Tag: Rick Brooks and Blankinship & Foster

The Ugly Math of Variable Annuities

| March 7, 2023 | 0 Comments

When a new client recently asked me to review a variable annuity they had purchased ten years ago, I knew I had my work cut out for me. Variable annuity contracts can be complex documents, loaded with confusing provisions, definitions, and terms. Often, the most complex parts are the most fundamental: the calculations used to […]

Continue Reading

Looking Forward to a New Year

| January 10, 2023 | 0 Comments

As 2022 winds down and we start thinking about how to work off the pecan pie and holiday celebrations, folks often naturally wonder what the new year has in store. For most of us, this feeling will be particularly acute as we open our brokerage statements in January. 2022 has been one for the record […]

Continue Reading

Do You Use Venmo?

| December 3, 2022 | 0 Comments

Earlier this year, I took a trip with some friends. We did some sightseeing, went to some fantastic restaurants, and overall had a great time together. As we travelled, it was easier for one of us to pick up the bill for dinner or the hotel than to split it on four credit cards or […]

Continue Reading

It’s Open Enrollment Time for Medicare

| November 5, 2022 | 0 Comments

Every year, those enrolled in Medicare can switch their insurance coverage. Whether you have Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement (“Medigap”) and a prescription drug policy or Medicare Advantage, this is when you can review your policy and possibly make a change. This annual Open Enrollment period lasts from October 15 through December 7 each […]

Continue Reading

Three Ways to Help Aging Relatives Manage Their Finances

| July 4, 2022 | 0 Comments

As the average age in America increases and more Baby Boomers retire, the so-called Sandwich Generation (those with school-age or young adult children and aging parents) are finding themselves having to assist both parents and kids simultaneously. Whether it’s helping to invest, pay bills or going to medical appointments as a second set of eyes, […]

Continue Reading

Complexity as Job Security

| June 5, 2022 | 0 Comments

We’ve all heard stories about the guy at work who makes his job seem far more complicated than it really is so that he becomes harder to fire or lay off. Complexity as job security is nothing new. And Wall Street product manufacturers are wizards at this. In the 1990s, as mutual funds were becoming […]

Continue Reading

Ukraine and the Volatility in the Stock Market

| March 5, 2022 | 0 Comments

As I write this article, Russia has finally made its move into Ukraine. After building up troops along the Ukrainian border, Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale assault on Ukraine with the stated objective of replacing its government. I don’t want to minimize the impact this would have on Ukraine, which will be devastating, but the […]

Continue Reading

To Roll or Not to Roll; What to do With Your 401(k)

| February 6, 2022 | 0 Comments

Every year, millions of Americans change jobs or retire and leave the workforce entirely. Most are faced with a seemingly inconsequential choice: what to do with your company 401k plan. Almost every financial advisor (including yours truly) will recommend rolling funds out of your company retirement plan and into a rollover IRA (that they can […]

Continue Reading

Planning is the Key to Goal Achievement

| January 2, 2022 | 0 Comments

I recently had the pleasure of joining my clients for the christening of their new boat. It was one of those rare experiences when you can share the moment as a lifelong dream comes true. This dream was a long time coming and was the result of a lot of hard work and planning. One […]

Continue Reading

Giving Thanks Two Years Into a Pandemic

| December 4, 2021 | 0 Comments

The past couple of years have been challenging on many levels. There were ups and downs, to be sure. Having my adult daughter living at home for almost a full year was wonderful, though we all agreed it was best when she moved back to school to finish her graduate degree. Not spending 90 minutes […]

Continue Reading