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Jan 21, 2025 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Chad Smith |Allison Berger |Angela Keeley-White |Bill Ramsay
Retirement, often portrayed as a glorious era of freedom and relaxation, has its own set of challenges beyond the financial arena. This week, we’re exploring the “retirement complacency trap” and discussing the four phases retirees go through. Vacation/Honeymoon Phase: The initial euphoria of not having to set an alarm. Loss Phase: Often associated with disenchantment as the honeymoon phase wears off. Trial and Error Phase: Trying out various activities to find what gives life meaning.
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Jan 14, 2025 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Allison Berger |Angela Keeley-White |Bill Ramsay |Cameron Hendricks
International stocks have not done well recently compared with U.S. stocks. The 2024 return of international stocks (as measured by the MSCI World ex USA Index) was just under 5%, lagging by nearly 20 percentage points the return of U.S. stocks (as measured by the MSCI USA Index). And the annualized return of international stocks during the recent 10 years lagged the U.S. by 7.2 percentage points.
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Jan 13, 2025 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Angela Keeley-White |Allison Berger |Bill Ramsay |Cameron Hendricks
The start of a new year is the perfect time to pause and reflect on where you’ve been and where you want to go—especially when it comes to your financial health. A solid plan not only helps you stay on track but also provides peace of mind, no matter what the year brings. This start-of-the-year financial checklist is here to guide you as you align your financial decisions with your goals. Are there life events ahead?
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Dec 30, 2024 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Heather Gudac |Allison Berger |Angela Keeley-White |Bill Ramsay
At Financial Symmetry, we believe that continuous learning helps us better serve our clients. Today, we’re celebrating Riley Davison and Garrison Weaver, who have taken the next step in their careers by earning the Financial Paraplanner Qualified ProfessionalSM (FPQP®) designation from the College for Financial Planning. This achievement is a reflection of their passion, dedication, and drive to bring even more value to our clients.
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Dec 9, 2024 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Chad Smith |Allison Berger |Angela Keeley-White |Bill Ramsay
Do you remember the last time you drove to a destination and were delayed by a roadblock? The delay can create added frustration not knowing exactly how long it will take to get through it. Similar frustrating circumstances pop up in the years just before and just after retirement. During this new life transition, you are forced to confront retirement roadblocks, and if you don’t know how to maneuver around them, it can leave you feeling stuck.
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Nov 18, 2024 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Angela Keeley-White |Allison Berger |Bill Ramsay |Cameron Hendricks
As 2024 comes to a close, it’s easy to get swept up in the holiday rush. Before your calendar fills with gatherings and gift exchanges, here’s a financial checklist to help you wrap things up and start the new year feeling organized. Reflect on Your YearDid 2024 bring any big changes? A new job, marriage, or even retirement? Major life events can impact your financial goals, so this is a great time to review your finances and set yourself up for success in 2025.
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Nov 14, 2024 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Allison Berger |Angela Keeley-White |Bill Ramsay |Cameron Hendricks
In recent weeks, several Wall Street market strategists have warned of lower expected returns for U.S. stocks over the next decade. Current valuations have been a common basis for these pessimistic views. The difficulty of predicting the absolute level of future stock returns over any period, particularly short periods, is well documented (see Welch and Goyal, 2021).
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Oct 23, 2024 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Allison Berger |Angela Keeley-White |Bill Ramsay |Cameron Hendricks
So far, the 2024 election has provided the suspense and drama we have come to expect in presidential election years. For investors, the same questions continue to plague us as we await the winner in November. Are there signals in the movement of markets that we, as investors, should be taking advantage of? Who is better for markets? Republicans or Democrats? Will the market collapse if one candidate is elected?
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Oct 21, 2024 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Allison Berger |Angela Keeley-White |Bill Ramsay |Cameron Hendricks
When thinking about preparing tax returns each year, many taxpayers have a binary view about the outcome that looks something like this:Owe Tax: BADReceive Refund: GOODWhile this may be the case if you are living paycheck-to-paycheck and have not accumulated wealth yet, holding on to this perspective after achieving some measure of financial success may limit your potential over the long term.
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Oct 14, 2024 | 
financialsymmetry.com | Heather Gudac |Allison Berger |Angela Keeley-White |Bill Ramsay
We’re excited to shine a spotlight on one of the key members of our team, Catherine Tillery, our Senior Tax Planner. With years of experience, a deep knowledge of tax planning, and a genuine passion for helping others, Catherine brings so much to the table. She is an important member of our team’s approach to tax planning within our wealth management service.
