Blog

By Todd I. Youngdahl, CFP®

Insurance is intended to protect you from risk and uncertainty that is simply part of life - an unexpected death of a spouse, a debilitating injury, more expensive than expected long-term care needs, etc. Because nobody can predict the future, insurance can play a vital part within your financial plan to cover such costs. As you go through different stages in life, it is important to understand which types of insurance policies you should be considering.

By Todd I. Youngdahl, CFP®

You’ve seen it all over the news. Brexit this, and Brexit that. But what does it all mean? Should you be doing something to prepare? Should you be worried? I wish I could say there was a clear-cut answer. But the truth is, it’s complicated. And nothing is certain.

By Maura C. Schauss, CFP® & Todd I. Youngdahl, CFP®

Wow, what a month it has been!  Our market reached the status of “longest bull market since World War II” this fall. (1) This has made December’s volatility feel particularly painful and, for some, frightening. It’s important to understand that markets go through tough times and why it’s critical to the success of your portfolio, to stay invested.

By James F. Anderson, Esq.

Powers of Attorney sometimes seem to be the black sheep of the estate planning family.  Trusts and Wills get all of the headlines while Powers of Attorney are forgotten.  That is a mistake. Powers of Attorney are versatile documents that can dramatically improve a person’s day-to-day life at minimal cost.   As an estate-planning attorney, I have spent a lot of time educating people about the benefits of having well-drafted Powers of Attorney.  Here are 6 important elements that I wish more people understood about Powers of Attorney.

By Maura C. Schauss, CFP®

Before the year’s end, in the midst of the holiday events and travel, the last thing you want to think about is your finances. But considering how finance-related resolutions are the third most popular New Year’s resolution, (1) why don’t you give yourself a head start on your 2019 financial goals? Here are 10 critical financial actions you’ll be glad you tackled when the ball drops on New Year’s Eve!

By Todd Youngdahl, CFP®

You may have heard your friends talking about it. Or maybe you’ve seen it in the news. When it comes to deciding when to start drawing from Social Security, all you have to do is type in your information to a Social Security maximization software, and voila! It tells you exactly what you need to do to maximize your benefits.

By Maura C. Schauss, CFP

In any given month, there are well over 100 nationally recognized “days” on the calendar. Some of them are days to honor people, historical events, or important causes, and others are downright silly. Amidst all the significant or odd holidays in September, there is one that we think is critical to recognize: Fight Procrastination Day!

By Todd Youngdahl, CFP®

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “long-term care (LTC) insurance is designed to cover long-term services and supports, including personal and custodial care in a variety of settings such as your home, a community organization, or other facility.” (1) Essentially, this type of insurance policy was created to help cover expenses that you might expect to have when you reach 65 or older. Such expenses, for example, include costs of a nursing home, assisted living, or in-home care which all “help with basic personal tasks of everyday life, sometimes called activities of daily living." (2) Because these expenses are not covered by Medicare, LTC insurance can be very important for some. In addition, this type of insurance can help protect family members and heirs from bearing all the costs of long-term care for their loved ones. Before we explain the different types of LTC insurance, let’s go into a brief history of this kind of policy.

One of our goals at Washington Wealth Advisors is to have the most educated client base when it comes to the world of personal finance. Achieving financial peace of mind comes through a working partnership with your advisor as well as keeping yourself well informed. Videos offer an easily accessible and convenient way to learn about a new topic, understand a financial term, get the highlights of a blog, reference a subject discussed in a review meeting or meet a new member of the WWA team. With that in mind, we are excited to launch our very own YouTube Channel to engage our clients and community in support of our financial education goal.

By Victoria Boinest

It’s never too early for a parent to start teaching their children about money. With a good base of knowledge, children will have a strong foundation from which to draw while managing their finances in the future. Many young adults are graduating from high school and even college with little to no financial literacy. So, to ensure your child is financially smart before they leave the house and go off into the real-world it is ideal to expose them to financial learning opportunities at a young age. Summer is a great time to help your children experiment with money and to begin their understanding of earning, spending and saving. Here are some ways you can teach your child about money this summer.