A picture from a night rescue we did out in Canyonlands National Park a couple years back. While I’m not on the front line much anymore, I will never forget the risk we took every shift to get the job done. That risk still exists for those currently serving on the front line.…

Does your NSO plan have the stock swap option? Pretty similar to the exercise/sell to cover strategy, but some plans have a reload feature. If they do, then stock swapping may be the better option. Does your plan also allow exercising unvested NSOs? Now stock swapping…

When dealing with an inherited IRA, various scenarios come into play, contingent upon who inherits the IRA and when it occurs. Among the beneficiaries, spouses typically have more flexibility. Here's a breakdown of their primary options: Retitling: As the surviving spouse, you…

Which is better... 12% returns every year for 20 years, or 24% returns every other year for 20 years? Here is the breakdown... One time contribution of $1,000: 12% every year = $10,892 24% every other year = $10,753 Difference = 1.27% Same scenario but with $1,000 monthly…

The value of your possessions is directly correlated with what someone else is willing to pay for them.  That is the case for your car, your house, your business, and even the stocks, bonds and funds you hold in your investment accounts. So what is the formula for…

A good bet in economics: the past wasn’t as good as you remember, the present isn’t as bad as you think, and the future will be better than you anticipate.

Most 401k plans have a match. Of the ones that do, some vest that match right away, others have a schedule. Do you know what your match is? And do you know when it actually becomes yours?

The price of a stock says nothing about a company’s value. It is simply a byproduct of the company’s market cap divided by their outstanding shares.

Big difference between the 457b and the 401(k) plan is your ability to take distributions from the plan, penalty free, after severance if under the age of 59 1/2

It doesn’t always make sense to hold municipal bonds in a non-retirement account. The issuer of these bonds know they can discount the yield because they are exempt from federal, and sometimes even state taxes. If you’re not paying that much in taxes because you’re retired,…

Pre or post-tax contributions to your 401K? It is a question I get asked a lot. There are a lot of variables we have to account for when giving guidance on the matter, but the idea is simple... pay taxes now, or pay taxes later. I created this quick video to help show the…

If you’re paying a 7% mortgage rate, is a high yield savings account the best place to put your extra cash?

Investing in municipal bonds can offer not only federal tax benefits, but also potential state tax savings when purchasing local municipal bonds. While municipal bond yields often appear lower compared to corporate bonds, it's important to understand that these issuers factor in…

If you have non qualified stock options (NSOs) through your employer, you’ll want to see if they also offer early exercise if invested options by filing form 83(b) with the IRS. There are so many factors to determining if you should exercise early, but it all starts with…

What does flying and financial planning have in common? Here is my story and the journey between. linkedin.com/posts/benton-b…

Car insurance is interesting. You pay a premium so you’re not out a lot of money if you wreck your car. This provides peace of mind. If you wreck your car, you assess the damage and decide if using insurance is worth it or not, considering the premium will go up if you do.…

It's official. We just hit mortgage rates we haven't seen in 23 years! If you're looking to tap into your home equity, I can't imagine a cash-out refinance making sense for anyone. On the other hand, the variable rate associated with the traditional HELOC seems way more…

We owe a huge thank you to all of our first responders. On this #FirstRespondersDay show your appreciation to the heroes who risk their lives to help and save others. If you have a story you’d like to share of your hero, please do so in the comments. #firstresponders

HSAs are great investment vehicles. Money goes in pre-tax, grows tax deferred, and if used for medical expenses, is tax free when you pull it out. If you’re young and can afford to, paying for medical expenses out of pocket will allow for that HSA money to continue to grow.…

Does your 401k plan offer non-deductible contributions? This is different than Roth contributions. If you’re currently maxing out your 401k, you may want to check with your employer and see if you can make contributions above the IRS limit. Since you’ll be above the limit,…

Next to the 10% increase that occurs when you move from the 12% to 22% bracket, the second most substantial tax increase affects single filers earning above $182,100 and joint filers earning above $364,200. Yes, your tax rate will still increase when making over $231,250…