Broker Check

Blog

Welcome to my blog.  This is where I will periodically post topical financial information about what I think my clients should be aware of.  This will also be a place for me to post interesting financial information to help educate my clients on different financial topics.  This website can also be accessed through the domains:  www.folsomfinancialadvisor.com , www.folsomfinancialplanner.com, and www.nickaweber.com.  I hope you find this information useful.

 - Nick A Weber, CFP®, CRPS®

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

In both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and high-stakes wealth management, there is a common misconception that success comes from aggressive, overwhelming force.In reality, the winner is usually the one who exhibits the most discipline,...

Thursday, September 27, 2018

The Sequence of Returns A look at how variable rates of return do (and do not) impact investors over time. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® What exactly is the “sequence of returns”? The phrase simply...

Monday, September 24, 2018

Are Changes Ahead for Retirement Accounts? A bill now in Congress proposes to alter some longstanding rules. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Most Americans are not saving enough for retirement, despite ongoing...

Monday, September 17, 2018

Starting a Roth IRA for a Child or Grandchild This early financial decision could prove profoundly positive over time. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Do you have a child or grandchild earning some income?...

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Financial Considerations When Buying a Car Things to think about before heading to a dealership. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Time to buy a car? Short of buying a house, this is one on the most important...

Show All

Monday, September 10, 2018

The Safe Harbor 401(k) Deadline Is Quickly Approaching Now is the time for small business owners to act. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® October 1 is the deadline for companies to set up Safe Harbor 401(k) plans...

Thursday, September 6, 2018

The Turkish Currency Crisis A look at why it matters so much to the world, and the risk of a domino effect. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® The collapse of the Turkish lira has become a major financial story....

Monday, September 3, 2018

Why the U.S. Might Be Less Affected by a Trade War The nature of our economy could help it withstand the disruption. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® A trade war does seem to be getting underway. Investors around...

Monday, August 27, 2018

The Sequence of Returns A look at how variable rates of return do (and do not) impact investors over time. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® What exactly is the “sequence of returns”? The phrase simply...

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Financial Elder Abuse: Perception vs. Reality Someday, you or your parents could be at risk. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® You may know victims of financial elder abuse. According to a new Wells Fargo Elder...

Monday, August 20, 2018

Financial Fraudsters Preying on Boomers & Elders If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® If you are in or near retirement, it is a safe bet that you would like...

Monday, August 13, 2018

Tax Changes Around the Home How the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act impacted three popular deductions. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Three recent tax law changes impact homeowners and home-based businesses. They may...

Monday, August 6, 2018

What People Overlook When Shopping for Life Insurance A few realities that must be acknowledged. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Shopping for life insurance means paying attention to detail. In scrutinizing...

Monday, July 30, 2018

The Case for Women Working Past 65 Why striving to stay in the workforce a little longer may make financial sense. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® The median retirement age for an American woman is 62. The...

Monday, July 23, 2018

Coping with College Loans Paying them down and managing their financial impact. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Is student loan debt weighing on the economy? Probably. Total student loan debt in America is now...

Monday, July 16, 2018

How Much Do You Really Know About Long-Term Care? Separating some eldercare facts from some eldercare myths. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® How much does eldercare cost, and how do you arrange it when it is...

Monday, July 9, 2018

Life Insurance Explained A quick look at the different types of policies. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® When it comes to life insurance, there are many choices. Whole life. Variable universal life. Term. What...

Monday, July 2, 2018

The Flattening of the Yield Curve Why are investors and economists getting nervous about Treasury yields? Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® What is the yield curve, and why is the financial media writing about it?...

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

The Backdoor Roth IRA A move that high earners can make in pursuit of tax-free retirement income. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Does your high income stop you from contributing to a Roth IRA? It does not...

Monday, May 28, 2018

Facts About Refinancing Even with interest rates rising, you may want to explore the possibilities. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® In the first quarter of 2018, the refinance share of home loan applications in...

Monday, May 21, 2018

Retirement Plans for Individuals & Businesses A look at some of the choices. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Households are saving too little for the future. According to one new analysis, 41% of Gen Xers and...

