Highlights After three straight quarters of positive returns in equity markets, stocks pulled back during the third quarter of 2023. While gaining meaningfully over the prior year, US, international developed, and emerging markets were all down roughly 3-4% for the quarter. The recent market performance continues to be heavily influenced by interest rates and the…
When individuals set goals that are especially meaningful to them, they experience a sense of mission. They feel enthusiasm for the tasks that lie ahead and for what they intend to accomplish. At every stage of life, having a mission gives them a reason to get up in the morning, bounce back from setbacks, and…
An Estate Planning Checklist for Your Head and Heart Your estate plan isn’t just about distributing your assets; it’s also about ensuring your loved ones are taken care of, your wishes are honored, and potential complications are avoided. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through an essential estate planning checklist to help you make…
Over the last decade, I’ve noticed a theme when working with my client families. While the question may not come out exactly this way, the essence usually distills to, “How should we allocate our hard-earned dollars?” One of the key concepts in financial management is cash flow – the inflow and outflow of money in…
The Oregon Small Business Development Center (Oregon SBDC) recently recognized Collective Wealth Planning in its success story series. Read a bit about the practice, our humble beginnings, and the ways Oregon SBDC helped the firm thrive from the start: Today we’re thrilled to introduce Oregon SBDC client Brenna Baucum, owner of Collective Wealth Planning in…
Victim of Fraud – What to Do Last year, a dear friend of mine became a victim of fraud. She came across an investment opportunity with a small business promising great returns for initial investors. She wired $100,000, only to find weeks later that the company didn’t exist. When sharing this story with me, she…
Second to income replacement, healthcare coverage is one of the more important planning opportunities to consider as you transition to retirement. Whether you’re working or already retired, this post is designed to give you a high-level overview of Medicare, what Original Medicare covers (and what it doesn’t), and your options around supplemental policies. What is…
I was honored to be featured in CanvasRebel Magazine, featuring artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs under the “Doing Things Your Way” category. In it, I share the defining ‘why’ moments that drove me to pursue a life-planning approach and Collective Wealth Planning, along with some brass tacks around the ‘how’ behind getting started and continuing to…
Change is situational. Transition, on the other hand, is psychological. It is not those events but rather the inner reorientation or self-redefinition that you have to go through in order to incorporate any of those changes into your life. – William Bridges, PhD | Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes If you prefer to listen…
Planning for Medicare and adequate healthcare coverage is central to retirement planning. Often, unknown Medicare surcharges lurk for those over certain income thresholds. This post discusses those fees, thresholds, and your options for reducing them. What is a Medicare Surcharge? Medicare surcharges (also known as income-related monthly adjustment amount or IRMAA) increase the premiums paid…