Many people who are preparing for retirement ask us if they should pay off their mortgage. In an ideal world, you should pay off your mortgage. But not everyone’s finances are ideal. If that’s your situation, then there are times when it may not make sense to pay off the mortgage. Here’s a look at…
At Northstar, our relationship isn’t just with your wealth, it’s with you and your whole family. We want to collaborate with you to ensure that your plans are in place, that transitions are smooth, and that you feel comfortable that your needs are met during your lifetime. We’ve known many of you for a long…
If you are going to retire and attempt to live off the returns from your investment portfolio, you should be familiar with something called “sequencing of return” risk. What this means is that while over a long period of time, say 25 years, you may get good returns in your portfolio, if they come in…
Finding the right investment advisor can be a confusing and challenging process. First, the number of professionals offering to manage your investments has continued to grow, with everyone from bankers to insurance agents promoting their financial acumen. Second, with so many choices – including automated options like Robo-advisors – it’s difficult to know where to…
To figure out how much you need for retirement, you need to know how much you can reasonably distribute from your retirement portfolio each year. In the world of finance, we’ve been operating under something called the “4 percent rule” for the last 20 years or so. This rule basically says that if you distribute…
It’s no secret that most Americans aren’t financially ready for retirement. A recent survey from Northwestern Mutual found that one-third of Americans had just $5,000 saved for their golden years. Thankfully, the average amount that Americans have squirreled away is higher – at $84,821, but that still isn’t enough to cover expenses for an extended…
Recent studies show that most Americans cannot tell the difference between various investment products available for retirement accounts. That, and most Americans don’t know whom to ask for advice and how much to pay for that advice. Whether it’s stocks, bonds, variable annuities, mutual funds or any number of ‘alternative investments,’ that confusion translates into…
Northstar Investment Advisors LLC was recognized for the third consecutive year in AdvisoryHQ’s 2018 Ranking of the Top-Rated Wealth Advisors in Colorado. The firm was one of 13 included in the listing and received a 5-star rating for its focus on “building both income streams and asset values” to achieve long-term results. AdvisoryHQ independently researches…
At Northstar, we talk often about the importance of owning companies that pay a dividend. In addition to paying a current dividend, we also want to own companies that have the potential to grow their dividend payments. Yet, dividend growth is another aspect of portfolio returns that many investors don’t understand or focus on. The…
The end of the year is a great time to review your finances and complete any last-minute financial housekeeping. Even this late in the game, there are changes you can make to ensure that you’re not leaving money on the table and setting yourself up for strong financial footing in 2018. Here some tips to…