Our Commentary

Reader Question: My husband and I are in our mid-forties. I’ve been out of work since Oct 2015 and in November 2016 I taped into my IRA for $20,000. I’m still unemployed and in need of money for home improvements.  Will it be wise to get another $10,000 out of my IRA for my home? […]

In my company, our advisors work with hundreds of multimillionaires.   A few inherited their wealth and are taking a disciplined approach to managing and growing their wealth, but most created their millions through their own ingenuity.  When you’ve been doing this work for decades, you begin to notice things…that these highly successful people have certain […]

I want to encourage all college students (and their parents) to give considerable thought about how your choices now will impact your future.  Look into your crystal ball at the time of graduation; then five years later; then ten years later…and do it from a financial perspective based on the major you’ve chosen (or are […]

On July 4, 1776, a small band of colonial leaders declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.  The American Revolution changed the course of world history forever and launched a nation that no other has since rivaled. In the spirit of the heroes of the American Revolution, would you be willing to consider declaring […]

On July 4, 1776, a small band of colonial leaders declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.  The American Revolution changed the course of world history forever and launched a nation that no other has since rivaled. In the spirit of the heroes of the American Revolution, would you be willing to consider declaring […]

The following is a modified excerpt from my recently published book, “100 Tips for Having a Champagne Retirement on a Shoestring Budget”, which was a collaboration among all of my associates. Tip #22: Incrementally Increase Your Savings Over Time One of the best things you can do when starting out in the “real world” is […]

The following is a modified excerpt from my recently published book, “100 Tips for Having a Champagne Retirement on a Shoestring Budget”, which was a collaboration among all of my associates.  Tip #14: Share Home Maintenance Tools Consider splitting the cost of a high-priced home maintenance tools that you rarely use. A few years ago, […]

The following is a modified excerpt from my recently published book, “100 Tips for Having a Champagne Retirement on a Shoestring Budget”, which was a collaboration among all of my associates.  Can you have the car of your dreams even if you don’t have a lot of cash?  Absolutely!  A friend of mine owned a […]

I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about Social Security.  While this is not the topic you want to keep you up at night, I did think my thought process might be helpful to others who must make the important, and often irreversible, decision about when to begin taking Social Security retirement […]

That was a big unanswered question on the minds of financial advisors and many IRA owners throughout Alabama until recently.  Now advisors can confidently tell their clients that their IRA is protected against the claims of creditors. Unlike 401k and similar plans which are protected from creditors under federal law, IRAs, if protected at all, […]