BFSG Blog

Financial Resources & News

How to Ignore the “Noise” When Investing: Recency Bias

How much "noise" is the media pushing out to us every day? And even more important, how often does this seemingly important "breaking news" that might impact markets today, actually have a long-lasting impact a long-term results? Find out more here and learn about recency bias, just one of the many biases and habits that lead to poor investing decisions. BFSG Shorts: Recency Bias Disclosure:...

read more

Great Expectations – Q3 2022 GDP

By:  Thomas Steffanci, PhD, Senior Portfolio Manager The Q3 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 2.6% was in line with the consensus. But it was anything but normal. The increase was entirely driven by a large increase in the trade balance. Net exports surged 2.8% due to a 1.6% increase in exports of energy commodities and military hardware, and a 1.2% decrease in imports. Inventory...

read more

It’s Your Money Financial & Estate Literacy – “Investment World” Replay

BFSG’s CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals, Michael Allbee, CFP® and Paul Horn, CFP®, CPWA®, were invited to be guest speakers for the “It’s Your Money!” workshop series. For the “Investment World” session, Mike and Paul focused on how the investment world gets compensated. Learn the differences between brokers versus advisors, what does the word “fiduciary” mean, how to find an advisor,...

read more

Avoid Making Poor Investing Decisions: Anchoring Bias

Behavioral investing has quickly become one of the most important topics for individual investors, whether talking about their retirement accounts or brokerage accounts alike. This video discusses anchoring bias, just one of the many biases and habits that lead to poor investing decisions. BFSG Shorts: Anchoring Bias Disclosure: BFSG does not make any representations or warranties as to the...

read more

TINA SCHACKMAN – SELECTED AS ONE OF NAPA’S TOP WOMEN ADVISORS (2022)

Congrats to Tina Schackman, CFA®, CFP® for her selection as one of NAPA’s top women advisors for 2022! She’s been named to the “Captain” category – All-stars who are principals of their organization. We are so proud of you Tina! Click here to view the Top Women Advisors: Captains (2022) NAPA list. This year, as in years past, nominees—more than 500 of them—were asked to respond to a series of...

read more

Medicare Open Enrollment Is Here: How Are Costs Changing for 2023?

Medicare's Open Enrollment Period — which runs from October 15 through December 7 — is your annual opportunity to switch your current Medicare health and prescription drug plans to ones that better suit your needs. Just in time for Open Enrollment, 2023 Medicare premiums, deductibles, and other costs have been announced, and surprisingly, some of these costs are lower than they were last year....

read more

Some Good News – California Middle Class Tax Refund

If residents filing jointly made $500,000 or less in 2020, they could be eligible for a refund check of up to $1,050 with a dependent or up to $700 without a dependent. Here is a table outlining the exact amounts. Check it out to see if you’re eligible – if you are, California will be sending payments between October 2022 and January 2023! Disclosure: BFSG does not make any representations or...

read more

October is the Kickoff Month for Financial Aid

October is the kickoff month for financial aid. That's when incoming and returning college students can start filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the next academic year. The FAFSA is a prerequisite for federal student loans, grants, and work-study, and may be required by colleges before they distribute their own institutional aid to students. How do I submit the...

read more

Business Owner Year-End Tax Planning

By:  Michael Allbee, CFP®, Senior Portfolio Manager There are many tax strategies available for business owners, but it requires proper planning throughout the year. Here are some things to consider as we approach the year-end to minimize your tax liability. Take advantage of the expiring “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (TCJA) bonus depreciation In 2017, the TCJA made it so business owners could...

read more

Monthly Market Update (September): 3 Things You Need to Know

We wrapped up September and boy was it one to remember but for all the wrong reasons. With fears of central bank over-tightening, the S&P 500 index dipped to a new 2022 low. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield surpassed 3.8%, marking the quickest re-rating in daily yields since 2009. A 60/40 balanced portfolio of U.S. stocks and U.S. bonds is now down -20.2% year-to-date through September 30th,...

read more

Congratulations to Braden Priest for NAPA’s Top Retirement Plan Advisors Under 40

We are so proud of Braden Priest, CFA® for being nominated to NAPA’s 2023 “Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisors Under 40”. Vote for Braden Priest here. Established in 2014, the list of "Aces" - our Top Young Retirement Plan Advisors - is drawn from nominations provided by NAPA Broker-Dealer/RIA Firm Partners, vetted by a blue-ribbon panel of senior advisor industry experts based on a combination of...

read more

Congratulations to Chad Noorani for NAPA’s Top Retirement Plan Advisors Under 40

We are so proud of Chad Noorani, QKA for being nominated to NAPA’s 2023 “Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisors Under 40”. Vote for Chad Noorani here. Established in 2014, the list of "Aces" - our Top Young Retirement Plan Advisors - is drawn from nominations provided by NAPA Broker-Dealer/RIA Firm Partners, vetted by a blue-ribbon panel of senior advisor industry experts based on a combination of...

read more

Prepare Now for Future Emergencies

September is National Preparedness Month, part of an effort by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to raise public awareness and inspire disaster readiness. Most communities could be impacted by some type of natural disaster, whether it's a wildfire, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, or flood. Here are some tips to help keep your family safe in an emergency and allow you to leave...

read more

Are You Mentally and Emotionally Ready to Retire?

By:  Paul Horn, CFP®, CPWA®, Senior Financial Planner Most people look forward to the day that they can have independence and no longer have to work 9 - 5. In my experience, while everyone wants to retire, most are truly not ready to retire. I am not referring to having the financial ability to retire but most are not emotionally ready for retirement. Retiring before you are emotionally ready...

read more

How to Become Financially Literate

By:  Henry VanBuskirk, CFP®, Wealth Manager New parents in any country all share a common goal – to have their kids be better off than they were.  In America, we colloquially call it ‘The American Dream’. In some respects, the dream is alive and well. In others (budgeting, debt management, and financial literacy in general) it looks more like ‘The American Nightmare’. My goal today is not to...

read more

Latest From The Blog

Archives

Our Services

Investment Management

Tailor portfolios to your needs and goals.

Retirement Planning

Investing and saving wisely is vital to success in retirement.

Financial Planning

Navigating the complexities of your financial affairs can be simplified.

Tax Management

Help to increase the amount you “take home”.

Estate Planning

Protect your loved ones and make sure your legacy endures.

Executive Compensation Analysis

Simplify the many options and decision points of executive compensation plans.

Education Planning

Confidently plan for your children’s future.

Charitable Giving

Give in a tax-smart, simple way.

*Please Note: Limitations.  The scope of services to be provided depends upon the terms of the engagement, and the specific requests and needs of the client. BFSG does not serve as an attorney, accountant, or insurance agent.  BFSG does not prepare legal documents or tax returns, nor does it sell insurance products.  Please Also Note: Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk.  Therefore, it should not be assumed that future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy (including the investments and/or investment strategies recommended and/or undertaken by BFSG) or any financial planning or consulting services, will be profitable, equal any historical performance level(s), or prove successful.

Sign Up For Our Newsletters

(They're great, we promise)

Connect With Us

Financial Services Group BBB Business Review