Blog

Medicare 101: What You Need to Know

An often overlooked aspect of financial planning is considering health insurance options. Health care costs continue to rise, and as you grow older the likelihood you’ll need those services increases. Read more

Fallout from Equifax Breach

143 million American consumers were affected by the data breach at Equifax, one of the nation’s three major credit reporting agencies. Read more

Safeguarding Personal Information

Electronic theft of personal information is the fastest-growing crime in the United States, with more than two billion personal records stolen worldwide in 2016. Protecting your personal information is a key component to reducing the potential that your information may be stolen. Read more

Eclipse Planning

Published by Mark Petersen and the Carson Group Partners Investment Committee

One in 256,481,280. No, I am not calculating the odds of winning the Powerball Lottery. This is the number of 50 square foot sections to view Totality for the 2017 Solar Eclipse in the state of Nebraska. So many choices! How does one decide? Let’s briefly review the thought process: Read more

Fees or Foes

Published by Scott Kubie

Recently, a fee-only financial advisor mentioned to me that more clients are proposing to manage more of their own assets and invest in the “S&P 500.” For most who go down this path, this move will likely end badly. These investors, while seeking to avoid wealth management fees, are ignoring the value their advisor brings to them as well as the current market environment. Read more

How to Avoid the Top 3 Financial Fears in Retirement

You’ve worked hard for your money and during your retirement years, you want to have confidence that you can enjoy it. However, many retirees have common concerns as they move from asset accumulation to asset preservation. “Am I spending too much?” “Have I set aside enough for long-term care?” “Will I outlive my assets?” These are all questions many retirees think about. Read more

Three Reasons to Consider Active Management

Published by Brett Carson

Trends are pervasive in our culture, and the investment world is no different. The latest is the move towards passive investing using low-cost ETFs. Essentially, the argument is that nobody can consistently beat the overall market, so you’re better off owning a cheap index fund with the aim of just keeping pace with it. Read more

What is goals-based planning?

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

Is there something you’ve always wanted to do but still haven’t done it? Maybe time constraints are holding you back or you are unsure if your financial resources will accommodate your plans. Or maybe, like a lot of people we meet, you haven’t taken the time to really think about what you want. Read more

How to Set up a Trust

Published by Beth Schanou, Director of Wealth and Estate Planning

A trust can be a necessary tool for an estate plan. But, you may ask, what is a trust? Put very simply, a trust is created with a formal legal document to manage assets for beneficiaries. The trust is created by a person called the Settlor or Grantor, and a Trustee is appointed to follow the rules of the trust for management of the trust and its assets for the beneficiaries’ benefit. Read more

What is the Difference Between a Will & Trust?

Published by Beth Schanou, Director of Wealth & Estate Planning

Estate plans can be structured differently depending on a person’s situation and intentions.  What is the difference between a will and a trust? A will and a trust are separate documents to pass assets to heirs after death, but they are administered differently and have varying advantages. Read more