How Best to Save for a Child or Grandchild
There are three primary methods to save and invest for minor children, a custodial account, a 529 plan, or a brokerage account not in the...
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John Shaffer
- Jun 25
- 3 min
Sell in May and Go Away
Unpacking the origins, meaning, and relevance of ‘Sell in May and Go Away’ I’m sure you’ve all heard the old adage 'Sell in May and Go...
Ryan Phillips
- Feb 14
- 3 min
Record Cash Levels & Certificate of Deposits (CDs)
A bank Certificate of Deposit (CD) offers several benefits as part of your portfolio and cash savings plan. When you purchase a CD you...
Ryan Phillips
- Oct 12, 2023
- 5 min
Is Virginia's 529 Tuition Track Portfolio an Option more Parents Should Consider?
Families in Virginia saving for college in the states 529 plan might want to take a harder look at a relatively new investment account–...
Ryan Phillips
- Sep 11, 2023
- 2 min
IRS Delays 401(k) Catch-Up Rules
The IRS recently issued guidance that they are delaying new Roth 401k catch-up rules . At the end of last year, in December of 2022, the...
Ryan Phillips
- May 31, 2023
- 3 min
Fee-Only vs. Fee-Based Financial Advice: Why it is so Important
When I tell people I am a Fee-Only Financial Advisor, I often find there is considerable confusion around what this means and how it is...
Ryan Phillips
- Apr 30, 2023
- 3 min
How Much Risk Do We Have? SVB Bank Collapse
How much risk do we have in our portfolios? This is a question a lot of investors have been asking themselves as a banking crisis began...
Ryan Phillips
- Dec 2, 2022
- 3 min
What Type of Contribution? Roth or Traditional?
One of the most impactful items you can review each year is your retirement account contributions. For 2023, the contribution limit...
Ryan Phillips
- Sep 27, 2022
- 2 min
Investor Pessimism Rises - Cash Sees Large Inflows
According to a recent Bank of America report, cash saw huge inflows for the week ending September 21st as the Federal Reserve announced...
Ryan Phillips
- Sep 1, 2022
- 5 min
College Savings Check-up
For many parents in the DC area, investing in their children’s future is a top priority. From a full calendar of enriching activities,...
Ryan Phillips
- Jun 1, 2022
- 1 min
Cheaper to Eat Out?
Unfortunately, by now we are all getting pretty used to seeing the impacts of inflation in our everyday lives. One place where we all...
Ryan Phillips
- Apr 26, 2022
- 3 min
Ways to Strengthen your Finances Before a Recession
I was recently featured in an article in Forbes Advisor discussing strategies to strengthen your finances before a recession hits. ...
Ryan Phillips
- Mar 23, 2022
- 2 min
Is tax-free growth too good to last?
Did you know that Roth IRA was not created until 1997? The Roth 401(k) was not introduced until 2006? Many of the tools and planning...
Ryan Phillips
- Feb 17, 2022
- 3 min
Five steps to make tax filing season easier
For many people filing annual taxes is not a favorite pastime. The amount of time to work through the volume of paperwork that shows up...
Ryan Phillips
- Jan 11, 2022
- 3 min
New year's 2022 Financial Objectives
Whether you love New Year’s resolutions or not, the passing of the calendar to a new year is a great time to reflect on a few key aspects...
Ryan Phillips
- Dec 1, 2021
- 3 min
Five items for your year-end financial checklist
At this time of year when families are busy checking off their holiday lists, there are also a few items that should be on your year-end...
Ryan Phillips
- Nov 3, 2021
- 3 min
Still have money in your FSA? Now is the time to plan.
With the end of the year quickly approaching, it is a great time for families to take stock of any potentially unused funds in flexible...
Ryan Phillips
- Nov 1, 2021
- 2 min
Tracking Financial Progress
I was recently featured in an article on mint.com discussing what it means to be good with money and important financial metrics to track....
Ryan Phillips
- Jul 31, 2021
- 3 min
2021 Child Tax Credit - Still Time to Plan
Starting in mid-July, families across the US with children aged 17 and younger, began receiving monthly payments from an enhanced Child...
Ryan Phillips
- May 3, 2021
- 2 min
Top Questions to Ask a Financial Advisor
I was recently quoted in UpJourney discussing top questions to ask a financial advisor before hiring them. The article tabulated...
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