When someone asks how you are doing, how do you usually respond? More importantly, do you feel like you’re truly living your best life? Do you feel as though you are thriving?

Becoming overly concentrated in your portfolio adds an extra amount of risk.  We monitor our portfolios for this and ensure that no one company will determine the ultimate success of our clients’ portfolios. 

Retiring before age 65 can feel exciting, but it also raises an important question: how will you cover health insurance until Medicare begins? Fortunately, there are several paths to consider.

At Beacon Financial Strategies, we agree that investments that generate income should be a valuable component of most retiree’s portfolios.  However, we also believe that maintaining a diversified investment approach will enhance returns and reduce risk for most long term investors.  This really proves beneficial during the distribution phase of your life as it provides for income, growth, potential tax efficiency, and flexibility as life changes. 

Join us for an informative session on the recently signed 2025 tax law and its impact on individuals and families. We’ll cover new provisions, changes to existing rules, and rules that are eliminated. This webinar will help you understand how the new law may affect your taxes and what that means for your financial planning moving forward.

Let’s face it, seniors today have access to improved medical care and are healthier, more active and are likely to have longer lives.  So what are the financial implications for retirees who will likely live well into their 80s and possibly their 90s? 

Employer-sponsored retirement plans such as 401(k)s are some of the most powerful retirement savings tools available. If your employer offers such a plan, we would strongly recommend you consider participating.

The principles of efficiency, consistency, and composure bind swimming and financial success together. In both, it’s not about how hard you work, but how smartly you move forward.

On July 4th, 2025 the new tax and spending bill was signed into law.  There are many changes/updates included in the new law from taxation and spending to national defense.  While there are many opinions regarding the costs and benefits of the new law, we wanted to take time to outline the provisions that directly relate to our clients and their taxes. 

Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) have been around for many years.  Over the past few years, updates have been made via Secure Act 1.0 and Secure Act 2.0 so we wanted to provide a reminder and update on how the current rule works. 

During this webinar, Dave and Chip share their perspective on the current economic landscape and financial markets. They cover timely topics such as tariffs, interest rates, market valuations, and the outlook for domestic versus international investments. They also address some of the most common questions clients are asking right now—providing clarity and context to help you stay informed.

We frequently speak with clients about their asset allocation—especially during periods of significant market movement. These conversations often revolve around the desire to increase equity exposure when markets are rising and reduce it when markets are falling. While this instinct is understandable, a visual representation can often help illustrate why market timing is rarely a successful long-term strategy.

Did you know that your monthly Medicare cost adjusts based on your income?  While most retirees may know this, many pre-retirees do not. It is important for those who are not receiving Medicare benefits yet to understand the rules so that financial planning decisions can be made ahead of time to reduce or avoid the impact of this additional expense.

Over the years working with worried clients it has become obvious that going through the financial planning process and reviewing existing plans in the context of a changing financial environment helps alleviate worries.

Just like you can train your body to be stronger, you can train your mind to focus in a way that promotes clarity and good habits. This skill isn’t just helpful for managing daily stress—it can also be a game-changer when it comes to financial and investment decisions.

 Inflation has been a hot topic in financial news over the past few years, but what does it really mean for consumers and investors? In this episode of Finance in a Flash, John and Dave take a step back to break down inflation—what it is, why it matters, and how it can impact your purchasing power and investment strategy.  

The IRS has announced contribution savings limits for retirement savings accounts for 2025.  

Over the past 3 years, the word “inflation” has dominated the headlines. In the current environment, there seems to be some confusion among investors and consumers regarding this term and what is happening. Therefore, we thought it would be a good idea to go over some of the key “flation” terms and clarify what each means and where we are today.

On this episode of Finance in a Flash, John sits down with Beacon’s newest team member, Dave Trettel. Tune in to learn more about Dave as he shares insights into his personal life, his professional journey in financial planning, and his experiences since joining the Beacon team.  We hope you enjoy getting to know Dave!

For most, achieving financial success isn’t about picking the right stock, saving to the right account, or even finding the perfect advisory firm. Financial success is most often achieved through discipline, intention, and consistency.

Join Erin Campbell, CPA/PFS, CFP®, in this insightful webinar as she explores key tax planning strategies to prepare for 2025. Erin covers a range of essential topics, including the latest outlook on tax law, maximizing retirement plan contributions, the importance of Roth IRAs, and optimizing charitable contributions.

Check out this recent webinar where Chip, John, and Beacon's newest team member Dave sit down to discuss key topics in the investment markets throughout 2024, share valuable insights, and discuss the outlook for 2025.

Target Date funds have grown in popularity over the last decade especially inside employer benefit plans such as 401Ks.  On the surface, they all seem to be exactly the same.  First, you pick your fund based on your anticipated retirement date.  Then you let the manager handle the rest – they utilize their glide path and make the portfolio more conservative as you approach retirement.  While true, behind the scenes there are subtle differences that investors should be aware.

As the year winds down, it is always a good idea to review your tax situation to determine if there are ways to reduce your tax liability or take advantage of financial planning opportunities that may exist.  Here are several items that may warrant consideration prior to the end of the year.

As we close out 2024, it is a good time to think ahead about the coming year. Below are the 2025 Income tax brackets for all taxpayers.

As we celebrate Beacon’s 20th anniversary, we’ve spent time reflecting on how far we’ve come. A lot has changed over the years, and our evolution has been remarkable.

Since 2001, individuals over the age of 50 have been allowed to make "catch-up" contributions to their 401(k) plans, IRAs, and Roth IRAs. This provision was designed by Congress to give those nearing retirement the opportunity to boost their savings in tax-advantaged retirement accounts. Now, starting in 2025, new legislation will extend these opportunities even further.

Since 2004, much has changed, but one thing has remained constant: our unwavering commitment to helping our clients. As we’ve matured and experienced life’s ups and downs ourselves, we’ve come to truly appreciate the value of the advice Beacon provides and the difference it makes for our clients.

Placing a security freeze on your credit with each agency is the only way to prevent someone from obtaining credit in your name without your consent.  Here we discuss how to execute a credit freeze and the drawbacks to this strategy.

One area that often sparks debates in the financial arena is pet insurance.  Is it a necessary investment, or can you afford to self-insure?  When I got my dog, Penny, I was torn on whether pet insurance would be right for us.  Penny is my first dog and we got her when she was just 8 weeks old. I quickly found out how much of a financial commitment she was going to be once we brought her to our vet for the first time.  Shots, exams, spay… It was adding up quickly.