When you’re a married couple and your bills are steady but your income now isn’t because one of you has become self-employed, how can you manage your finances? Here are six recommendations to keep your finances on track as one spouse takes on a new business...
Do I need a will? How do I get one? The answer financial planners usually give is that it depends. But generally speaking, you should have an up-to-date will, as well as a durable power of attorney for health care, also called a health care proxy,...
Small businesses face many challenges, especially in the early days, including developing a product or service, targeting it to the right market, hiring the right employees and keeping expenses under control. Meanwhile, taking the right approach to taxes is a crucial factor that sometimes is...
The idea of “Money Dates” has recently resurfaced in my mind. I was having a discussion with my husband about our finances. We had just re-balanced our portfolio, with the help of our advisor, Jim Ludwick!...
A wonderful set of parents recently sent their son to me for financial advice. He was a new college graduate and was about to start his first “real” job. Prior to this session,...
Question: I'm really confused about what type of life insurance coverage to purchase for myself and for my husband. Any advice? People buy insurance to reduce or eliminate the financial risk...
By Jim Ludwick, CFP Learn more about Jim on NerdWallet’s Ask an Advisor With the utmost respect and honor to Stephen Covey for my very similar title (Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly...
If you’re thinking of buying a residential income property or converting your current residence into a rental, you might want to think again. A deal that looks good on the...
Being your own boss might seem like a sweet deal, but one of the advantages of working for a company is the employee benefits package you’ll usually get. Typical benefits include a retirement plan,...
Each year, hundreds of thousands of older Americans are victims of abuse, particularly financial abuse. As a financial advisor, it’s part of my job to be on the lookout for...