News

  Finding Your Own 4% Rule (2 min. read) By Andy Meyer, Vantage Financial Partner & Senior Wealth Advisor It’s human nature to look for short-cuts or ways to simplify a problem or question. We all do it. Whether it’s when we cook, try to lose weight, or grow our net worth. For decades, the 4% rule has been used as the way to simplify retirement and answer the question, “How much money do I need to retire?” Overall, it’s not a bad place to start. For a lot of Midwesterners, 4% should get the job

  The Value of Discipline and Patience (2 min. read) By Michael Franks, Iraq/Afghanistan Combat Infantry Veteran, Vantage Senior Wealth Advisor War is hell, and in this increasingly virtually-connected life we live in, that hell could potentially cause folks to make emotional decisions about their investments, potentially crippling their long-term plans. Hourly we are bombarded by pictures, articles, Tweets, TikToks, and videos showing details about war that would have been seen by only a handful 20 years ago. This amount of information is an assault on our senses and can cloud the truth. The truth is,

  Working With Vantage as a Fiduciary Registered Investment Advisor (3 min. read) What is a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA)? A Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) is an individual financial advisor or a company that provides its clients with financial advice. Unlike other types of financial advisors, RIAs have a fiduciary duty to act in your best interests. RIAs have a fiduciary duty to their clients. This means at Vantage, we are legally bound, and always obligated, to act in your best financial interest (putting your interests ahead of our own) and to utilize competitively priced investments

  “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 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