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Why Change is Good (even for Businesses)

By Mike Gertsema, CEO & Wealth Advisor A new grocery store chain comes to town with a new variety of products – bakeries, delis, pharmacies, liquor stores, restaurants – and offers online ordering, pick up services, and home delivery services.

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What Does it Mean to Get Five-Star Service From a Financial Planner?

By Mike Gertsema, CEO & Wealth Advisor You book a vacation and spend money on a hotel. You’re super excited because the photos look nice and you’re taking some time off work. But, when you walk in, you realize it’s dirtier than you expected and the service is less than subpar.

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What You Need to Know When Choosing the Right Trustee

One of the most important decisions you’ll make when designing your estate plan is who to name in the various fiduciary roles – trustee, personal representative, executor and agent.

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Knowing Your Why in Finances (and the Rest of Life)

By Mike Gertsema, CEO & Wealth Advisor I’ve just finished the book Start with Why by Simon Sinek after it was recommended to me several times by friends and colleagues. It helps you think deeply about why you do the work you do.

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Should You Rethink Your Retirement Income Strategy?

By Mike Gertsema, CEO & Wealth Advisor Most people work their entire lives saving money in their 401(k) plans or other employer retirement plans with the goal of having enough to retire comfortably. The goal is to replace their net take-home pay with Social Security, pensions and the income and growth off of their retirement investments.

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Why Estate Planning isn’t a One-and-Done Scenario

By Mike Gertsema, CEO & Wealth Advisor Death and taxes are life’s two great “unavoidables,” so why do we always avoid discussing them? I was looking at our estate planning infographic that indicated that 42% of all adults have a will or living trust in place.

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6 Planning Opportunities for 401(k)s in Light of the SECURE Act

By the very name, the SECURE Act – or Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act – is designed to enhance retirement savings. There are several provisions in the new law to help accomplish this goal.

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Is Your Financial Advisor All About You?

By Mike Gertsema, CEO & Wealth Advisor There are a lot of investment firms out there and they all say the same thing in different ways. They all say they have great customer service, get to know you, your goals, and they put a plan together.

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How to Choose Between Brokers or Registered Investment Advisors

By Mike Gertsema, CEO & Wealth Advisor Recently, we had a prospective client visit us to discuss retirement planning. They had no idea if they were ever going to be able to retire and were concerned they would have to work until the age of 70. We had a pre-meeting to gather all their financial information: income tax returns, retirement plans, 401(k) accounts, social security information, bank accounts, brokerage accounts, any debts, and other items. Once we determined the net amount that the clients are currently living on now, the amount they were saving annually, and determined they’d like to...read the full article

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Teaching Kids about Money from Childhood Through Adulthood

Teaching kids about money is especially complex – you aren’t just passing on a few bucks to go to the movies, but an array of attitudes, values and assumptions regardless of whether you mean to. Your kids watch, in a way not even they are aware of, how you interact with finance and how you model it for them.