Ready Homebuyers? The Fed’s New “No Urgency” Mantra Is A Gift.
Ready Homebuyers? The Fed’s New “No Urgency” Mantra Is A Gift.

If one waits for 5% mortgages, there are considerable opportunity costs. Potential homebuyers should prepare to act by utilizing these tools and best practices.   

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Budgeting, Debt Management, Economics 101, Your $ Your IndependenceGlenn BrownHouse, Mortgage, Financial Planning, Refinancing, Real Estate, Home Ownership, Best Practice, Debt Management, Focus on your why, Goals, HELOC, Interest Rates, Markets, Loan-To-Value, Prime Rate, Home Equity Line of Credit, adjustable rate mortgage, Rent, Savings, Tax Planning, taxes, Your Money Your Independence, Yields
At or Near Retirement? Time to Say Bucket!
At or Near Retirement? Time to Say Bucket!

Retirees view risks differently, but the greatest risk is behavioral. Let’s discuss a sustainable and tax-efficient approach to retirement distribution strategies.

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Your $ Your Independence, Work Benefits, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning, Retirement, Investing, Debt Management, BudgetingGlenn BrownBudget, Work Benefits, Best Practice, CDs, CFP, Dividends, Dividend Growth, Debt Management, Entitlements, family, Focus on your why, Financial Planning, Goals, Healthcare, Health, HELOC, IRAs, IRS, Income Streams, Investing, Inflation, Investment Management, IRA Withdrawals, Joy, 401(k), Solo K, Local Town Pages, Life Insurance, Medicare, Markets, Net Worth, Roth IRA, Portfolios, Pro-rata rule, Access to Equity, Required Minimum Distributions, Home Equity Line of Credit, Refinancing, Real Estate, Rebalancing, Savings, Traditional IRA, Total Return, Tax Planning, diversification, Savings Prioritization, distribution phase, distribution strategies, tax efficiency, taxes, Experience Spending, Tax-Loss Harvesting, Taxes, Index, Your Money Your Independence, Yields, Asset Allocation
Frugal February… A Different Take, One That’s Sustainable.
Frugal February… A Different Take, One That’s Sustainable.

Many use Frugal February as a month to not spend. While noble, how sustainable is this for improved outcomes Instead, let’s discuss actions that provide yearlong benefits plus a better time to start. 

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Budgeting, College Planning, Debt Management, Insurance, Investing, Retirement, Retirement Planning, Small Business, Tax Planning, Work Benefits, Your $ Your IndependenceGlenn BrownFrugal February, Budget, Savings, Savings Prioritization, Spending, Experience Spending, Planning for Unexpected, Tax Deadlines, taxes, Tax Planning, Tax-Loss Harvesting, Taxes, Home Equity Line of Credit, Credit, Access to Equity, Focus on your why, Retirement, F.I.R.E., Insurance, Auto Insurance, Homeowners Insurance, Credit Cards, Automatic Payments, Subscriptions, Purge, Storage, Feng Shui, Best Practice
If You Fail To Plan, You Are Planning To Fail.
If You Fail To Plan, You Are Planning To Fail.

Starting the New Year with the same old resolutions? Let’s recognize questionable resolutions, including three destined for failure, plus what should be considered for successful planning outcomes. 

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Debt Management, Budgeting, Investing, Retirement, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning, Work Benefits, Your $ Your IndependenceGlenn BrownFinancial Independence, New Year, Resolutions, Planning for Unexpected, Estate Planning, Tax Planning, Retirement, Financial Planning, College planning, Savings, Savings Prioritization, Investing, Debt Management, Student Loans, Student Debt, HELOC, Semi-Retirement, Access to Equity, Best Practice, Budget, Income Streams, Work Benefits, n, Real Estate, Spending
Stop Making Sense: Massachusetts Updates Estate Tax Laws
Stop Making Sense: Massachusetts Updates Estate Tax Laws

Before celebrating a victory for the Commonwealth by echoing legislators that this “doubles the previous threshold”, understand there are only 12 states in the U.S. that still tax estates.

