Buying a home may seem like the right thing to do, but is it?
There are many factors to consider before you purchase a home, and the most obvious is, can you afford the mortgage payments? Then on top of that, there are annual property taxes and monthly utilities like gas and electricity. And don’t forget about the less obvious expenses like furniture and decor, and unexpected repairs or upgrades.
The reality is, it requires a lot of financial planning before you put an offer on a house.
In this episode of WealthStyle, Iván Watanabe and Evan Wohl explore the different reasons why their clients want to buy houses, how the costs associated with owning a home factor into financial and retirement planning, and how much the housing market has changed post-pandemic.
Iván and Evan discuss:
The financial costs of owning a house after the initial purchase
How your financial plans will shift when planning to buy a house
The role of mortgage and interest rates and how they are constantly changing
The Secure Act was one of the most significant systemic rewrites of retirement planning in recent history. These changes created opportunities for all ages, from young adults just out of college to individuals just starting retirement.
In this episode, Evan Wohl speaks with Joshua Caron, Vice President of Federal Affairs at Finseca, on the Secure Act, how it changed retirement planning, and the individual aspects of the Secure Act 1.0 and 2.0.
Josh discusses:
Why the shift away from pensions was so important in retirement planning
How student debt conflicted with retirement planning for those fresh out of college
The change to overfunding 529 accounts and how Secure Act 2.0 changed the tax penalties for the account
Why 401(k)s are no longer enough for retirement income and the impact of longevity on retirement planning
Joshua Caron is the Vice President of Federal Affairs for Finseca. Originally from Massachusetts, he attended Arizona State University for both his undergraduate and graduate degrees. His primary role is to advocate for policies that allow for more Americans to live financially secure lives with a focus on the advanced markets.
Prior to joining Finseca, he worked for several political campaigns, including those former President Barack Obama and former Congressman Harry Mitchell (D-AZ). He lives with his wife, daughter, and chocolate lab in St. Anthony Park, St. Paul MN.
About Evan Wohl:
Evan’s clients trust him with the responsibility to guide them through the complexities of personal finance. He provides clarity and insight on how to measure and improve your cash flow as well as whether or not you are on track to accomplish your various financial goals. The firm takes a macroeconomic approach to planning and coordinates all of your financial decisions through the use of a comprehensive economic model.
Evan’s wife, Laurie, and he have three children, Quinn, Parker and Bodie. He currently sits on the board of The Hope Gala. The Hope Gala was created to support fundraising efforts on behalf of The Four Diamonds Fund and The Penn State Dance Marathon (THON™). The Hope Gala contributes to the mission of conquering childhood cancer. All proceeds benefit pediatric cancer patients at the Penn State Children’s Hospital and their families in need of financial aid, medical assistance, and emotional support.
Retirement income relies solely on the investments and savings created while you still have a paycheck. Leveraging the right tools can decrease the amount loss from market volatility, while keeping you afloat.
In this episode, Iván Watanabe and Evan Wohl are joined by Dr. Wade Pfau, Ph.D, CFA, RICP, founder of Retirement Researcher, and professor at The American College of Financial Services, to discuss some of the research behind retirement planning, and how to increase security around your retirement funds.
Iván, Evan and Wade discuss:
The difference between the accumulation phase and the retirement phase of life
How sequence of returns increases the impact of market volatility on retirement investments
Alternative buffer assets to create security when other assets can’t provide enough income during retirement
Why tax planning is essential to decrease the amount paid rather than avoid taxes all together
Dr. Wade D. Pfau, Ph.D., is a Professor of Retirement Income in the Ph.D. in Financial and Retirement Planning program, Co-Director of the American College Center for Retirement Income, and RICP® program director at The American College of Financial Services.
Dr. Pfau is a co-editor of the Journal of Personal Finance. He has spoken at national conferences of organizations for financial professionals, such as the CFA Institute, FPA, NAPFA, AICPA-PFP, and AFS. He also publishes frequently in a wide variety of academic and practitioner research journals.
If you want to donate to a charitable organization, it’s important to know your options.
In this episode, Iván Watanabe is joined by Jen Mayo, the director of gift planning and advisor relations at Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF). Jen explains how with a donor-advised fund, you can give more to your charity of choice while revealing how to donate before, during, and after retirement through effective tax planning.
Jen discusses:
How Essex County contributes to charitable giving
Ways the foundation promotes equity within the community
Why community foundations are essential for financial donations
How donor-advised funds increase the value of donations while reducing stress over decision making
Where charitable giving fits within retirement planning and IRA minimum distribution
As Essex County Community Foundation’s assistant director of gift planning and advisor relations, Jennifer Mayo focuses on building strong relationships with area professional advisors, who play a key role in expanding support for the region’s nonprofit organizations and collaborative efforts to tackle systemic social challenges. She also provides charitable gift planning and support to Essex County donors as they make decisions about their philanthropic giving and consider a donor-advised fund with ECCF.
After maintaining steady inflation of just under 2% for over a decade, America is now seeing the highest inflation rates since the late 1980s.
In this episode, Iván Watanabe and Rob Pruett explore the rising interest rates and inflation faced by consumers and businesses. They dive into the state of the economy while revealing ways clients can make the most out of the market volatility.
Iván and Rob discuss:
The role inflation plays with consumers and businesses
What the future looks like in terms of inflation and interest rates
Reasons pre-retirees and retirees should invest in their 401(k) plans
Robert P. Pruett has been a wealth advisor with Opus Private Client, LLC for 14 years performing planning for high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners. Rob uses leading-edge advanced personal planning techniques to protect and maximize each client’s wealth, retirement, and estate plans. Rob also consults with 50-to-800-person firms to deliver high-value corporate benefit programs, with a special focus on delivering healthcare savings of 10-15% or more through Opus’ proprietary reimbursement program offering.
His specialties include asset management, institutional investing, tax planning, life insurance, disability, annuities, and long-term care insurance, corporate benefits programs, executive benefit programs, retirement, and estate planning, and legacy and charitable planning.
