How to Save For Your Kid’s Education: Navigating the Maze of Options
In the world of parenting, planning for your child’s education sits right up there with teaching them to ride a bike or making sure they eat their veggies. But with the cost of college escalating dramatically over the past 20 years, figuring out how to save for higher education can feel more daunting than convincing […]
What Is Umbrella Insurance and When Does It Make Sense to Get It?
When we think about insurance coverage, we typically focus on life, disability, auto, and homeowners’ or renters’ insurance due to their direct impact on our day-to-day lives. However, we often miss another critical type of coverage: umbrella insurance. This kind of policy provides an additional layer of protection for when your standard insurance coverage might […]
A Winning Tax Planning Strategy Doesn’t Have a Big Tax Refund
Every year, as the calendar pages flip toward April, a certain buzz fills the air. It’s not just the promise of spring but the anticipation of tax refunds. There’s a common belief, almost a financial folklore, that getting a big tax refund is akin to hitting a mini jackpot. But here’s a hot take from […]
What if your 401(k) offers after-tax and Roth contribution options?
When it comes to saving for the long-term, the 401(k) plan is the most common option for employees to build a nest-egg. However, not all 401(k) contributions are created equal. Beyond the typical pre-tax contributions associated with 401(k) plans, some employer-sponsored 401(k) plans have started offering after-tax and Roth options. While variety is the spice […]
Merging Finances as a Couple: Which Path to Choose?
In our last post, we discussed the foundational steps couples needed to take to merge their finances. . Now, we move onto part two: the actual merging of finances. We’ll break down the three options couples have to merge (or not merge) their finances and the pros and cons of each. Fully Merging All Finances: […]
Financial Planning for Couples
Since I’ve started working as a financial planner, I’ve learned so much from my clients about what good planning actually is. One area that has become important is financial planning for couples. The most important thing I’ve learned is that there is no right or wrong way to do it! Logistics aside, the conversation typically […]
How High(er) Interest Rates Affect Financial Planning
Interest rates play a pivotal role in our economic landscape, making them an aspect of financial planning we pay close attention to. Not only do interest rates affect the ups and downs of investment portfolios, they shape our day-to-day financial activities like saving cash, borrowing money, and paying off debt. As a result, it’s crucial […]
Why Aren’t My Investments Growing?
Why Haven’t My Investments Grown as Promised? Over the past year, you may have been asking yourself why your investments haven’t been growing. How come, even with all the money we’ve put into our 401k or brokerage accounts, the value still feels stagnant? How come we’re not reaping the benefits of compounding growth? Your questions […]
What It Means That We’re CFP® Professionals
In the world of financial planning, the Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) designation is considered to be the gold standard. It represents a commitment to education, ethics and the highest standards of fiduciary responsibility. At Thinking Big, both Jim Marrocco and I proudly hold the CFP® designation. The CFP Board is an ever-evolving organization whose overarching […]
Planning for Inflation in Your Cash Flow
For the first time in 25 years, the US is contending with higher inflation than it’s used to in recent memory. We’ve all read the headlines about rising food and housing costs. But inflation has not consistently been above 3% since the mid-1990s (take a look at this chart for a more detailed look). The […]