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Your $ Your Independence, Tax Planning, Retirement Planning, Estate PlanningGlenn BrownEstate Planning, Estate Tax, MA Laws, Cliff Effect, Lawmakers, MA Estate Tax, Federal Estate Tax Exemption, Tax Planning, taxes, Taxes, Net Worth
Financial Aid Changes To Impact This Fall’s College Applications.
Financial Aid Changes To Impact This Fall’s College Applications.

Congress has created the “FAFSA Simplification Act”, which makes the upcoming 2024-2025 college admissions process a complicated mess. 

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College Planning, Retirement Planning, Your $ Your Independence, Tax PlanningGlenn BrownFAFSA, Expected Family Contribution, EFC, College Planning, College, 529 Plan, Congress, Financial Planning, Your Money Your Independence, Financial Aid, Refinancing, Early Decision, Early Action, CSS Profile, ROI, Admissions, Best Practice, Children, family, Local Town Pages, Student Debt, Student Loans, High School Students
Yes, even the Nasdaq-100 Index rebalances. What about you?
Yes, even the Nasdaq-100 Index rebalances. What about you?

Seven companies (combining Alphabet’s share classes) represented over 55% weighting of the NASDAQ 100 index and were educed to 38% with smaller companies within the index being purchased.

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Investing, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning, Your $ Your IndependenceGlenn BrownInvestment Management, Investing, Your Money Your Independence, Index, NASDAQ, Rebalancing, Bonds, diversification, Lost Decade, 2000s, Magnificent Seven
Enjoy Every Sandwicher Moment.
Enjoy Every Sandwicher Moment.

July is National Sandwich Generation Month, celebrating approximately 15% of Americans between ages 40-60 sandwiched between caring for their young children and aging parents at the same time.

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Estate Planning, Debt Management, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning, Your $ Your Independence, BudgetingGlenn BrownSandwichers, Caring for aging parents, Aging Parents, Local Town Pages, Raising Kids, Kids, Elder Care Law, Health Care, Estate Planning, Estate Tax, MA Laws, Health Insurance, Best Practice, Children, family, Focus on your why, Financial Planning, grandchildren, Goals, Long-Term Care, Planning for Unexpected, Multi-Generational Planning, Minors, n, Your Money Your Independence, Tax Planning
Peak Earnings Years Are Your 50’s - Your Parents Maybe, You… Not So Much.
Peak Earnings Years Are Your 50’s - Your Parents Maybe, You… Not So Much.

Top 10% earners in their 30’s and 40’s believe they’ll earn considerably more in their 50’s. Don’t plan on it.

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Budgeting, Investing, Retirement, Retirement Planning, Your $ Your IndependenceGlenn BrownAgeism, Earnings, Income Streams, Employee Benefits, Priorities, Savings, Budget, Savings Prioritization, 401(k), HSA, 529 Plan, IRAs, Roth IRA, Experience Spending, Best Practice, Debt Management, Cash Flows, Focus on your why, Financial Planning, Goals, Investing, Work Benefits, Tax Planning, Your Money Your Independence
Dividend Investing - Navigating Hype and Pitfalls To Get Results.
Dividend Investing - Navigating Hype and Pitfalls To Get Results.

Last month, Intel added another chapter to the fallacy of “I don’t care about the stock price, as long as I get my dividend”. Here, I discuss key factors and best practices for dividend investing.


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Economics 101, Investing, Retirement, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning, Your $ Your IndependenceGlenn BrownRebalancing, RMD, Dividends, Dividend Growth, Yield On Cost, Yield Curve, Bonds, dividend aristocrats, Total Return, diversification, high yield stocks, Best Practice, Cash Flows, Local Town Pages, Goals, Capital Gains, Income Streams
Secure Act 2: Electric Boogaloo?
Secure Act 2: Electric Boogaloo?

