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Steve Coker, CFP
6 days ago2 min read
Do I Need Umbrella Insurance?
I admit that I am an insurance skeptic. Not only can insurance be extremely complicated, but it is also frequently sold aggressively,...
Steve Coker, CFP
Sep 281 min read
How to Get Your Social Security Statement
There was a time when the Social Security Administration would mail out annual statements showing your expected Social Security...
Steve Coker, CFP
Sep 134 min read
Think you may be laid-off from your job? Here are 9 things you should do now to prepare financially
Once again we have been hearing from our clients about corporate “reorganizations”. Facing a “reduction in force” in corporate America...
Steve Coker, CFP
Aug 233 min read
Social Security Apocalypse: Will It Run Out?
Today there are over 70 million people receiving social security. Yet fewer and fewer Americans have confidence that Social Security...
Steve Coker, CFP
Aug 163 min read
All Social Security Numbers Have Been Compromised
Stunningly, news broke this week that the Social Security number for virtually every American was hacked. The hack was discovered when...
Steve Coker, CFP
Jul 122 min read
Family Conversations: Beyond the Will and Trust
Having a will and trust in place is an important step to protect your family and make sure that your assets are distributed according to...
Steve Coker, CFP
Jun 281 min read
Inflation Update
We have said for many months now that inflation is the most important economic factor to watch in 2024. This week we had good news on the...
Steve Coker, CFP
Jun 142 min read
The Importance of Process
As you might imagine, we at Cedarstone Advisors spend a great deal of time researching and discussing how to make good investment...
Steve Coker, CFP
May 171 min read
How Long am I Going to Live?
We simply do not know how long we are going to live. That is one of the difficulties of retirement planning. According to the CDC, a...
Steve Coker, CFP
May 102 min read
Am I saving enough for retirement?
We all want to know whether we are saving enough for retirement, but we also want to know if we are doing a good job compared to our...
Steve Coker, CFP
Mar 152 min read
Rebalancing: Self-Discipline in Buying Low and Selling High
One of the often-quoted tenets of good investing is to buy low and sell high. Similar to commercial spending – you want to purchase...
Steve Coker, CFP
Feb 253 min read
Inheriting an IRA? 4 key rules you should know
If you have been named as the beneficiary of an IRA then you should know that inheriting an IRA is different from inheriting other...
Steve Coker, CFP
Feb 183 min read
Tax Tips: The IRA
It is tax time and many of us will be heading to our local CPA or wrestling with Turbo Tax to complete our tax returns before the April...
Steve Coker, CFP
Jan 211 min read
Updated Retirement Plan Contribution Limits 2024
The IRS has published the 2024 contribution limits for your 401k, IRA, and other retirement plans. Now is a great time to review your...
Steve Coker, CFP
Dec 8, 20233 min read
Why Dividends Matter – and Don’t
When it comes to stock investing, dividends matter – and don’t. Here is what I mean. Dividends truly matter to overall stock returns...
Steve Coker, CFP
Nov 17, 20233 min read
Qualified Charitable Donations
Qualified Charitable Distributions (“QCD”) allow eligible IRA owners aged 70.5 or older to make up to $100,000 in tax-free gifts to...
Steve Coker, CFP
Nov 10, 20234 min read
Understanding RMD’s
Required Minimum Distributions or “RMD’s” are the minimum amount that must be withdrawn from pre-tax, tax-deferred retirement accounts,...
Steve Coker, CFP
Oct 20, 20233 min read
The Second Half of Your Life
I had several conversations this week about the stress of retirement, both in terms of the financial stress of retirement – will there be...
Steve Coker, CFP
Oct 14, 20234 min read
Life Insurance Basics
There is a saying that ‘life insurance is sold, not bought’. Compare, for example, shopping for life insurance with shopping for a car....
Steve Coker, CFP
Sep 29, 20233 min read
Strategic Roth Conversions: Maximizing Retirement Savings While Minimizing Taxes
Roth conversions are an often-overlooked strategy for reducing taxes and optimizing retirement funds. This article aims to demystify Roth...
