Estate planning includes the process of documenting our intentions so that they are known after we pass away. Done well, the process is straight-forward, and the outcomes align with one's original vision. Not done well, or ignored, the process can be quite difficult, time consuming, and leave heirs with complicated situations to sort out. As Cheryl Munk of the Wall Street Journal highlights in, "Haven't Updated your Estate Plan in a While? It's time," 52% of children report that they haven’t had ... [Continue Reading]
Financial Planning
Articles and resources related to Financial Planning.
Five Key Estate Planning Matters to Consider Annually
Co-Authored by Katy VermeerEstate planning is one of the key components of the integrative wealth management process. However, for many people, absent major life changes, drafting or updating estate documents is a process they may only consider every five to ten years. We recommend, however, that clients consider the following five key related items on a more frequent basis:Beneficiary Designations Beneficiary designations are a very important part of one’s broader estate plan because ... [Continue Reading]
Retirement Spending: Don’t Leave the Best for Last
Posted on June 7, 2017At CCM, our mission statement is: “To be a trusted partner that allows our clients to feel secure in the knowledge that their investment, estate, tax, retirement, risk management and philanthropic plans are complete, optimized and integrated, in order that they may understand and use their wealth as a tool to accomplish what is important to them.”Today’s recommended reading, "The Mental Mistakes We Make With Retirement Spending," connects directly with that final piece..."in order that they ... [Continue Reading]
Who Are You Investing For?
Posted on April 26, 2017Conventional wisdom tells us that as we age, our investment portfolio should become more conservative. Once we reach retirement we want to start reducing the volatility in our portfolio, so we add more stable bonds into the portfolio and we start to remove a portion of stocks. As we age further, we may want an even more stable portfolio of investments, so we add even more bonds into the mix. However, 'conventional wisdom' doesn’t apply to every situation and every family. When we meet with ... [Continue Reading]
Lifestyle Inflation — the Impact of an Inflating Lifestyle on Retirement Planning Forecasts
At varying ages and stages in life, people experience the impact of inflation at different rates. These varying rates of inflation and their subsequent expenses have a direct impact on the income needed from an investment portfolio. They must be accounted for within a holistic wealth management plan to ensure a successful outcome.The phenomena of experiencing the impact of inflation rates at varying stages of life is primarily observed through lifestyle expenses. For example, the inflation ... [Continue Reading]