Sequels aren’t always a good thing, yet Congress has brought Secure Act 2 - reviewing the good, bad, and breakin’ star.

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Your $ Your Independence, Work Benefits, Tax Planning, Retirement Planning, Retirement, Investing, Debt ManagementGlenn BrownSECURE Act, Savings, Spending, RMD, Retirement, Roth IRA, Roth Conversion, IRA Withdrawals, Stretch IRA, Traditional IRA, SEP-IRA, Catch-up, 529 Plan, 401(k), Solo K, Age 73, 10-Year Rule, College, children, Entitlements, IRAs, Investing, IRA Contributions, 401k Match
New Year, New You… Not True?
New Year, New You… Not True?

Resolutions to improve your financial situation similar to one’s made last year? Here’s how and why to consider actions and timeframes, instead of focusing on desired outcomes.


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Budgeting, Debt Management, Investing, Retirement, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning, Work BenefitsGlenn BrownBudget, Best Practice, Debt Management, Rebalancing, Employee Benefits, Economy, Financial Planning, Focus on your why, family, Semi-Retirement, Retirement, Roth IRA, Student Debt, Goals, Joy, Resolutions, 401(k), Work Benefits, Markets, Local Town Pages, Investing, Portfolios, Priorities, Spending, Savings, Tax Planning, Traditional IRA, Total Return, Your Money Your Independence, Your Money, Year-End, New Year
Perfection is the Enemy of Good, Focus on Executing Improvements.
Perfection is the Enemy of Good, Focus on Executing Improvements.

While 2022 has been a challenging investment environment, it has been a fantastic year to see the benefits of executing financial plans over the past few years. 

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Investing, Retirement, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning, Work Benefits, Your $ Your Independence, Small BusinessGlenn BrownAsset Allocation, Best Practice, Rebalancing, Debt Management, Cash Flows, Capital Gains, Contribution Limits, Employee Benefits, Economy, Entitlements, IRA Contributions, Investing, 401(k), Work Benefits, Local Town Pages, Inflation, Open Enrollment, Pro-rata rule, Priorities, Portfolios, Required Minimum Distributions, Savings, Tax Planning, Traditional IRA, 403(b), 457, Spending, tax planning, Investment Management, Wash Sale, Tax-Loss Harvesting, Tax Deadlines, taxes, Roth IRA, Roth Conversion, Taxes, Your Money Your Independence, Year-End
When Markets Give You Lemons, Make Roth Conversion
When Markets Give You Lemons, Make Roth Conversion

A year-end strategy to consider for turning lemons into lemonade is Roth Conversion.

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Investing, Retirement, Retirement Planning, Your $ Your IndependenceGlenn BrownRoth Conversion, Roth IRA, taxes, Tax Planning, tax planning, IRAs, IRA Withdrawals, Traditional IRA, Required Minimum Distributions, Economy, Financial Planning, Investing, Investment Management, Markets, Local Town Pages, RMD, Tax Deadlines, Taxes, Your Money Your Independence, Recharacterization
Eye Opening Costs At Open Enrollment?
Eye Opening Costs At Open Enrollment?

Over past year, health insurance prices have increased 3X to US inflation. It’s time to fully understand HDHP, HSA and how to do your cost/benefit analysis.


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Insurance, Budgeting, Investing, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning, Your $ Your IndependenceGlenn BrownBest Practice, Work Benefits, Health Insurance, Health Plans, Health Savings Accounts, HSA, Inflation, Investing, HDHP, PPO, taxes, Tax Planning, Taxes, tax planning, Employee Benefits, FSA Dependent Care, Financial Independence, FSA, Financial Planning, Goals, Healthcare, 401(k), Life Insurance, Local Town Pages, Open Enrollment, Priorities, Your Money, Your Money Your Independence, Savings, Year-End