Blog

Feel that? It was Chat GPT Shifting the World

Doing Good Through Financial Planning Chat GPT...Fair warning: This blog isn't really about doing good through financial planning.As 2022 wound down, one of the tasks I meant to do, but didn't get done, was to write a blog...

The need for a plan

for their own retirement? Additionally, financial stress is one of the leading causes of absenteeism and unproductivity at work, as well as one of the leading drivers of personal relationships failing.  Why is this?  There...

Why is ESG important and how do we use it?

There has been a lot of buzz, both positive and negative, around sustainable investing recently. So, why and how are Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principals relevant to the investment selection process? For the research...

Life insurance: one answer to life's big what if?

Life Insurance Blog What is important to you in life? Who or what do you care about most? What would happen to them if you were not here anymore? WHY LIFE INSURANCE?Life insurance is a way to lessen the financial risk of a...

You've had $10,000 in student loans forgiven. Now what?

Well, step one would probably be to celebrate. Even if you disagree with the rationale for the forgiveness, the fact remains you've experienced a non-trivial financial windfall which you can leverage to help improve your future. Here...

BMG can help manage your 401(k)

Individual Participant Advice Program (IPA) Is choosing your own investments in your workplace retirement something you wish you had help with? Is your workplace retirement plan invested to work in tandem with your other...

The Market is Down, Now What?

I won’t sugar coat it- the stock market has had a tough start to 2022. However, I encourage you to consider ways to benefit from this cycle, which will potentially help you reach your financial goals in the future. We have...

Mental Health and Avoiding Burnout

Happy Mental Health Awareness Month! I am especially thrilled to write about this month’s blog topic because I am a passionate mental health advocate.  BMG Advisors sponsored the 2022 Mental Health KC Conference. The focus...

Have a Better Tax Season Next Year

Five Personal Finance New Year's Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions can be challenging. About 35% of people in the USA kept stuck to their resolutions for 2021, which is great, but that means 65% of us let some or all of our resolutions drop. Of all the New Year’s...

You're being irrational! (and so is everyone else) - An introduction to Behavioral Finance

Ever bought something because you were disappointed or stressed out and needed a boost? Ever sold a stock because it was doing a bit too well and had to be due for a correction? Then you, in practice, experienced Behavioral Finance....

With time and persistence your goals are achievable

This week my husband and I did something 18 years ago I felt was impossible- we made our 1st college payment. When our 1st daughter was born, we were a couple of broke 23 year olds. We were starting out in life, and really were living...

Financial Planning for Unmarried Couples

Six years ago, in Obergefell v. Hodges, the United States Supreme Court gave all Americans marriage rights. A year ago, the Supreme Court decided on equal employment protections for the gay and transgender community. These decisions...

Steps to Keeping Your Kids Safe Online

Who remembers when the most dangerous thing you could do with a computer was driving a wagon on the Oregon Trail? At the same time, trying to avoid dying from cholera, dysentery, and typhoid. When the screens were green, it was a...

6 Ways to Prevent Cybercrime: Steps You Can Take Now to Protect Personally Identifiable Information

6 Ways to Prevent Cybercrime: Steps You Can Take Now to Protect Your PII (Personally Identifiable Information) Have you ever had money stolen from your checking account? I have, three times over the last 13 years. Fortunately, my bank...

The SPAC Frenzy - What's a SPAC and What's Behind their Popularity

What do snack maker Utz, electric vehicle firm Fisker, and smart home tech company Vivint have in common? They all went public via SPAC last year. SPAC is one of the many acronyms that swirl around finance and financial news, even...

My Experience Leading up to the NFL Draft

The NFL draft is quickly approaching. Tomorrow, Thursday, April 29, 2021, is the first day where 32 young men will be selected to play on a level they have dreamed of for a long time. Over the following two days, rounds 2 through 7...

6 Budgeting Tips to Control Your Online Spending

6 Budgeting Tips To Get Your Online Shopping Under Control Have you found yourself shopping online more than usual? Well, it has probably become a standby thing to do when you’ve become bored? What started as browsing from...

Sharing your Shares: Giving Securities to Charity

2020 was a rough year, but the stock market came out ahead in a big way. Indeed, the S&P 500 index has returned nearly 40% from March 1 2019 to March 1 2021, despite the turmoil of the intervening two years. In non-retirement accounts,...

Enter the NFT (and Exit Reality?)

How much would you pay for a video clip of Lebron James dunking a basketball? Just the clip, to be clear, not a physical copy of it, but something on par with a YouTube video. If the answer is $0 then you might just be behind the times...

Why Federal Reserve Meetings, Announcements Make Markets Skittish

On certain days, especially during the pandemic, the market seems to become especially shaky, climbing of falling in search of a new equilibrium. Often there is an obvious widely discussed news item that I can point to explain this...

The Youngest of the BMG "Workforce"

If you've received a handwritten card from us, you may have noticed that some of the addressed envelopes have some pretty sloppy handwriting! So with that, we wanted to introduce you to our newest members of your "staff" - our kids! As...

Socially Responsible Investing with ESG Portfolios

Can your money "Do Good by Doing Good?" At BMG, we think so. It’s not a secret that investors seek positive returns from their investments. However, some desire to also make a positive impact on the world. That's where the terms...

Being a #MOMBOSS in 2020

In some ways I feel weird, and completely unqualified to be writing this blog. #MomBoss may be what I am, and yes, I do my best, but I’d be lying if I said this hasn’t been a hard year for me, too. I’ve been thinking...

The First Five Steps of Financial Advice for Millennials

OK, first thing's first. You've probably heard of "TNSTAAFL" before. (There's no such thing as a free lunch.) If you haven't it's the idea that NOTHING is "free," including this article. Why? Because it costs your time (i.e....

Happy Birthday, BMG!

BMG is two today!

Early Retirees are Faced with Medicare Decisions

The Pandemic is Forcing Employees to Face Early Retirement. How Do I Handle Medicare Enrollment? We're seeing a lot of people being forced into making a retirement decision. It can be overwhelming. Are you prepared? As the Medicare...

In it for a Purpose: Why I Became a Financial Advisor

An open letter to friends, connections, and especially other pro athletes: When I knew I had the opportunity to play in the NFL, my family and I knew the smart thing to do was start to interview financial advisors. With the amount of...

Not Just for the Wealthy

Especially now, I need to get something off my chest. Two days ago, my partner, Jen, and I had a scheduled call with a consultant via Zoom. He was a business coach, and had come recommended to help us grow our business. No harm in that...

What you need to know about Medicare Changes

When I started my second career as a financial advisor many years ago, my main interest was helping the baby boomers with the decisions they inevitably will have to make as they age. It's my passion! There are a few changes to Medicare...

Small Business? SECURE Act Highlights Just for You

Small Businesses need to know this about The Secure Act The other day, I posted my very first blog post on what individuals need to know about the new Secure Act, which was recently added into the budget by Congress. Overall,...

What You Need to Know About the Secure Act

By now, you may have heard about a new change to our tax law that Congress included in the most recent budget called the SECURE Act, an acronym for “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement.” With a name like...