Pouring your retirement foundation 22 Aug 2013 | 12:40 am

The news media conditions us to think about our retirement savings need as a fixed number. At a recent graduation party someone told me they had $1.5MM saved for retirement,” and then came the big que...

Longevity risk 15 Aug 2013 | 09:14 pm

My grandmother was born in 1927. At that time, the life expectancy for women was about 60 years, but here we are in 2013and she is doing amazingly well. During the last 80 years, technological and med...

Protecting yourself against electronic wire fraud 10 Aug 2013 | 03:41 am

It seems like every year thieves become more creative in finding new ways to steal. A disturbing new trend is directly targeting financial advisors and their clients. Financial institutions are seeing...

Merriman advisors Mark, Cheryl, and Tyler discuss conversations they are having with their clients 24 Jul 2013 | 10:43 pm

Untitled 4 Jul 2013 | 12:43 am

Every day, financial news sites and channels provide a steady stream of conflicting opinions and predictions that often leave investors feeling confused, frustrated, and paralyzed. Don’t believe me? P...

Have you written your letter of instruction? 14 Jun 2013 | 10:07 pm

Maybe you’ve heard of this before. A letter of instruction is a document you write to your executor and family that contains your personalized wishes and instructions for settling your estate. Althoug...

Go fishing, not phishing! 12 Jun 2013 | 02:06 am

If you use email, you are under constant attack. Every ploy imaginable is being used against you in attempts to get you to open an email that has the goal of connecting you with a website to enter you...

Maximizing the impact of charitable contributions 6 Jun 2013 | 12:18 am

With the recent tornado in Oklahoma we are reminded of the importance of charitable giving.  In fact, since the tornado, over $15 million has been donated to the American Red Cross. According to the G...

Managing through difficult markets 31 May 2013 | 11:00 pm

Bear markets can get ugly. Unfortunately they will, just as they have in the past, continue to plague the markets. You can prepare for their arrival and understand how your investment plan dictates na...

I’m finally making some money…now what? 3 May 2013 | 12:43 am

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with a client’s daughter. She’s in her twenties, just finished up her nursing degree six months ago and is working the night shift at a local hospital. She ...