Eclipse Planning
Published by Mark Petersen and the Carson Group Partners Investment Committee One in 256,481,280. No, I am not calculating the odds of winning the Powerball Lottery. This is the number of 50 square foot sections to view Totality for the 2017 Solar Eclipse in the state of Nebraska. So many c …
Winning the Lottery vs Investing: What Are Your Odds?
Published by Tyler Schlumpf and the Carson Group Partners Investment Committee We definitely have fun to getting swept away in the “what if’s” of instantly coming into a large sum of money, hopefully most people are rational though and understand they are playing to be a part of it but don’ …
Fees or Foes
Published by Scott Kubie Recently, a fee-only financial advisor mentioned to me that more clients are proposing to manage more of their own assets and invest in the “S&P 500.” For most who go down this path, this move will likely end badly. These investors, while seeking to avoid wealth …
How to Avoid the Top 3 Financial Fears in Retirement
You’ve worked hard for your money and during your retirement years, you want to have confidence that you can enjoy it. However, many retirees have common concerns as they move from asset accumulation to asset preservation. “Am I spending too much?” “Have I set aside enough for long-term car …
Three Reasons to Consider Active Management
Published by Brett Carson Trends are pervasive in our culture, and the investment world is no different. The latest is the move towards passive investing using low-cost ETFs. Essentially, the argument is that nobody can consistently beat the overall market, so you’re better off owning a che …
My Best Piece of Financial Advice for Women
There is a lot of bad advice out there for women, financial and otherwise. My heart breaks for the women in my office in their late 50’s that are facing a divorce and have no idea where their assets are or even what they have. Or, for the 25 year old with $100,000 in student …
What is goals-based planning?
The first step to goals-based planning is to sit back, relax and day-dream. Or, break out a bottle of wine and sit with your partner and just talk about what you see your life looking like in the future. Ask yourself, “What is it that I really want?”
The Importance of Portfolio Diversification
The famous stock market axiom, “it’s the bus you don’t see that hits you”, nicely underpins the reasons behind maintaining a diversified portfolio. The stark reality of investing is that there are unknowable landmines. Even though investment managers and analysts spend hundreds of hours sco …
The Roadmap to Student Debt: Saving or Paying your Path to a Successful Future
Once upon a time, I walked into an educational institution wearing cargo shorts and carrying a pen, one hundred dollars and a whole lot of excitement. Four years later, I walked across a stage carrying a diploma, intelligence, confidence and a whole lot of debt. Many people lie in bed each …
How to Set up a Trust
Published by Beth Schanou, Director of Wealth and Estate Planning A trust can be a necessary tool for an estate plan. But, you may ask, what is a trust? Put very simply, a trust is created with a formal legal document to manage assets for beneficiaries. The trust is created by a person call …