Our Resources
We write on practical, thoughtful, well-sourced topics that apply to our clients written by David, Alishia, and other humans--not AI.
Below are quick links to our most popular topics, but you can use the search to help you find what you’re looking for.
Retirement
If you are self-employed or a small business owner, most financial advisors will suggest contributing to a SEP IRA. But a Solo 401(k) account offers more advantages.
Are you worried about how the current economic climate will affect your retirement planning? We’re hearing more and more that Gen X and younger need to save more to retire comfortably. And while the market is unpredictable, focusing on long-term planning is more important than short-term market movements.
The 2019 SECURE act and its follow-up, SECURE 2.0, are the largest changes to the U.S. retirement system since the late 1990s. I reviewed both bills and compiled 57 notable retirement changes in the bills, all ranging from small to moderate in scope. Nothing addresses the inherent flaws in the system that go back to the 1970s when our modern retirement system transitioned dramatically. Social Security and troubled employer managed pensions needed bailouts and reform and seemed unprepared to support America’s retirement.
In 2022, the Biden administration announced $36 billion in COVID-19 money would go to Teamster union pensions in the Midwest and Texas. Pension funds are troubled and need fixing. Wall Street, bad regulations, short-term thinking, and mismanagement play a big role. But let’s not assume it’s easy to run a pension. Pensions have the same huge issue you do with your own retirement plan. It’s the number one worry of my clients and the primary reason people seek a financial planner.
Imagine you pass away and leave $75,000 in a bank account (approximately the median inheritance for the 50th-90th percentile of total wealth.) That sum represents money you didn't you didn't need to earn, right? Effectively, says author of 'Die with Zero' Bill Perkins, you worked for 'free'. I would add you might have missed out on experiences. You could have taken an amazing safari or two with that money!
Investing
AI will be a transformative, revolutionary technology. Nonetheless, Americans are pessimistic about it and they’re not wrong. There’s every chance AI triggers human harm or does serious economic damage somewhere—whether through labor displacement, misinformation at scale, security failures, or just the gradual human consequences of a world where bureaucracy, surveillance, and automation get dramatically cheaper.
Harry Markowitz brought us Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) in the 1950s and this model became the standard used by Wall Street and DC regulators. Even today, nearly three quarters of a century later, you see MPT everywhere. What’s the problem? It’s beautifully precise, but still not accurate.
To be in a bear market means we’ve had a 20% drop in the market from the most recent high. Though it may not seem like it, bear markets happen all the time and one was frequently indicated due to the economic cycle and market valuations.
Bear markets are part of the market lifecycle. Learn more about the history, implications and what to do as an investor.
Are you worried about how the current economic climate will affect your retirement planning? We’re hearing more and more that Gen X and younger need to save more to retire comfortably. And while the market is unpredictable, focusing on long-term planning is more important than short-term market movements.
Life Planning & Education
AI will be a transformative, revolutionary technology. Nonetheless, Americans are pessimistic about it and they’re not wrong. There’s every chance AI triggers human harm or does serious economic damage somewhere—whether through labor displacement, misinformation at scale, security failures, or just the gradual human consequences of a world where bureaucracy, surveillance, and automation get dramatically cheaper.
Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of life. And still, this topic is very taboo. Being financial planners, factoring in your ultimate death is always part of our work, but it can still be difficult to address. As a death positive financial planning firm, it’s our promise to meet you where you, actively listening while being open, honest and empathetic.
A DIY Sabbatical is a planned break from work with full intentions to return after 1 month to a year, or more. These are often opportunities to focus on health and/or life experiences. While a year is not uncommon, it does require more planning to maintain financial and career goals
At Lifetime Financial, we spend a lot of time Life Planning. We use a series of exercises that encourage clients to spend their time and money on the things that bring them the most fulfillment and flourishing. Travel is high (often number 1) on our fulfillment lists, including mine. For most of my life I have thought of it as a core value that has moral goodness. Was I right about that?
Saving & Cash Flow
If you are self-employed or a small business owner, most financial advisors will suggest contributing to a SEP IRA. But a Solo 401(k) account offers more advantages.
The question I get the most is, ‘Should I invest my emergency fund in the stock market?’ Your bank account has never been great at making money. For most of the 2000s, inflation has beat CD rates, which are usually a bit higher than regular bank account rates. The late 80s and 90s were the last time one could reliably make a little money after inflation in a bank account.
Imagine you pass away and leave $75,000 in a bank account (approximately the median inheritance for the 50th-90th percentile of total wealth.) That sum represents money you didn't you didn't need to earn, right? Effectively, says author of 'Die with Zero' Bill Perkins, you worked for 'free'. I would add you might have missed out on experiences. You could have taken an amazing safari or two with that money!
Trish, my late wife, and I traveled a lot with my girls after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003. We didn’t always have enough money for travel. I got creative and started optimizing credit card points and harvesting miles, which comes naturally to a planner and finance nerd like me. The experience dividends have been priceless.
I love I Bonds and have had them since 1999. If you can wait a year to get your money back a bit like a CD, they are an incredible choice for your ‘safe’ money. However, they are not as easy to use as one would hope and I think they fit best in a long-term strategy.