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One of the most fundamental tenets of financial planning we faithfully apply in our work with our clients is to Plan for the Expected, and Prepare for the Unexpected. Our many years in practice have provided us with continuous reminders that life-unexpected happens with the potential to derail the best laid plans for the expected.

Filed in the “it seemed like a good idea at the time” category is a case in which one of our clients used a relatively obscure and somewhat complex provision in the tax code pertaining to IRAs to take early withdrawals while avoiding the 10 percent penalty tax.

The figures out last year show that the average amount of student loan debt a student graduates with is $18,625. Most graduates are carrying multiple student loans from multiple sources, and the cost and complexity of managing them can become overwhelming, especially if they are unable to secure steady employment with sufficient cash flow to make the payments.

Ever since the introduction of variable life insurance in the 1950s the debate over life insurance as an investment has raged on, and, to this day, the issue remains largely unsettled.

As the stock market resurgence continues, investors are reawakening to the performance benchmarks of their mutual funds to see if their fund choices are drawing every ounce of gains that have been produced over the last couple of years.

The fundamental question of how much life insurance to buy can only be answered when we know what it is exactly we are protecting. While its purpose is to protect your life, only you can determine what that might be worth to your family. Your vision of a “good life” for you and your family doesn’t usually go away after you’re gone.

All investors – be they conservative, moderate or aggressive – need to understand that the level of returns they expect to generate is directly related to the amount of risk they are willing to assume – the higher the return, the higher the amount of risk one needs to take.

Life insurance plays a crucial role in securing the financial future of a family.  And, while the decision to buy a policy is an easy one, purchasing one can be vexing due to the overwhelming number of choices available.

Unquestionably there is an excitement that emanates from the world of stock picking, where fortunes are won and lost on trading floor arenas, and stock sleuths frantically search for the next Apple or Google.