Good Financial Reads: Maybe It's Okay Not to Save for Retirement, Benefits of Creating a Financial Plan, and More

Following along with the blogs of financial advisors is a great way to access valuable, educational information about finance — and it doesn’t cost you a thing! Our financial planners love to share their knowledge and help everyone regardless of age or assets.

Catch up on some of the latest posts with this week's roundup:

Maybe It’s Okay Not to Save for Retirement Right Now

by Matt Becker, Mom and Dad Money

People like me tend to recommend saving as much as you can for retirement starting as soon as you can.

The intention is good. After all, math. The simple truth is that saving money early on is the most effective way to ensure that you’ll have more of it later on.

So if you can do it, it’s a good idea. But the problem is that it’s just not always realistic when you have young kids.

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5 Benefits of Creating A Financial Plan

by Deb Meyer, WorthyNest

Traditionally, financial advisors focus on the investment strategy and asset allocation. Advisors want to ensure that a client’s appetite for risk and time horizon match the underlying asset mix. They may provide some financial planning guidance, but it is usually secondary to investment management services.

So, it’s often confusing to prospective clients when I talk about the financial plan as the cornerstone of my process. Here are some of the benefits and why I believe a comprehensive financial plan is crucial:

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There’s Still Time To Max Out Your 2016 Tax Deductible Contribution

by David Niggel, Key Wealth Partners

Tax season is fast approaching. One way to make the most out of your money is by maxing out your 2016 tax deductible contributions to your individual retirement accounts (IRA). Each type of retirement account has a different annual contribution maximum and certain accounts, like a Roth IRA, have contribution income limits.

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Understanding Tax Season: Form W-2

by David Jacoby, Remote Financial Planner

It’s that time of the year again—every afternoon we race to our mailboxes to see what new tax documents the postman has delivered! W-2, 1099, 1095, 1098, 5498, K-1… what is all this stuff?!

There are a lot of tax forms out there and Form W-2 is one of the most important. This small document details the tax effects from many decisions we made throughout the year. If you want to maximize your tax savings and increase your refund, understanding how your decisions effect your W-2 is a great place to start.

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