“Retirement is changing.” So begins a recent Grand Rapids Magazine Look+Feel column, “A Shift in Retirement.” As retirees are living longer with less access to traditional pension plans, Steve Starnes, MBA, CFP® notes that financial planning plays an even more important role in the ability to retire as we desire. Plus, there’s lifestyle planning. “Not doing anything [in retirement] is hard for a lot of people,” says Steve, “whether they need the money or not.”
[read more]What should you look for in an effective financial advisor? In a recent Grand Rapids Business Journal” article, Steve Starnes, MBA, CFP® describes why business and investment management expertise aren’t as interchangeable as most people think. A successful business leader needs to sustain a competitive edge by identifying and reacting to evolving trends. A financial advisor needs to help investors patiently participate in the market’s long-term growth, while managing the risks involved. Each requires its own skill set.
[read more]In a recent post, Steve Starnes, MBA, CFP® reminisced about watching the Indy 500 as a youth, and how much he enjoyed revisiting its well-established rituals when it aired once again this summer. Likewise, Grand Wealth Management has long offered well-established principles, policies, and processes for our clients to “take for granted,” year after year. In this timely piece, Steve shares three ways our steadfast processes have added value to clients’ best investment practices in a year otherwise fraught with uncertainty.
[read more]This summer, Steve Starnes, MBA, CFP® was invited to serve as a guest instructor in an undergraduate business ethics class. He enjoyed the experience, and the questions students asked about sustainable investing. What is it? Can it “work” as an investment strategy? Can environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) ratings help make the world a better place? Inspired by his classroom conversation, Steve covered sustainable investing in a recent Grand Rapids Business Journal article.
[read more]Even in “normal” times, it’s hard to make good financial choices. With today’s increased uncertainty, the challenge is even greater. In a recent Grand Rapids Business Journal, Steve Starnes, MBA, CFP® describes a process for avoiding expensive money-management mistakes during the heightened medical, economic, and financial unknowns.
[read more]It may go without saying that investors should avoid placing rash trades in volatile markets. But as Steve Starnes, MBA, CFP® points out in a Grand Rapids Business Journal piece, temptations abound when emotions are high. People working from home may watch their investment accounts and the market mood swings a little too closely, which could lead to ill-advised panic-trading. Steve offers several moves investors can consider taking instead.
[read more]After the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act was enacted during a busy 2019 holiday season, investors may have been left wondering how the new law impacts their financial plans. In a January 2020 Grand Rapids Business Journal piece, Steve Starnes, MBA, CFP® covers some of the most significant changes to expect.
[read more]Studies have suggested, financial capacity often declines with age, even as confidence in our financial decision-making tends to increase. That’s a dangerous combination, especially if clinical dementia is diagnosed. In a recent Nerd’s Eye View guest post, Steve Starnes, MBA, CFP® describes the role financial advisors can play in protecting and guiding individuals and families as they manage cognitive decline.
[read more]Have you ever ended up with a lump sum of cash you don’t plan to spend anytime soon? Whether you’ve sold a business, received a windfall, or just been a good saver, it’s nice to have “extra” cash on hand to invest toward the future. That said, it can be stressful to decide: Should you invest it all right away, or spread it out over time? In his June 30 GRBJ article, Steve Starnes, MBA, CFP® offers answers that may surprise you.
[read more]Financial planning is challenging enough during your working years. The choices can be heartbreaking when you’re in or near retirement, and an aging parent needs your help. The New York Times interviewed our Senior Financial Advisor, Steve Starnes, MBA, CFP® for this June 2019 report on the financial and emotional tolls taken by 70-year-old “children” who find themselves caring for their 90-year-old parents.
[read more]