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Have you wondered how Social Security will affect your overall financial plan? Although the federal government created Social Security during the Great Depression as a retirement safety net, benefits now cover an estimated 96% of Americans, which is why it’s important to understand the basics of the program and devise strategies to tie your benefits into your retirement plan.

Do you ever wish your financial life could be more streamlined and organized? There are so many pieces of the financial pie that things can get complicated, or, even worse, fall through the cracks. Creating customized investment and wealth management solutions requires a significant amount of coordination.

By Maura C. Schauss, CFP

By Maura C. Schauss, CFP

The day you become a parent is a day of overwhelming emotions. Joy at the sight of your precious child, relief that he or she made it out of the womb, and for many, fear and anxiety because you somehow have to turn that seven-pound little human into a happy and successful adult.

by Maura C. Schauss, CFP®

You may have heard in the media that on April 6, the long-anticipated fiduciary rules from the Department of Labor were issued. These new regulations are expected to significantly impact how people save for retirement and protect families from conflicted retirement advice.

by Todd Youngdahl, CFP®

Identity theft often seems like a distant threat that only affects those careless with their financial information. However, identity theft occurs much more often than you may expect. According to a 2015 Identity Fraud Study conducted by Javelin Strategy & Research, there was a new identity fraud victim every two seconds in 2014, with $16 billion stolen from 12.7 million U.S. consumers.

In 2003, the government established Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) as a way for people covered under high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) to get special tax treatment towards saving money for medical expenses not paid for by their insurance. With an HSA, payers were able to receive a tax benefit for saving money to cover their deductible.