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Blog

What’s on our mind? You can read about it in our blog. Whether it’s ideas from the industry or emerging trends, you can read about it here. And once in a while, we may throw in a movie review or some other surprise. If there is a specific topic you'd like to hear more about, feel free to drop us an email!

We'd love to hear from you!

Monday, July 3, 2023

 You have a question about something related to your finances.  What do you do? You do what most people do with access to the internet.  You look it up. There is plenty of information on the internet, but the...

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Graduation time is just around the corner.  Whether it’s Kindergarten, 8th Grade, High School or College, basic financial lessons are vital to launch your kids to success.  When do you start?  As soon as kids know...

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

ESG investing has been in the news lately and it’s worth knowing about.  ESG is an acronym for environmental, social and governance.  It used to be known as socially responsible investing or SRI.  There have been...

Friday, February 3, 2023

Let’s face it, the world is weird right now.  The markets have been a roller coaster ride, the debt ceiling is a looming problem, Congress and the White House are arguing with each other like 6 year olds in a playground spat...

Friday, January 13, 2023

There have been a couple of updates, and here is the latest:$10,000 loan forgiveness ($20,000 for Pell grant recipients) has been suspended due to two lawsuits challenging the forgiveness.  The Supreme Court has scheduled hearings...

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Thursday, November 10, 2022

During the holidays, we get the opportunity to connect and reconnect with friends and family.  Many of the conversations that take place this time of year are about food, festivities, and holiday plans.  However, we also have...

Friday, October 28, 2022

Attention Public School Teachers, Professors, Military Personnel, Government Employees and all others in the public service sector!  Did you know that you may be eligible for forgiveness of your student loan balance? If you...

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

As we approach the end of 2022, it’s a perfect time to begin to consider your options for retirement plan distributions.  If you are 72 or older in 2022, these options may apply to you. One of the options you may wish...

Thursday, September 15, 2022

While market volatility will no doubt have an impact on investment performance, it’s also a good time to focus on our own performance as investors.  Buying low and selling high is sometimes easier said than done. What...

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

 You have probably heard that President Biden announced some federal student loan forgiveness. And you may be wondering how it will affect you.  Many of our clients have taken the ostrich approach to their student loans...

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

We, at Emerge Wealth Strategies, wanted to take a moment to reflect on the last 365 days.  You might recall that almost 1 year ago, our business moved from the Waddell & Reed Platform to our new home at LPL.  This change...

Friday, July 8, 2022

Do what your told… or not! Growing up, anytime I asked a “why” to an adult, the inevitable response was “Because I said so.”  Maybe you can relate?  Often, there are financial professionals...

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Things to Consider when Choosing a Financial Advisor Choosing a financial advisor can feel like an overwhelming task.  Who do you trust?  What questions should you be asking?  So many factors to consider that might...

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Monday, January 3, 2022

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Using a solo 401(K) to Mega Backdoor Roth IRA your Retirement If you've read any of my quotes in the media (ranging from CNBC to Nerdwallet) you'll know my full pledged appreciation for the Roth IRA. I graduated college at age 20 and...

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

So, you’re about ready to send you son or daughter to college. Likely, you have worked hard to save money for tuition, room and board, and the occasional run to the bookstore. But while you have been saving on your own, now is...

Friday, March 19, 2021

How do you build a budget or spending plan when your income isn’t consistent? That is one of the most common questions we get from people trying to build a financial plan. When you have a paycheck with more or less consistent...

Monday, February 1, 2021

I was recently approached by a young dentist who was feeling overwhelmed about his student loan payments. He had many other questions about his personal finances in regard to purchasing a home closer to work, whether or not to receive...

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Markets are volatile, the economy is currently in a recession and Coronavirus is running its course, so what do you do? Investors, when left to their own devices, have historically done a bad job of navigating market downturns. It is...

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Since the lock down in March, companies across the nation asked their employees to work from home (where possible), it seems even some formerly reluctant workers are embracing the short commute to their home office, pj's, zoom calls...

Friday, April 10, 2020

This weekend marks a month here in Illinois where we have been under a shelter-in-place order. How has the past month changed your life? I have been checking in with clients. Some have absolutely no work and are trying to keep...

Friday, April 3, 2020

As I’m sure you know, the $2 trillion “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security” (“CARES”) Act was recently signed into law. The CARES Act is designed to help those most impacted by the COVID-19...

Friday, February 14, 2020

So, you've realized it is time to move on. What do you do next to protect yourself financially as you go through the life-changing process of a divorce? Get copies of all your financial documents. At a minimum this will include: At...

Monday, November 25, 2019

I recently worked with a client who had just over six figures of federal student loan debt. A few years ago, when cash flow was tight, she enrolled in an extended repayment plan. This managed to lower her payments to a manageable level...

Monday, November 25, 2019

A couple of months ago I had an interesting conversation with an exciting younger client. She expressed concern about who would provide care for her aging parents and how that could be paid for. She and her siblings all live in...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

As the leaves change color and the weather here in the Midwest gets progressively colder I'm reminded of the only certainty in life-Constant Change. One of my dear friends and clients reached out to me earlier this week and mentioned...

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Does your financial advisor understand your student loans? Three questions to ask to find out. Student loan debt has become an enormous issue for many people over the past couple of decades. It affects the student’s finances for...

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Last week we hosted a painting event to allow everyone an opportunity to visualize their ideal retirement. As everyone began to paint, it was clear that people's preferences were quite different from the person sitting right next to...

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Have you considered a Credit Freeze to protect your credit & your minor child’s credit? Data breaches seem to be the top news headline in our day and age. Some big headlines include the most recent, where Capital One was hacked...

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

I hope you are enjoying your summer so far! Wanted to wish you a Happy 4th of July 🎆 I am off to Europe today to explore the scenic castles from “King's Landing” (for all GOT fans) and eat cevapi on the streets of Sarajevo...

Thursday, May 30, 2019

May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month. I thought this was an important topic to cover, one that is often overlooked especially by small business owners. As Financial advisors, we focus a lot of our time on investing. Typically...

Friday, March 8, 2019

So one of my best friends is having her first baby! I am very excited for her for so many reasons, and I admit-one of them is selfish. Since having my two boys 4 years ago life hasn't been the same. I no longer go to the "adult only"...

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

I recently had a meeting with a couple I've been working with for over a year now and I was delighted to hear that they no longer fight about money. That may not seem like a big issue, but disagreements over money is the second biggest...

Monday, February 4, 2019

So you want to save more money than you did in 2018? This is a top new year resolution for the majority of Americans, so let’s talk about it. I am a big proponent of new year resolutions, and so every year I sit my reluctant...