|
News &
Articles
Grow
Your Money Garden
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA, CRPC
As
the sharp chill of winter fades and new life springs forth all around
us, I become reflective. Not of nature's majesty (remember, I am a financial
planner) but of the power of how what we plant now can be so rewarding,
abundant and beautiful later. ...Read
more
The
Beauty of Your Home: A Financial Perspective
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA, CRPC
Three
years ago, it was a challenge to find a homeowner who didn’t count
their home among their greatest assets. Today, although many still hold
much of their net worth in their home, these same individuals who only
a few years ago crowed about their “greatest” asset are now
having trouble valuing their asset at all. ...Read
more
Worried
About Your Financial Future? Relax
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA, CRPC
Many
of us are licking our wounds from 2008. The year proved to be one for
the history books with the Dow Jones Industrial Average having its third
worst year in recorded history, the housing market collapse, the failure
of many mainstay financial institutions, and an economy that shed millions
of jobs. ...Read more
5
Steps for Helping Your Elderly Parent with Their Finances
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA, CRPC
Caring
for an elderly parent can be a challenge physically, emotionally and mentally.
Accepting the role reversal of becoming your parent’s primary caregiver
can be strain enough. ...Read more
Client
Letter Nov. 3, 2008
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA, CRPC
I finally have the great honor of writing all of you with some
good news in these turbulent financial markets. So many of my past letters
had been proceeding times of major market sell offs, that I figured it
appropriate to write during a period of at least temporary market stabilization.
...Read more
Client
Letter Oct. 13, 2008
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA, CRPC
Last
week in the market has been one of the worst we've seen since 1933.
In fact, I think it's fair to say that no one reading this letter
has seen anything like it. This probably leaves most of you wondering,
"What will come next?" "What should I do with my money?"
and "Are we almost through this mess?" ...Read
more
Saving
for that Other Major Life Expense: Education
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA, CRPC
As summer comes to close and the cool chill of fall begins to take hold,
there are a few certainties we can count on. The trees will begin to shed
their leaves, warm coats will begin to make their appearance, and children
will go back to school. Each year your little ones and perhaps not so
little ones move one step closer to leaving the security of home and heading
off to college. The question is, are you moving one step closer toward
paying for it? ...Read more
Financial
Planning for Women
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA, CRPC
Just about every woman has gone through the frustration of watching their
husband try to navigate his way to a party you're late for at a house
you have never been to. You have no idea where you are, and neither does
he. The difference is, you can admit it. ... Read
more
Are
All Your Eggs in One Basket?
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA, CRPC
Investing is tricky business. Who can you trust? Your advisor is
telling you to buy stocks, the commentator on CNBC is touting bonds, and
your brother-in-law told you he invests only in real estate. If you feel
like your head is spinning from all the options, you’re not alone.
The number one reason most people don’t start an investment program
sooner is because of all of these choices. Analysis paralysis sets in
when it is easier not to make a decision at all. The answer, however,
is simpler than you think. What investment is right for you? The answer
is most likely all of them. ...Read
more
How
to Destroy Your Financial Future
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA, CRPC
Summer is finally here and many of us are looking forward to long-awaited
vacations. You've probably planned yours for months ahead of time. But
imagine this: It's your last day of work and you realize that not only
have you not packed, but you also neglected to book a hotel or even find
a flight. You wouldn't let this happen on your one-week vacation, so why
do so many people let it happen for the longest vacation of their lives---their
retirement? ... Read
more
Are
You an Investor or a Speculator?
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA, CRPC
I often find it humorous to watch CNBC during a market decline and see
the talking heads predicting the future. Many of the smart ones will hedge
their bets by painting broad strokes of future market projections or giving
percentages of this or that event. It makes me smile because I understand
that their job is a futile one. ... Read
more
Managing
Your Investment Expectations
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA, CRPC
Investing during turbulent market conditions can be a scary proposition.
Watching your wealth increase dramatically one day, and then cut in half
the next, is not for the faint of heart. The real problem occurs when
investors don't have realistic expectations: ... Read
more
Living
Off A Lump-Sum Without Going Broke
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA, CRPC
There are two major issues that retirees today must deal with in respect
to asset withdrawal. First, how can I ensure that I won’t run out
of money, and second, how can I protect my purchasing power against inflation.
These are not questions that can be answered lightly... Read
more
Reverse
Your Thinking:
Is a Reverse Mortgage Right for You?
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA, CRPC
When I sit down with a client who is preparing for retirement,
one of the first things I ask is whether they own their home free and
clear. After all, this is what most people sweat and toil for, that day
when they can write the check for their last mortgage payment. So why
in the world would anyone recommend taking on a new mortgage when you
worked so hard and waited so patiently to pay off the first one? ... Read
more
What
is the True Cost of your Financial Advisor?
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA, CRPC
What do you pay annually to have a professional manage your money? Most
Americans don't know. In fact, a recent Arizona State University study
indicated that 6 in 10 Americans did not know what they paid their advisors,
and of the four that thought they knew, three were wrong... Read
more
Tips
for Surviving a Market Decline
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA, CRPC
Market corrections are an inevitable part of investing. Most investors
will likely see 30 declines of 5% or more and three declines of 20% or
more over a ten-year time period. Although it's the last thing you want
to experience, it's your response to those unpredictable declines that
will play a crucial role in the success of your long-term investment strategy...
Read more
The Effect of Inflation on Your Retirement
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA,
CRPC
Planning for retirement is complex. It is almost impossible to account
for all the potential variables that retirees are likely to face throughout
their retirement journey. One factor many people fail to address in their
retirement plan is the effect of inflation on their purchasing power.
Inflation can silently kill the best-laid plans and can gradually erode
your quality of life... Read more
Two
Tax Tips for the End of 2007
By Ryan Zacharczyk, CFP, CSA, CRPC
It's hard to believe, but 2008 is swiftly approaching. As the ball in
Times Square falls, not only do you lose your last chance of keeping your
2007 resolutions, but you also lose any chance of taking advantage of
two tax strategies that may save you thousands of dollars. Intrigued?
Let’s get started before the countdown begins... Read
more
