FINANCIaL
FIELd NOTES
Helping an Adult Child Purchase a Home
I recently met with a couple who wanted to help their adult child navigate today’s challenging housing market. This has come up many times over the past few years as more people are getting priced out of the housing market due to high real estate prices and high interest rates.
Their plan was to give a sizable lump sum for a down payment to keep the mortgage payment more manageable for the child.
Together, we walked through several important questions…
Investing at Today’s Elevated Market Prices
With markets once again touching all-time highs, it’s natural for investors to feel uneasy. I’ve had several recent conversations with clients expressing concern that stocks are “too expensive.” That’s understandable with valuations today more than a standard deviation above their long-term averages…
Investing Cash at All-Time Highs
With the stock market once again at all-time highs, clients who have cash to invest have the added mental weight of investing money after a long stretch of market growth.
Should they buy after a dip? Wait for a correction? Hold cash until the "perfect" entry point? Over the long run, timing matters surprisingly little compared to simply staying invested…
Tax-Efficiently Diversifying from a Concentrated Stock Position
I recently met with a couple whose net worth was more than 75% tied up in a single stock. They both were employees of the same company and had received stock options as part of their compensation. The stock price had gone up substantially in a few short years, and they had never sold a single share.
While it’s a good problem to have, they were very concerned about what to do now…
How to Calculate an Accurate Retirement Budget
During the first year working with a new client one of the most important parts of the planning process for pre-retirees is stress testing the retirement budget. I've learned from trial and error that the budget shifts, sometimes dramatically, in retirement…
The Future of Social Security (2025 edition)
Will there be anything left when I retire? Will my benefits get cut? These are some of the most frequent questions I get when it comes to someone’s retirement plan. And the media loves to talk about the Social Security problems.
Fortunately, there is data to answer these questions. Every year the Board of Trustees for Social Security reviews the financial status of the trust fund that pays out Social Security benefits. Recently, the board released its 2025 report, and below is my summary…