We frequently share that many of our clients come to us during times of transition. Perhaps it’s children going off to college, parents growing older and passing, or retirement, a divorce, etc. All these examples of transition require a great deal of planning – financially and emotionally – and the logistics can be quite complicated. Often powerful messages from our past can resurface
Read MoreOn Friday June 24, 2016, at an awards luncheon hosted by The Austin Business Journal, the Lucien, Stirling & Gray team was invited up to the podium to receive an award in front of about 700 other people. After an impressive countdown of some of the most admired large, medium, small and micro companies in Central Texas, all of whom were being recognized as finalists in the ABJ’s annual
Read MoreAfter the desk has been cleaned out and the party has been thrown, the last thing you want to do on the first day of retirement is wake up and think, “now what?” Many people focus much attention on the date of retirement, but the years following that date do not have nearly as clear and concise a plan. A simple exercise we are proposing today is creating your own “Retirement Timeline.”
Read More“Getting Your House in Order” – We often associate this with something that only sick or dying people should do. “We are in great shape – what’s the need?” or “We will do this later when we get old,” are thoughts many have when they hear this phrase. But what if we took a different approach? What if reviewing this question became an on-going part of our planning for the rest of our lives? At Lucien, Stirling & Gray, we believe thoughtful planning – even for young healthy people – is one of the hallmarks of a successful happy life.
Read MoreDid you know that April is “National Financial Literacy Month”? Maybe you have seen some of our social media postings highlighting this recently. While we hope you find our educational tidbits helpful this month, our real goal is to make financial literacy a focus of our ongoing communications all the time.
Read MoreThis is a hot topic in Austin right now, but the answer to this question is not as simple as you might think. Like many financial questions, it depends mightily on a number of variables, not the least of which is the personal situation and experience of the person asking.
Read MoreThe world is full of advice for the young about love and money. But, what about love and money in retirement?
We help clients plan for their retirement, by carefully and thoughtfully generating income. But, retirement isn’t just about monthly checks and a diversified portfolio.
Read MoreThe Baby Boom generation is now retiring en masse, and the topic of Retirement Income Planning has increasingly been in the news. The front edge of the generation, born in 1946, is turning 70 this year. Many boomers have delayed retirement, but will still be facing required minimum distributions and other transitional decisions. Google the term “Retirement Income Planning” and you will get about 10.5 million results. Before delving into the countless
Read MoreBeing given an opportunity to write a year-end recap of a business as an employee who hasn’t yet reached her “one year anniversary” may seem unusual, but I have learned Lucien, Stirling & Gray is a pretty unusual place. On one hand, there is insufficient context for comparisons to be drawn to the past, but on the other, my perspective is fresh and not jaded by negative comparisons that often overshadow the celebration of a year’s victories.
Read MoreBy now, you’ve probably heard about changes to a couple of the rules governing the claiming of Social Security benefits. These were “buried” in the recent two-year budget bill passed by both houses of the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Obama on November 2, 2015. In this same law are provisions that will soften the impact of premium increases for certain Medicare enrollees.
Read MoreWhat is your story?
My home phone rang the other day. No one calls us anymore. They text. They email. They facebook. I heard the answering machine say, “ Cass, it is your Uncle Dint.” I put down my iPad and raced to answer. I didn’t even know my uncle had my phone number. But, he did. At age 87, and in poor health, he is calling the people who mean something to him and the list is long. He has at least 28 nieces
Read MoreFor several weeks now we have been experiencing a turbulent period in global financial markets. As is their habit, many in the financial media have seized on this opportunity to forecast yet another crisis scenario, so I’m reaching out with a few thoughts that I hope will assist you in addressing some of the concerns you might have.
Read MoreSocial Security is complicated. With over 2,700 different rules, there is no getting around it. Unless you have never been married, your options and overall strategy for collecting Social Security benefits will probably be complicated. Articles and resources abound about Social Security, but the challenge for someone to take the information from those various resources and turn it into a personalized plan for his or her own retirement is huge. Many avoid it. Others just make a quick decision to get it over. That’s why we are here.
Read MoreSummer is a great opportunity for our team to reflect, and to focus valuable attention on ways of improving our overall interactions with clients. With a few new folks at Lucien, Stirling & Gray, we have been putting effort into “getting back to basics,” which is also helpful for our senior advisors to revisit. What do we consider the “basics” of our business? Our core philosophy can be summed up by answering these two important questions:
Read MoreJune is the most popular month for weddings, and often wedding expenses are the first big-budget items couples handle together. How well a couple handles these decisions has the power to set the tone, good or bad, for future financial decisions, which is important because financial differences of opinion can be one of the big challenges in a marriage. Unfortunately, nearly half of the couples tying the knot in 2014 went over- budget and another 23% did not even have a budget – so they may have started off on the wrong foot.
Read MorePicture this: relief washes over you as you file your annual tax return—just in time for the April 15th deadline. But then a notice from the IRS informs you that more than one return was filed for you and a refund has already been issued. Where do you go from here?
Read MoreFor certain people tax season serves as the once per year review of their financial situation. Marking April 15th off of the calendar with a sigh of relief may equate to putting finance-related records away in a drawer to collect dust until next year. Now that the looming tax filing deadline is gone, it would be a good chance to do a thorough financial record review.
Read MoreDo your kids deserve the best of everything? This could be a short essay. In a word -No.
The capacity for delayed gratification is a predictor of adult success and happiness. It is also a common trait of the most successful investors. I do not believe it is totally an inherited trait.
Read MoreBy - The LSG Team
Why are we having a moving expert and organizational guru come to talk to our clients and friends? What on earth does this have to do with what we do?
Because everywhere we look, clutter takes a toll on our mental, physical and financial health. It keeps us from moving forward and from getting the life we want. It keeps us feeling stuck, overwhelmed, drained of energy and unable to chart a clear direction forward. Look around you and tell me it isn’t so…
Read MoreCan I just say that I find all these organizing tips for the New Year discouraging? Why? Because I start out with good intentions, just like we all do, and then life gets in the way.
Life is messy. It is even for the ultra organized. Remember Martha Stewart? She has a perfect life on Pinterest and in her magazine, but she did go to prison. That little fact always helps keep things in perspective.
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