If you’ve worked with us for any length of time, you’ve certainly heard the term diversification once or twice as it relates to investments.  You may not be as familiar with the term “tax diversification” but know that it is a relevant concern that we consider when recommending your savings options.

Everything Old is New Again There is always a newer, cooler investment to catch your interest.  The large majority of those may seem to be too good to be true, and usually are.  This phenomenon didn’t just start in the last few months, years, or decades.  See below for charts of a really old one and a fairly recent one.

What we do is important but Why we do it matters even more. Learn what drives DHG Wealth Advisors to create an exceptional Client Experience, including our primary objective: to serve our clients with passion and care.

Tax season is officially in full swing. The DHGWA Insights Podcast welcomes DHG Federal Tax Partner, Nathan Clark, to discuss tax reform and five of the most important changes impacting individuals. Join us as we explore why many (but not everyone) will get a tax reduction. Why more taxpayers will be taking the standard deduction. And why you may need to review your tax withholding for next year. 

It's not too late!  On this month's show, we are joined by Will Boyd, CPA with DHG, to discuss the key considerations for making 2018 IRA contributions before the April 15th deadline. We play the first edition of the "Ask a DHG CPA" game. And we highlight the IRS's latest increase in retirement plan contribution limits for 2019.  

As you prepare for the new calendar year, one resolution that we often make it to is to take steps towards enhancing our financial future.  As we work with clients towards putting plans in place, we are often asked what are the biggest influencers on reaching retirement goals.  The number one influencer on achieving long term goals  is making regular savings a priority.  Achieving market-like returns along with regular savings is what helps achieve long term financial goals.  Regular savings, versus ad-hoc lump sum contributions to savings also helps smooth out the influence that timing has on the achievement of goals.Additionally, tax-deferred savings (IRA, 401k, 403b etc.) and tax free savings (Roth IRA, Roth 401k) also have significant benefits and are often the first priority for dollars allocated towards savings.The IRS reviews qualified plan limits each year and increases them periodically to keep up inflation.  Generally, the IRS will increase ...

Current Market Volatility In Perspective After reaching an all-time market high on September 21st, the S&P 500 entered a bear market (20% decline) in late December, falling to levels last reached in early 2017.  Having experienced positive returns through September, the S&P was down just over 4% for the year.  All other domestic and international equity asset classes had greater full year losses.  Declines of this magnitude naturally cause one to wonder what the future holds and if they should make changes to their portfolios. While it may be difficult to remain calm during a substantial market decline, it is important to remember that volatility is a regular part of investing in stocks.  As a client of DHG Wealth Advisors, you’ve likely been invested through one of the five declines over 10% for the S&P 500 that we’ve experienced since 2008. The biggest, which was a 19% drop at the end of 2011, saw a recovery in just 5 months - although many take longer than that to recover.

In this episode, we're joined by DHGWA financial advisor Clay Thornton from Charleston, SC and insurance specialist Maria Tobin with DHG Agency.  These two veterans of the industry share the benefits of documenting your family’s financial affairs using DHG Wealth Advisors’ Letter From the Heart.   We’ve designed the Letter From the Heart to be a written summary that can be passed on to your heirs documenting your full financial picture and also to express your end-of-life wishes.Download DHGWA's Letter From the Heart

Too often, financial and especially estate planning focuses on the legal, tax and investment structure and forgets to address practical and personal issues.  Problems may then occur when a loved one passes away and in the midst of the heartache and grief, with little or no direction, the family is left to make difficult short term decisions about funeral arrangements, followed by the big issues of sorting out the longer term financial picture.  What would your family do in such an event?  Would they know the location of your most important documents?  Would they know who to call for help? A few years ago, as we worked through the planning process with a new client, the above thoughts really hit home and we were asked to develop a system that would organize and pass along valuable financial and personal information to her family.  The attached questionnaire became a guide for her and we believe it can prove to be equally as important to you.  We know t...

Happiness is a warm puppy  Many people would agree with the above statement.  A little, fuzzy, snuggly puppy keeping your lap warm would indeed make most people happy.  But what if the warmth was coming from the puppy urinating on you?  Would you feel the same?  Would your feelings about  a “warm puppy” be different in that scenario?  We have purposely used this tasteless example to underline the fact that a person’s expectation has a lot to do with their feelings.  If someone’s expectations are met, or exceeded, then most people are happy about that occurrence.  If something doesn’t meet expectations, then typically there is an unhappy or disappointed result.You may be asking what any of this have to do with your investment portfolio?  Quite a lot. With financial markets, there are known expectations.  Some basic, some more complex.  An example of a basic financial expectation is that stocks...