the new year approaches, market volatility and economic uncertainty are taking center stage. With so much news noise, mixed messages out of Washington and uncertainty abroad, individuals face an uncertain planning landscape. Many economists expect that the U.S. economy peaked in the third quarter of 2018 and that overseas markets will continue to struggle. […]

These days, with enormous lottery jackpots almost common, many people think a financial windfall refers to an outrageous sum of money. However, those circumstances are very rare and financial windfalls are usually the result of a much more modest event such as an inheritance, cashing in of stock grants or options, the sale of a […]

For the past decade, we have lived in a period of relatively low interest rates. In response to the 2008 market and economic collapse, The Federal Reserve Bank (the Fed) began a multi-year policy of accommodative monetary policy, which kept both consumer and corporate interest rates low. At the same time, overseas financial institutions, like […]

With the April 15th tax filing deadline still months away, it may seem early to consider taxes, but when it comes to reducing your tax bill, starting early makes eminent sense. Too often tax planning is delayed until very late in the year or until we complete our tax returns. By then it is often […]