09 Oct

Preparing for Boomerang Kids

By John

At a recent Extravaganza class in Philadelphia, we had a discussion on “Helicopter Parents” and how more and more parents are taking on the financial debt of their adult children.  While it is admirable that parents want to lend a helping hand to recent college grads, it is quite another thing to take on debt at the expense of retirement savings.

06 Oct

Constant Education Benefits Both You and Your Client

By John

This appeared in yesterday’s (10/5) The Wall Street Journal.  It’s a great example of an adviser being aware of current rules and thinking outside of the box for the best interest of the client.  Staying educated on rules and regs, as well as a good, lasting relationship with your client takes work.  Push yourself to be, as the adviser in this article states, a valuable resource to your client instead of just settling for the easy, traditional means of investment management and

30 Sep

Thank You

By John

Thank you to those that came out for the Continuing Education Extravaganza in Philadelphia yesterday.

As always, it was fun for me and great for me to see some former students again and meet some new colleagues.  I appreciate the engagement, participation, and thoughtful questions.  I hope you enjoyed it too.

Reminder:  

25 Sep

I Don't Think I Can Eat Eight

By John

Allow me to go off-topic for a post.  I've been busy teaching this week but I didn't want the week to go by without acknowledging the passing of Yogi Berra.

Those of you that know me know that I am a huge baseball fan.  I love the game, but I especially admire the tradition, history, old ballparks, and amazing athletes (and characters) from all the teams that graced the game throughout the decades.  Yogi was certainly one of them.

22 Sep

Last Call: Day-Long CFP CE Session in Philly is One Week Away

By John

Just a reminder, folks, that my one day CFP Continuing Education Extravaganza in Philadelphia is next week, September 29th.  And, I have been asked this a lot recently, yes, Pope-Ageddon will be over by then and all of the road closures and restrictions in and around the city will be reopened.

We have a full day of speakers and classes planned and with that you will earn:

16 Sep

What Will Happen IF the Fed Raises Rates? Not Much.

By John

Read this article in The Wall Street Journal yesterday (Sept. 15, 2015) and I agree with its overall assessment – what’s going to happen IF the Fed raises rates this week?  Probably not much.

Investors Look Beyond Fed Meeting, See Low Rates

No matter what happens this week, slow global growth is expected to be key factor for long term

04 Sep

Cement Client Bonds in Times of Market Volatility

By John

We all are well aware that over the past several weeks the market has taken a wild ride – and it is not over yet.  As an advisor, what are you telling your clients when they look to you to explain the recent market volatility and how it will effect their portfolio?

27 Aug

CFP CE "Extravaganza" Coming to Philly, Boston

By John

I wanted to announce that I will be holding two, full-day CFP Continuing Education Extravaganzas soon.  The first is September 29th in Philadelphia, PA; the second is October 21st in Boston (Norwood), MA.

Both are worth 10 CFP CE credit hours and 2 hours of CFP® Ethics CE credits, as well as 10 Insurance CE credit hours for MA, PA, NJ, DE, MD, VA, and DC at the Philadelphia event, and CT, RI, VT, and NH in Boston (Insurance licensees only).

27 Aug

The Financial Aid Game: A Review

By John

As we begin another school year, many of your clients (and maybe you as parents) are either dealing with student aid or getting ready to decide where your children will go to college.  Plus, several Presidential candidates have also been vocal about their plans to help students pay for higher education, so I want to discuss college aid and how to navigate the maze of paying for it.

11 Aug

The Biggest Social Security Mistake Women Make

By John

Is 62 too young to claim for women to claim Social Security?

That is the age at which both women and men are allowed to claim, and sure enough, 40.8 percent of the women who were newly awarded Social Security retirement benefits in 2014 were aged 62. Some 65 percent were below their full retirement age, typically 66. And just 2.8 percent of the women were 70 or older, the age at which they receive their maximum Social Security retirement benefits, according to Social Security Administration data.

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