Anyone who has gone through a divorce knows how emotionally challenging and financially complex it can be. While attorneys handle the legal aspects, a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® focuses specifically on the financial implications of divorce. This specialized designation equips professionals with the expertise to guide clients through the intricate financial aspects of divorce proceedings, ensuring better outcomes for their financial future.
Anna Marie Mock, a fee-only certified financial planner at Highland Financial Advisors, discusses the dynamic interplay between art and science in financial planning. Drawing inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci's philosophy that "everything connects to everything else," she emphasizes that financial planning is an art involving subjective goal-setting and a science-driven by objective analysis tools. In this video, Anna explains how the scientific method can be applied to financial planning, using equity compensation as a concrete example.
What are your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about money? What about your partner, and do they differ from your own? Sometimes, the conflict we experience around money in our personal lives can be attributed to incongruent money scripts with those with whom we share finances. Let’s dive into the term money script and how understanding it can help us achieve our financial goals.
In talking with clients about the benefits their employer provides during the open enrollment season, one often overlooked benefit if clients have dependents is the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are not only a savvy investment option but also offer numerous benefits, especially for high-net-worth families. An HSA is a tax-advantaged savings account designed for individuals with high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) to help cover out-of-pocket medical expenses. While the utility of HSAs is universal, they hold advantages for high-net-worth families and have steadily grown in popularity since their inception.
The holiday season will soon pass, and for many, the joy of gift-giving has been overshadowed by a mounting credit card balance. As bills start rolling in, the temptation to explore a credit card balance transfer becomes increasingly attractive. But is this financial strategy a lifeline or a potential trap?
Choosing the right financial advisor is one of the most important decisions you'll make for your financial future. But with so many types of advisors and compensation structures, it can be challenging to know where to start. In this video, Reed Fraasa, a Certified Financial Planner® and founder of Highland Financial Advisors, breaks down the key differences between "fee-only" and "fee-based" financial advisors.
Mediation offers couples a dignified, collaborative path forward when life circumstances require critical legal decisions about their future. As a trained family law mediator, Zoe Cassotis guides New Jersey families through productive conversations that lead to thoughtful, mutually beneficial solutions. Her confidential mediation approach helps people maintain control of their decisions while saving time and money, creating positive outcomes that respect both parties' needs and values.
During my first year in college, I read my first investment book, "The Intelligent Investor" by Benjamin Graham, widely regarded as one of the greatest stock traders ever. Filled with excitement, I took copious notes, convinced I had stumbled upon the secret to success in the stock market. With this new knowledge, I eagerly deposited $600 into a trading account and made my first trade, purchasing ten shares of Columbia Sportswear Company stock ($COLM) at $56.80 per share.
As the end of the year approaches, it’s time for one of the most critical financial planning opportunities for employees: open enrollment. Whether you’re re-evaluating your benefits or making selections for the first time, open enrollment is a golden opportunity to make choices that align with your financial goals and needs.
What are your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about money? What about your partner, and do they differ from your own? Sometimes, the conflict we experience around money in our personal lives can be attributed to incongruent money scripts with those with whom we share finances. Let’s dive into the term money script and how understanding it can help us achieve our financial goals.
As I approach my thirties, I've noticed that my body doesn't bounce back from workouts as quickly as in my high school and college years. The days of waking up fresh after an intense workout without a second thought are behind me. Now, I realize the importance of adding mobility work and stretching to my weekly routine. Lower back pain and tightness have become recurring issues, mainly due to sitting more throughout the day and most likely lifting too heavy without perfect form.
Welcome to Highland Financial Advisor's comprehensive video series, designed to guide you through the crucial steps of interviewing and starting a relationship with a fiduciary financial advisor. Whether you're new to financial planning or looking to optimize your current strategy, our clearly defined process and expert advice will help you make informed decisions. In this series, we'll cover everything from understanding fees and value to setting financial goals and creating a personalized wealth management plan. Subscribe now to stay updated and take control of your financial future with confidence.
Rummaging around your stuffed filing cabinet, you come across a stock certificate. A glint of excitement enters as you think about the potential value of this forgotten relic. It is not uncommon to stumble upon an old stock certificate in its physical form. There are steps to take to research if the old stock certificate is worthless or if it is a lottery ticket.
When you think of Arnold Schwarzenegger, visions of his bodybuilding championships, blockbuster movies, and tenure as the governor of California probably come to mind. However, the Austrian-American renaissance man has added another accomplishment to his impressive resume - author. In his book "Be Useful: A Blueprint for Living an Integral Life," Schwarzenegger outlines his philosophy for leading a fulfilling existence by being useful and serving some cause greater than yourself.
After spending 17 years lying dormant underground, a new generation of Brood XIII cicadas will soon emerge across large swaths of the eastern United States. This phenomenon is one of the most remarkable examples of cyclical events in the natural world.
It's fascinating to think that the last time Brood XIII was about to turn in for its 17-year slumber, Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone to the world for the first time. A year later, a mysterious person named Satoshi Nakamoto wrote a paper describing something he called Bitcoin, which began trading for less than a penny.
The story is well-known: if you place a frog into boiling water, it will jump out immediately. But if the frog is put in tepid water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the impending danger and will eventually be cooked to death. This analogy is a powerful metaphor, cautioning us about the risks posed by gradual changes that go unnoticed—similar to the frog failing to react to the slowly heating water.
This metaphor aptly describes how people often fail to recognize or respond to gradual changes in their environment or circumstances. In financial planning, this concept underscores the importance of regularly monitoring a client's financial status to avoid being metaphorically "cooked."
The fascinating interplay between human decision-making and financial outcomes has long intrigued behavioral economics and psychology scholars. However, research has expanded this inquiry beyond human subjects, delving into the behavior of our primate cousins, specifically Capuchin monkeys. Situated on an island off the coast of Puerto Rico, researchers conducted an experiment seeking insights into economic behaviors, risk psychology, and the recurrence of financial crises in our societies, shedding light on the parallels between monkey behavior and human decision-making processes.
In today's discussion, we embark on the second step of enhancing financial health for pharmaceutical executives: the strategic utilization of non-cash benefits. Led by AnnaMarie Mock, a fee-only certified financial adviser at Highland Financial Advisors, this video aims to shed light on the often underestimated yet impactful facet of compensation packages.
In personal finance, the attraction of cash equivalents for long-term goals has persisted as a seemingly safe and stable investment strategy. Cash equivalents, including savings accounts, money market funds, certificates of deposit (CDs), and Treasury bills, are often viewed as low-risk options that offer liquidity and "preservation of capital." However, the belief that investing primarily in cash equivalents can secure one's financial future in the long term is a myth that should be challenged.
When going through a divorce, there are a million things to think about and plan for - division of assets, child custody arrangements, updating beneficiaries, and more. One aspect often overlooked is what happens to your health insurance and how to manage medical expenses best going forward. This is especially important for divorcees as they will now be managing their own healthcare costs independently rather than on a family plan.
As Wealth Advisors with extensive experience guiding high net-worth families through the intricacies of planning for their transition to retirement, we have witnessed firsthand the evolving dynamics of what it means to retire well. Traditionally, the focus has been on ensuring financial security through wealth accumulation, aiming to cover the expanses of one's lifespan. The traditional definition of "Retirement Planning".
