News

  “Take 10” – An End-Of-Year Financial Checklist (2 min. read) This is a good time to look back on the past 12 months and look ahead to a new year. Be honest as you hit these 10 key check points for managing your finances and reviewing goals and objectives. This can help get you started, and potentially show you where you have been diligent and can say, “Yes! I’ve got that handled!” and where you can say, “It only takes a minute and it’s worth doing to have peace of mind and a good feeling

  Savings:  Think Thousands, Not Nickels and Dimes (2.3 min. read) By Ben Uphoff, Vantage Partner & Wealth Advisor Business discussion groups we attend talk about the many tips offered for saving money in your budget. Problem is, these are “nickel and diming” options. Canceling Netflix, not going to the coffee house, and hyper frugal ideas like reusing baggies or home haircuts. Even with the best of intentions, implementing these hacks will have only minimal effect on you budget. We want to consider ways of saving thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars, to make

John Neff–One of the Investment Greats–“Was Decent To The Core” John Neff, (1931- 2019), is a son of Ohio who produced one of the best long-term records of any money manager ever. He loved finding stocks that were unpopular and had hidden potential, then bought them in bulk. Mr. Neff managed the Vanguard Windsor Fund for 31 years, from 1964 through his retirement in 1995, and in that period, the fund posted a cumulative total return of 5,546%, nearly 2-1/2 times the performance of the S&P 500. Born just outside of Toledo in Waseon, Ohio, Neff went into the

Planning Your Retirement Budget (2 min. read) For those on the cusp of retirement, or forced into earlier-than-expected retirement, you may have done some numbers in your head to figure out whether you will have “enough” saved and coming in (from Social Security, a pension, your 401K, or passive investments) to last through the golden years. According to the U.S. Census for 2021, the average age of retirement for men in the U.S. is 65, and for women, 62. The statistics vary from source to source, some say the average retirement age is 66. With people living longer due

Considering Downsizing? Housing Market Trends (2.5 minute read) The U.S. housing inventory is historically low; prices are strong versus historical rates, and prices are increasing in double digit increments annually in nearly every market. This real estate boom is resulting in faster sales times. The shortage of homes makes it hard to meet demand from buyers. As of the first quarter this year, the housing inventory was a record 29% lower than it was a year earlier, according to the National Association of Realtors. That caused the time on the market, on average, to fall to 20 days or

The Vantage Way  (4 min. read) As fee-based Wealth Advisors, we consistently meet and talk with new people every day. Some interactions are simply surface level that start and end in the same sentence. Others are icebreakers that end up being the beginning of a long-term relationship. Meeting new people is an important part of our routine; it’s how we got started in this relationship business and it’s why we are one of the fastest growing Registered Investment Advisors in the Midwest. First and foremost, we have the best clients that not only inspire us to bring value to

The Biden Administration’s Tax Rate Proposals – Impacts to Consider (2 min. read) Naturally there is a great deal of speculation on the current capital gains tax increase proposal. Headlines in the news center on President Biden’s proposal to raise the U.S. capital gains tax rate for Americans earning $1 million per year or more from investment income. If enacted by Congress into the tax code, it could affect several aspects of the overall economy, not to mention individuals and corporations and their long-term investing. Every time there is an administration or political majority change there is talk of

Raising Money-Smart Kids (2 minute read) To say that “times have changed” since boomers were children is a vast understatement. Now, twelve-year olds are using debit cards and apps to track their allowance, pay for things, and auto-deducting from their accounts. Even churches take cash-less, check-less offerings. And the impatient stares given at the grocery store to those paying by check? Awful. Here are a few tips on affecting change in personal finance education for kids, teens, and family members starting their lives independently – hopefully, without repeating some of our mistakes. 1. Be part of helping the schools

Estate Planning – A Primer on Moving Forward (3 minute read) by Matt Niedeberbaumer, Partner & Senior Wealth Advisor Often, a client will begin with the common question, “Do I need a trust?” And, of course without knowing all the information, professionals (myself included) can’t simply determine the answer with a “yes” or “no”. In estate planning, as with all the other financial planning we do, many tools including trusts are selectively used to customize the work for each client. To that end, trusts, wills, family limited partnerships, an s-corporation, c-corporation, LLC, or LLP can be useful in the