Wealth Planning

A person wearing a black and white striped shirt and a black cap blows a whistle and holds up a yellow card. The background shows a blurred outdoor landscape with mountains. The words "EARLY RETIREMENT" are written in bold towards the top left of the image.

How to Avoid an Early Retirement Penalty

March 2, 2022

Every now and again, SYM Financial advisors and planners run into clients who retire early. There are many good reasons why someone might “retire early” in the eyes of the IRS, which is any time before reaching the age of 59½. Some are ready to separate from their jobs sooner than they had anticipated. Others may be impacted by layoffs, workforce reduction, or health problems that make it difficult to continue working. No matter how

An infographic by SYM Financial Advisors shows a brain split into two sides: the left labeled "Logical Side" with analytical questions, and the right labeled "Emotional Side" with impulsive statements. The bottom line advises leaning on a financial plan and building emergency savings for decisions.

The Cost of Emotions in Financial Decisions

February 14, 2022

You might think that the hardest financial decisions are knowing which investments to pick, mitigating downside risk, or understanding how taxes might impact your returns. But there is one thing that can derail your investment portfolio even faster than poor investment choices and tax mistakes. That is the voice inside your head. On the surface, our daily thoughts and emotions may seem trivial. However, they can trick us into chasing after investments that don’t make

A table from SYM Financial Advisors titled "Emergency Savings: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly." It lists the benefits of emergency savings (green bag), average costs of emergencies (orange bag), and disadvantages of high-interest loans (red bag). Includes sources.

Keeping up with Emergency Savings, No Matter What

February 2, 2022

There are many good reasons why financial experts recommend building an emergency savings fund. Having a dependable reserve of money can allow anyone to handle unplanned expenses without relying on credit cards or loans. And for some, emergency savings can even make a difference between leaving a toxic job or relationship — or getting stuck in a bad situation for months, years, or even decades. In this post, we’ll talk about how emergency savings can

An infographic by SYM Financial Advisors titled "Tax Time Checkup" shows that 62% of Americans expect a tax refund. It details how they plan to use it: 54% on savings, including emergency savings, 32% on debt, 27% on daily expenses, 12% on home improvement, 10% on major purchases, 8% on vacation, and

Next Year’s Income Tax Planning Starts Now

February 1, 2022

Whether you are the type to submit your tax filing early or you wait until the April 15th deadline, there are ways to make the annual necessity easier on yourself. Income tax filing doesn’t have to be a frantic race. If you develop the right habits now, you can take small steps all year long, which will make the tax-filing project much simpler. That can lead to a quicker, smoother filing — and can potentially

A shattered green Christmas ornament lies on a plain surface. The ornament, decorated with white and silver stripes and patterns, is broken into several pieces, with the top part still partially intact and the rest fragmented into small shards.

Best of Holiday Mishaps and Misadventures

November 16, 2021

The holidays are supposed to be just like the joyful, cozy pictures of fireside smiles and perfect cookies that we see in magazines… But we all know that in real life, they can turn awkward and hysterical faster than you can say “Oh Santa!” Have you ever experienced a less-than-perfect holiday? The SYM team shares some of their most memorable mishaps. Turkey Got Runover by a Grandma “A couple of days before Thanksgiving, Grandma was

Taxes 101

November 12, 2021

The Difference between Marginal and Effective Tax Rate Do you know the difference between marginal and effective tax rates? This was a topic that didn’t get a lot of attention until 2007, when billionaire Warren Buffett expressed his frustration with the fact that he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary. Buffett learned this after he conducted a survey of his employees and discovered they were paying an average of 32.9% — compared to his

How to Avoid an Early Retirement Penalty

The Cost of Emotions in Financial Decisions

Keeping up with Emergency Savings, No Matter What

Next Year’s Income Tax Planning Starts Now

Best of Holiday Mishaps and Misadventures

Taxes 101

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