How Quickly Markets Can Change

Just a few months ago, we were talking about the decline in credit rating of U.S. Treasury debt for the first time and worries of a recession “spreading” to the U.S. from the ongoing crisis in Europe. Its impact was volatile and pronounced, causing 2011 to be a year of flat to negative returns for most stock investors. This caught many off guard, in particular, because things seemed to be going well since the great recession that hit the world’s economies in 2008. It was an excellent reminder of the volatile nature of the financial markets, even when things are moving in the right direction. Read the rest of this entry »

The Difference Between Mutual Funds and ETFs

This is a question we get a lot here at Callahan Financial Planning, and with all the recent news and new options, I thought it would be a good topic to revisit.

As a refresher, let’s start with a quick note on what Mutual Funds are:

• An Investment Company that invests shareholders money in a (usually) diversified portfolio of securities like individual stocks or bonds.
• Assets are held in custody at a third-party bank, and are subject to regular inspection by the SEC in addition to any independent auditors to the bank and mutual fund. Read the rest of this entry »

Selecting Investments or an Investment Advisor

This is the fourth in a four part series designed to help you determine the best way to proceed with your previous employer’s company retirement plans, including 401(k)s, 403(b)s and more. Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Whether or not you choose to keep your previous employer’s 401(k) where it’s at, roll it over to your current employer or move it to an IRA, you will still be responsible for its management and investment direction.  As discussed in the previous post, that can be a challenge if investing is not your specialty.  Don’t worry – we can help.

Our investment management service, Conflict Free Planning, ensures that a Financial Planner can help you identify the advantages and disadvantages to holding your investments in a employer retirement plan or an IRA. Read the rest of this entry »

Should I Leave My 401(k) with My Previous Employer?

This is the second in a four part series designed to help you determine the best way to proceed with your previous employer’s company retirement plans, including 401(k)s, 403(b)s and more. Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Are you one of the many people that still have company retirement plans (401(k)s, 403(b)s, etc.) held at your previous employer(s)?  As with all decisions we face, the decision to rollover a company retirement plan must be done with adequate information and disclosure so that you know in detail all of the advantages and disadvantages related to each possible choice.  With that in mind, lets discuss the pros and cons of keeping your retirement funds in your previous employer’s 401(k). Read the rest of this entry »

What Should I Do with My 401(k)?

This is the first in a four part series designed to help you determine the best way to proceed with your previous employer’s company retirement plans, including 401(k)s, 403(b)s and more. Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

What do you think about when you get a new job?

If you’re like most, you’re focused on what the new employer expects from you, learning your position, new processes and dozens of other details that come along with a new position.

This can be a very stressful time for any individual and although it’s the last thing anyone wants to think about, it’s important to remember your company retirement plan(s).  These include 401(k)s, 403(b)s, SIMPLE IRAs, Thrift Savings Plans and more.  If you’re not consciously thinking about your 401(k) or other employer sponsored plan it can be easy to think “I’ll get around to it later” and eventually forget about it all together. Read the rest of this entry »

What Do You Mean Free Classes?

This is the last in a four part series designed to explain the ideas behind starting such a unique company and choosing Omaha to call home.

When it comes to finances, most Americans biggest struggle isn’t a lack of ability, but the lack of education to fully understand their situation and the options available to them. I’m sure many of you watch CNBC, read the Wall Street Journal, or frequent another financial news source such as Yahoo & Google finance on a regular basis. These media outlets provide vast amounts of information and it can be very difficult to understand all of the advantages and disadvantages of every idea, theory, or investment vehicle mentions through these channels.

The reality is that education is the foundation of personal financial empowerment. Without the necessary comprehension most feel ill-equipped to make the significant financial decisions we all face today. In order to determine if an investment decision is right for you there are some questions that must first be answered:

• Is this the best course to take in order to reach my financial goals?
• What, if any, are my criteria for making investment decisions?
• What is my current risk tolerance and how will this decision affect it?
• Is this the lowest cost option available or could I save money elsewhere?
• How does this affect my overall financial plan?

These are just a few of the many questions you should answer in order to make the right decision when it comes to your personal finances.

At Callahan Financial Planning, our planners thought what better way to serve our clients and our community than to offer FREE financial classes on the situations most commonly faced by Americans today. These include 1) Giving Yourself a Financial Audit 2) Social Security and Your Retirement 3) Starting Your Financial Plan 4) How to Save for College 5) What to do with your 401(k) and many more…

These are all held in our beautiful state of the art classroom in Midtown Crossing at Turner Park. Our Classes are free to the public, which means anyone is allowed to come get educated from a Professional Financial Planner on relevant topics to their current situation without the worry of a sales pitch. Each course is also followed by a Q & A session that allows you to get answers to any questions you may have or clarify any of the material discussed in the course.

If you aren’t 100% sure you are making the right decisions in your own personal finances and investments, come to one of our free courses or contact one of our Financial Planning Advocates to find out how a Professional Financial Planner can help you today.