Articles and Videos

Investing and Personal Finance

Are Two Incomes Really Better Than One?

February 28, 2019

There was a time when it was common for one spouse to go to work and earn a living while the other spouse stayed at home and took care of the house and the kids. Remember that? As gender roles expanded in the 1960s and 1970s, these stereotypes went out the window—and both spouses often… View Article

Investing and Personal Finance

Mixing Investments May Raise Retirement Confidence

February 20, 2019

A lot of people these days seem to be concerned about outliving their retirement savings. They see stock market volatility, and they get all kinds of agita when they think about having to rely on their portfolio for retirement income. Well, here’s a little good news for you: some new research suggests that by adding… View Article

Investing and Personal Finance

Money-Saving Tips for Valentine’s Day

February 12, 2019

In case you’ve forgotten, today is Valentine’s Day. It’s one of those special days of the year that can not only put you in a nice, romantic mood but also put a dent in your wallet. The National Retail Federation says consumers spent nearly $20 billion on gifts and activities last year, with over half… View Article

Investing and Personal Finance

Retiring Young and the 4% Rule

February 6, 2019

About 25 years ago we began hearing about the 4% rule, which is the idea that a retiree can withdraw 4% of a portfolio’s original value per year and still be reasonably certain that their money will last as long as they do. Whether it works is dependent on many different factors, but it’s a… View Article

Investing and Personal Finance

5 Financial Planning Tips to Kick Off 2019

January 30, 2019

Now that 2019 is here and we’ve got most of the year left to look forward to, right now is a really good time to make sure your financial house is in order. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants just issued several tips for those who are aiming to reach their financial goals, so… View Article

Investing and Personal Finance

4 Ways to Pay For College Without Student Loans

January 24, 2019

A recent article in Forbes said that student loan debt is now the second-highest consumer debt category, second only to mortgage debt. In 2018, the average student owed about $37,000 in education loans. So with costs rising out of control, how does one build a plan to pay for college without using student loans? Here are… View Article

Investing and Personal Finance

Diversification Can Make a Difference

January 3, 2019

Let’s look back for just a moment at where we were at the start of the year 2000, the end of the dot-com era. The markets were up substantially from where they were just a few years earlier, the NASDAQ was on fire, and there was talk in some circles of a new paradigm in… View Article

Investing and Personal Finance

Tax Management at Retirement

December 12, 2018

During your retirement years, it’s really important that you pay close attention to the income tax consequences of your investment decisions. You need to think about this, because if you have a lot of investment income when you’re retired, you may find that your Social Security benefits have been pushed into the taxable column. What’s… View Article

Investing and Personal Finance

Pay Off the Mortgage or Invest the Money?

December 6, 2018

One question that we often get from people who have a little bit of extra money to save is whether or not they should invest that money, or should they use it to pay down (or pay off) their mortgage?

Investing and Personal Finance

4 Year-End Planning Tips

November 29, 2018

You may have noticed that 2018 is quickly coming to an end. When it comes to retirement and tax planning, right now can be a really good time to take care of some things that need to be done before the year is out. Unfortunately, this is also a time where people tend to make some not-so-good decisions about RMDs, Roth conversions, asset appreciation – things like that.

Investing and Personal Finance

3 Tips for Buying or Selling a Home

November 14, 2018

If you’re thinking about buying or selling your home, you probably have some questions. The process can be long and stressful, and many of the rules have changed over the past couple of decades. So whether you’re a buyer or a seller (or both), here are 3 tips to help you play it smart.

Lucia Capital Group Weekly

How to Determine Your Retirement Income Needs

November 7, 2018

Everyone’s retirement situation is unique. This means the amount of money you’ll need for income in retirement can be a lot more, or a lot less, than that needed by others your age. However, it’s still a good idea to come up with a personal estimate—one that will put you somewhere in the ballpark of where you may need to be.