View from the Lake
Where Financial Planning meets the Real World
What is the Best Investment Strategy?
If you ask 10 different financial advisors how they would invest a client’s money, you’ll get 10 different answers. So, what’s the best strategy? Shakespeare believes the best investment strategy is achieved when it is derived from your financial plan with the sole purpose of achieving your life goals. An advisor could have great investment […] Read More
Bunching Charitable Gifts and Property Taxes to Save Money
The new tax law signed into law in December 2017 for future tax years increased the standard deduction from $12,000 to $24,000 for married couples, and half that amount for single filers. As a result, over 80% of the population will use the standard deduction moving forward. Although an increased standard deduction is a good […] Read More
Tax Planning Strategies in the Real World
Each Spring all of us participate in the wonderful ‘exercise’ of completing our taxes and submitting them to Uncle Sam. Every year we wonder if there are any strategies that could be deployed to reduce our tax liability. Of course, your CPA may provide some nifty bullet points to consider and your brother-in-law may brag […] Read More
Tax Planning Strategies for Retirement: A Case Study
“Tax planning” sounds like something mysterious done only for the Rockefellers or Carnegies. In reality, it’s an important part of every financial plan. In an effort to make this typically opaque topic a little more real, we’ve created a case study that helps demonstrate how real people can save money throughout their lifetime using readily […] Read More
Building a Durable Investment Plan for your Retirement
Chances are, you’ve accumulated various investments over the years in a piecemeal fashion, with new investments made as you had the money. When your investment portfolio was smaller, this strategy was understandable and not overly harmful; but this reality does not lend itself to larger portfolios. Having a cohesive plan sounds great, but if it […] Read More
Understanding ETFs and How They Can Transform your Portfolio
Exchanged Traded Funds (ETFs) have stormed the marketplace in the last 10 years, leaving mutual funds virtually in the dust. So what is an ETF; how does it work; and what is all the excitement about? Definition of ETF An Exchange Traded Fund operates much like a mutual fund, providing the ability to buy (or […] Read More
Why High Net Worth Individuals Need an Investment Plan
It’s not uncommon for successful individuals to call on Shakespeare looking for help with their financial plan, while specifically indicating they don’t need help with their investment portfolio. They feel comfortable with their array of mutual funds and other investments and can point to the success they have achieved in accumulating and growing assets. So, […] Read More
Picking the Best Financial Adviser
Fee–Only vs. Fee-Based Advisers There are thousands of financial advisors in the world today, all vying to manage your assets. They have fancy titles, including money manager, financial planner, senior vice president, wealth manager, retirement consultant, and more. They have a plethora of letters after their name indicating a high level of expertise, including CFP, […] Read More
The Financial Planning Checklist
Imagine planning a cross country road trip, ala The Griswold Family. You’ll be gone for three weeks, and you’ll drive over 3,000 miles. You’re going to stop at every National Park, State Park, County Park, Town Park, and Theme Park. The first thing you’ll do in planning your trip is to layout a checklist of […] Read More
