Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) financial planning for retirement Jan 23, 2020

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

The Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) is available to Florida Retirement System (FRS) pension plan participants. As a DROP participant, you earn your salary while your monthly pension is paid into the FRS Trust Fund. You earn interest at the rate of 1.3%...

Continue Reading...
Life Insurance Part 1 – A Little History financial planning for attorneys financial planning for entrepreneurs financial planning for retirement financial planning for young professionals Jan 21, 2020

by Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

The fundamental reason to buy life insurance is that someone else is depending upon you for a living.  Plain and simple.  It is risk transfer:  in exchange for premium dollars, the insurance company will make a payout at your demise.

The life...

Continue Reading...
 
Finally! The Government Pays YOU! financial planning for retirement Jan 20, 2020

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

This blog post is actually the first of a trilogy having to do with Social Security.  The second is about the Taxation of Social Security Benefits, and the third is, Will Social Security will be There When I Retire?  

The Social Security benefit...

Continue Reading...
Life Insurance Part 3 – Why Haven't You Bought the Coverage You Know You Should Have? financial planning for attorneys financial planning for entrepreneurs financial planning for retirement financial planning for young professionals Jan 16, 2020

by Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

If you dropped dead tomorrow your family would be in a world of hurt.  You know this.  Yet you haven't purchased life insurance.  Why not?  Before you get into it, check out Part I and Part II of this 3-part series.  

Why Haven't...

Continue Reading...
How Much Investment Return Do I Need to Make? financial planning for attorneys financial planning for entrepreneurs financial planning for retirement Jan 15, 2020

by Jonathan G. Cameron, CFP®

Having great investment portfolio returns may not get you to your retirement goals. You could have (in theory) spectacular returns every year for 20 years and still not realize the retirement you want. Do we like strong investment performance? Sure. Should stellar...

Continue Reading...
 
Understanding Medicare, Parts A – D, and Medigap Policies financial planning for retirement Jan 15, 2020

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

Original Medicare is a creation of the Johnson administration in 1965.  Medicare is health insurance for those aged 65+.  There is a premium associated with coverage, and this premium is deducted from the Social Security Benefit.  As with any...

Continue Reading...
 
The FRS Pension Option financial planning for retirement Jan 14, 2020

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

Employer-sponsored retirement plans can be split into two groups:

  • Defined Contribution Plans, or DC Plans
  • Defined Benefit Plans, or DB Plans

As the name suggests, the salient feature of any defined contribution plan is the input – how money goes into the...

Continue Reading...
 
401k Retirement Plan Basics financial planning for attorneys financial planning for entrepreneurs financial planning for retirement financial planning for young professionals Jan 13, 2020

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

It used to be the case that you went to work for one employer and remained with that employer for the entirety of your working life.  You received a pension from that employer when you retired – in other words, you continued to get paid a lesser...

Continue Reading...
Life Insurance Part 2 – Uses Of Life Insurance Policies financial planning for attorneys financial planning for entrepreneurs financial planning for retirement financial planning for young professionals Jan 10, 2020

by Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

In Part I of this 3-part series I gave a brief history of the life insurance industry.  

Here in Part II I'll go over the main applications for life insurance policies.  Next, in Part III, I'll discuss some of the behavioral issues in obtaining...

Continue Reading...
 
What is a 457 Deferred Compensation Plan? financial planning for retirement Jan 07, 2020

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

This retirement savings vehicle gets its name from Section 457 of the tax code. It is a type of non-qualified deferred compensation. The employee defers money into the 457 account on a pre-tax basis. Any growth in the account doesn’t get taxed until it is...

Continue Reading...
You Knew All Year the Holidays Were Coming! financial planning for attorneys financial planning for entrepreneurs financial planning for retirement financial planning for young professionals Jan 06, 2020

by Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

I came to financial planning as a profession in my 40’s, having made a mid-life transition from retail management.  I worked in both department stores and specialty retail and generally enjoyed the work. I always enjoyed Christmas in the stores...

Continue Reading...
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13