Long term care costs are expensive and rising every year. For many, a two or three year stay in a skilled nursing facility could cost several hundred thousand dollars and potentially wipe out a retirement nest egg.

Insurance, Retirement Planning, Eldercare, Retiree, Pre-RetireeChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®March 17, 2020financial planning, insurance, long term care insurance, eldercare, long term care

Coronavirus and Market Uncertainty

With the Coronavirus causing disruption and uncertainty around the world. Chip Hymiller explains why keeping your perspective and staying calm during this time is so important to achieving your financial goals.

Mid Career Professional, Pre-Retiree, Retiree, Investments, Web PresentationChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®March 10, 2020market turbulence, investing

A Rule of Thumb for Withdrawal Rates

A question we often get is “How much can I withdraw from my accounts during retirement and not deplete them?” That question coupled with the ideal stock/bond mix makes for an interesting discussion on how probable your retirement goals are.

Retirement Planning, Retiree, InvestmentsChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®February 18, 2020financial planning, individual retirement accounts, IRA, retirement distributions, Retirement Planning, Roth IRA, tax planning

Spring is in the Air - And it's Tax Season Once Again!

Tax season is upon us. Find out what you need to know to make this tax season painless and worry free!

Tax, Retiree, Pre-Retiree, Mid Career Professional, Financial PlanningErin Campbell, CPA/PFS, CFP®February 12, 2020income tax, tax planning, capital gains

Understanding How Retirement Distributions are Taxed

During retirement, is it best to take distributions from IRAs, Roth IRAs or personal brokerage or savings accounts? The decision of "Which account?" is an important one with many factors to consider.

Retirement Planning, Tax, Financial Planning, RetireeErin Campbell, CPA/PFS, CFP®February 5, 2020financial planning, IRA, retirement distributions, Retirement Planning, Roth IRA, tax planning, distribution planning

What Should I expect from my Social Security Retirement benefits?

Social Security was originally intended to provide older Americans with continuing income after retirement. As people approach retirement, they generally have questions about Social Security and the benefit it provides.

Retirement Planning, Eldercare, Pre-Retiree, RetireeErin Campbell, CPA/PFS, CFP®January 21, 2020retirement distributions, Retirement Planning, Social Security

Have You Reviewed Your Beneficiary Designations Recently?

Have you confirmed the beneficiary designations of your 401k, IRA, or life insurance policies recently? If not, you should! Find out why.

Estate Planning, Retirement Planning, Mid Career Professional, Pre-Retiree, RetireeChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®December 10, 2019Estate Planning, Retirement Planning, 401k, Roth IRA, IRA, Retirement Plans, insurance, life insurance, Deferred Compensation

What is the biggest difference between mutual funds and exchange traded funds?

While both mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) can be effective tools when creating a diversified portfolio, it is important to understand attributes of each of these investment options.

Investments, Mid Career Professional, Pre-Retiree, Retiree, TaxChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®November 26, 2019total return, investment planning, investments, investing

What do commission-free trades mean for you?

Brokerage firms Charles Schwab & Co. and TD Ameritrade recently announced that they would stop charging brokerage commissions on trades for exchange traded funds and even stocks. Some of you may have wondered what impact this will have on you and also will we (Beacon) make any changes to your portfolio as a result.

Company News, Education, Mid Career Professional, Pre-Retiree, RetireeChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®November 22, 2019Trading, IRA, Roth IRA

Why Invest Globally?

You will note in the table below that over the last year the S&P 500 (U.S. stocks) has outperformed its international counterpart by more than 22%! This disparity in performance becomes even more magnified when considering 10 year and 15 year performance numbers. In fact, U.S stocks have outpaced foreign stocks by about 2.5% annually for the last 15 years! So why is it important to take a global perspective when investing for the long term?