By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

I thought I’d put together a short list of the most important ages in financial planning.  The ages on the list changed a bit in 2020, so a review is in order.  Look up your age and see what’s happening for you!

Age 21 – UTMA account becomes the child’s 

An account ...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

I get a lot of questions on this topic, particularly for people thinking of real estate investing as sort of a retirement pastime.  So I thought I’d go into a little bit.  Here in Part I I’ll address cash flow issues, and how to determine if a particular property will...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

This is a really personal list.  It is complied from years of observing the human condition and reading good novels.  It is intended to be humorous, yet I’m fully aware that it might hit some raw nerves.  So for the intrepid souls out there, read on . . .

Counting do...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

As a financial planner, I work with a lot of couples planning for retirement.  Retirement brings on a sea-change in thinking.  Up until then most people have been in an accumulative stage of money management – saving up against the day they stop working.  Come retirem...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

A friend recently suggested that I write a piece about children and money.  At first I thought myself unqualified, as I have no formal education in this area.  But then I got to thinking that, as a father and now grandfather, that I might have something useful to cont...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

A lot of thought goes into planning for the retirement years.  Typically, people like to have the mortgages on their primary residences paid off, to go into retirement clean and with no debt.  This often begs the question; Do I have to keep paying on this life policy?...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

This is a big topic and a big part of financial planning for retirement.  The statistic is that by age 75, 75% of us will have needed some long-term care.  So the question is, how can I prepare for this risk financially? 

A principle of risk management is to insure ...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

What is the best tax bargain out there? 

Is it the 529 college savings plan?  Let’s see.  That is funding with after tax dollars, but the funds grow without taxation and come out without taxation when used for qualified higher education expenses.  That’s a double ta...

by Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

As I noted in Part I, an annuity is a complex financial animal.  It can be used as a tool to accumulate funds on a tax-advantaged basis.  It can also be used efficiently to distribute funds in later years, which is my focus here in Part II.   

A Stream of Payments I ...

Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

An annuity is a complex financial animal.  It can be used as a tool to accumulate funds on a tax-advantaged basis.  It can also be used efficiently to distribute funds in later years.  Here in Part I I’m focusing on the accumulation phase.  In Part II I’ll cover distribu...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

Q:  I’m in financial trouble.  Should I take out a 401k withdrawal?

This is a tough question, and the answer is generally, Not unless you truly need it.  A direct withdrawal from a 401(K) before age 59 ½ is a last-resort option, with a big taxable event. 

I want to ...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

Q:  I have a lot of high interest credit card debt.  Should I take out a 401k loan?

This is a question we come across not uncommonly.  There is a lot to like about doing this, but a big potential tax trap as well. 

I want to distinguish clearly between 401K loans an...