Call Our Office
(559) 384-2900 | Fresno
(619) 480-1413 | San Diego
Your Money
Your Life
Your Way
Article

Resolutions in the Heat of Summer

Resolutions in the Heat of Summer

Amid the draining heat of mid-summer, do you remember your New Year’s resolutions regarding your personal financial planning? How are you coming with your to-do list? Now is the time to check in and see how you’re really doing. Time passes quickly. August is just around the corner and then the year is half over. This is a great time to take action to keep your resolutions on track.

July 13, 2023
Resolutions in the Heat of Summer
Important Disclosure: Content on our website and in our newsletters is for informational purposes only. The information provided may (or may not) directly apply to your situation. We recommend that readers work directly with a professional advisor when making decisions in the context of their specific situation.

Amid the draining heat of mid-summer, do you remember your New Year’s resolutions regarding your personal financial planning? How are you coming with your to-do list?

Time passes. Our children grow up and we get older. Sand keeps passing through the hourglass of our earthly sojourn. The year is over half gone. Soon children will start back to school and traffic will worsen. The summer break for most will be over. So, it’s high time to get done what you need to get done.

As a financial planner, it’s amazing to see the number of people with no wills or obsolete wills. Such a lapse in planning is especially critical in a marriage with minor children in the mix. An old will is better than no will, but it carries potential problems for minors, especially if both parents die at once, or a single parent passes on.

Often the bulk of a couple’s savings, or that of a single parent, resides in retirement plans. There too, money passing to a minor presents problems. Have you checked both the primary and contingent beneficiary designations on retirement accounts, and personal and group insurance policies?

For those with young children, have you funded a 529 college savings plan? Anyone, a parent or a grandparent, annually may gift to such a college plan. Gifts are made with after-tax dollars but the money grows tax-free and may be spent tax-free to meet qualified college and graduate school expenses.

How are you coming with plans to pay down debt and build savings outside of your retirement plans? Think about creating Your Personal Freedom Fund – a pool of liquid capital equal to at least one-year’s worth of living expenses. Living paycheck to paycheck is motivation-draining stress. Liquid and available capital creates peace of mind and freedom to roll with the punches or pursue opportunities.

If you are a key breadwinner in a family or household, are you adequately insured against the consequences of disability or death? The same question goes for key persons of an enterprise, including business owners. Is there a succession plan? Is it up to date?

August is almost upon us. In less than three short months, Christmas and holiday decorations will pop up in your local mall.

And if you haven’t made progress on your New Year’s Resolutions, don’t worry – you still have time.

Other content you may like

  • Podcast Highlight 1 - Market Recap

    Podcast Highlight 2 - Weighted S&P 500 and AI

    June 3, 2024
    Learn valuable information in this clip as the Strong Valley advisor team brings light to the S&P 500, tech stocks and how growth affects their market success.
    Read this Article
  • Podcast Highlight - Client Questions: T-Bills are simple, can they save the day?

    August 31, 2023
    The Team discusses how people are enjoying the interest rates that their conservative investments are paying but warns that cash vehicles are not long-term solutions.
    Read this Article
  • Punxsutawney Phil and the Shadow of 2021

    February 2, 2021
    Winter might be six weeks longer, but it might be better to spring clean your investments now, rather than waiting until spring.
    Read this Article
  • Boost Your Family's Savings

    A Budget Can Help Boost Your Family’s Savings

    March 30, 2021
    In difficult economic times, many young couples and families may find themselves wondering where their money goes. Faced with income constraints and competing demands for their money, many people simply spend what they must on necessities and save whatever happens to be left over. Or they spend all of their wages trying to make ends […]
    Read this Article
  • The link you have selected is located on another server. The linked site contains information that has been created, published, maintained, or otherwise posted by institutions or organizations independent of this organization. We do not endorse, approve, certify, or control any linked websites, their sponsors, or any of their policies, activities, products, or services. We do not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information contained therein. Visitors to any linked websites should not use or rely on the information contained therein until they have consulted with an independent financial professional. Please click “Continue to Link” to leave this website and proceed to the selected site.
    phone-handset