Growth vs. Value: What’s the Difference?

by Julie Long | Apr 2, 2026 | General, Investment, Retirement, Retirement Savings, Retirement Strategy, Stocks

With the wide variety of stocks in the market, figuring out which ones you want to invest in can be a challenging task. Many investors feel it’s useful to have a system for finding stocks that might be worth buying, deciding what price to pay, and identifying...

Estate Tax Changes Under Recent Tax Acts

by Julie Long | Mar 26, 2026 | Economy, Estate, Estate Planning, General, Generational Wealth, Investment, New Tax Laws, News, Retirement, Tax, Tax Laws, Tax Strategy

IntroductionThe Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (the 2010 Tax Act) was signed into law in December 2010. This law contained dramatic changes to the federal gift and estate tax and the federal generation-skipping...

Borrowing or Withdrawing Money from Your 401(k) Plan

by Julie Long | Mar 12, 2026 | 401k, 401K Planning, Retirement, Retirement Savings, Retirement Strategy, Retirement Taxes, Tax, Tax Laws

If you have a 401(k) plan at work and need some cash, you might be tempted to borrow or withdraw money from it. But keep in mind that the purpose of a 401(k) is to save for retirement. Take money out of it now, and you’ll risk running out of money during...

Retirement Planning Considerations for a Stay-at-Home Spouse

by Julie Long | Mar 5, 2026 | Financial Wellness, Investment, IRA Contributions, Retirement

Married couples often decide together that one spouse should be the primary breadwinner while the other stays home to take care of family members. Although this often works out well for childrearing or eldercare responsibilities in the short term, it can present...

Tax Planning for Income

by Julie Long | Feb 26, 2026 | Financial Wellness, General, Investment, Retirement, Tax

You don’t want to pay more in federal income tax than you have to. With that in mind, here are five things to consider when it comes to keeping more of your income. 1. Postpone your income to minimize your current income tax liabilityBy deferring (postponing)...

Holding Equities for the Long Term: Time vs. Timing

by Julie Long | Feb 19, 2026 | General, Investment, Retirement

Legendary investor Warren Buffett is famous for his long-term perspective. He has said that he likes to make investments he would be comfortable holding even if the market shut down for 10 years.Investing with an eye toward the long term is particularly important with...