Author Archives: Tim Bauer

The Social Security program was created in 1935 when President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. Social Security was designed as a way to provide economic security for American retirees, widows, children, and those who are disabled. Due to the various ways of receiving social security benefits and the requirements for qualifying, […]

Using an AI Financial Advisor might sound like the ultimate solution for managing your money. Quick, cost-effective, and seemingly reliable, these digital tools promise to do everything from managing investments to offering tailored financial advice. But as with anything in life, there’s more to the story.  While AI may seem like a modern-day miracle for […]

We advisors like our analogies. When we talk about retirement planning, we will sometimes frame it as “planning a vacation that you don’t know how long will last or how much it will cost”. In the same way, estate planning is like trying to tell others your final wishes when you can no longer tell […]

When my kids were younger, my wife and I learned a few valuable tactics to communicate with them when we needed them to do something. A simple example is when we were visiting a fun place, such as a park or a friend’s house, and the time to leave was approaching. We would tell them […]

With interest rates at all time highs in 2025, a common question on many people’s minds is Should I just pay extra on my mortgage instead of investing it? This is appealing to many people in many ways. Instead of diving into all the facts and figures, let’s start by first exploring the psychology of […]

The thought of planning a trip evokes many different emotions for many different types of people. Some love the feeling of crafting the perfectly designed experience, with side trips, excursions, local culture, food, and multiple other luxuries. On the other hand, other people can’t stand the thought of having to put hours of work into […]

It’s no doubt I’ve had many people offer “Biblical” instruction to me over my lifetime. When you have the name Timothy like me, you’re just begging for those who have “been there done that” to come and offer their free advice, whether I’ve asked for it or not.   Regardless of the not-so-helpful advice I’ve been […]

“It’s not what you make, it’s what you keep.” This quote rings true regardless if you’re talking about income, saving, or investing. There is no shortage of places where our income can turn into an outflow. One of the most well-known outflows we encounter this time of year comes in the form of taxes. Let’s […]

The end of the year is approaching fast. I can already see it coming now, with holiday events, programs, travel plans, deadlines, etc. It can seem like a freight train with no sign of stopping. With the endless list of demands, it can seem like we are in a war deciding on how to triage […]