Monday, May 14, 2018

The Pros & Cons of Roth IRA Conversions What are the potential benefits? What are the drawbacks? Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® If you own a traditional IRA, perhaps you have thought about converting it to a...

Monday, May 7, 2018

The Major 2018 Federal Tax Changes Comparing the old rules with the new. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act made dramatic changes to federal tax law. It is worth reviewing some of these...

Monday, April 30, 2018

The Move Toward Fee-Based Advisory Accounts Why financial professionals are changing their business models. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® A major shift has occurred in the financial world. More and more...

Monday, April 23, 2018

Tax Efficiency in Retirement How much attention do you pay to this factor? Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Will you pay higher taxes in retirement? Do you have a lot of money in a 401(k) or a traditional IRA? If...

Monday, April 16, 2018

What Should You Keep? Even with less itemizing, there are still tax documents you want to retain for years to come. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Fewer taxpayers are itemizing in the wake of federal tax...

Monday, April 9, 2018

Are Entertainment Expenses Still Deductible? Yes, but only in certain contexts. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® You may have heard that the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act eliminated nearly all possibilities to write off...

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

2018 Retirement Account Limits How much can you contribute this year? Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® In 2018, you have another chance to max out your retirement accounts. Here is a rundown of yearly...

Monday, April 2, 2018

Retirement Plans for Individuals & Businesses A look at some of the choices. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Households are saving too little for the future. According to one new analysis, 41% of Gen Xers and...

Monday, March 26, 2018

Managing Student Loan Debt A review of some options for federal and private loans. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Are you dealing with student loan debt? Have you explored ways to try and restructure it or have...

Monday, March 19, 2018

A New Day for 529 Plans Federal tax reforms lead to new possibilities for these education savings accounts. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Do you have a 529 college savings plan? Have you thought about opening...

Monday, March 12, 2018

The Value of a Stop-Loss Strategy Why you may want to have one in place in any market climate. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® What is a stop-loss strategy, and how can it potentially aid an investor? Savvy...

Monday, March 5, 2018

The Wild Ride of Bitcoin Who knows what it will be worth next year – or next week. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® The ups and downs of bitcoin have amazed investors. Back on April 1, 2017, one bitcoin was...

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Keeping This Correction in Perspective After 20 months of relative calm, this volatility needs to be taken in stride. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Are you upset by what is happening on Wall Street? It may...

Monday, February 26, 2018

How the Tax Reforms Will Take Effect Some of the impact of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act will be felt later than January 1. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® President Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act into...

Monday, February 19, 2018

Tax Deductions Gone in 2018 What standbys did tax reforms eliminate? Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Are the days of itemizing over? Not quite, but now that H.R. 1 (popularly called the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act) is...

Monday, February 12, 2018

You Will Probably Pay More for Medicare in 2018 If you have been shielded from higher Part B premiums, that shield may disappear. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Was your monthly Medicare Part B premium less...

Monday, February 5, 2018

Everyone Is Talking About Bitcoin But when will the cryptocurrency bubble burst? Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Investors are excited about bitcoin – perhaps too excited. Their fervor is easy to...

Monday, January 1, 2018

Your 2018 Financial To-Do List Things you can do for your future as the year unfolds. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® What financial, business, or life priorities do you need to address for 2018? Now is a good...

Monday, December 25, 2017

Examining the 2018 Social Security COLA It will help retirees out, but it will not help them get ahead. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Seniors got a little good news this fall. Next year, monthly Social...

Monday, December 18, 2017

Retirement Plan Contribution Limits Rise for 2018 Slight increases have been made due to mild inflation. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® You will able to put a little more into your workplace retirement account...

Monday, December 11, 2017

When Will the Business Cycle Peak? As the recovery lengthens further, this is a natural question to ask. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® This decade has brought a long economic rebound to many parts of America....

Monday, December 4, 2017

Year-End Charitable Gifting What should you keep in mind as you donate? Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Are you making charitable donations this holiday season? If so, you should know about some of the financial...

Monday, November 27, 2017

Retirement Plan Trusts These tools can shield inherited IRA assets from lawyers and creditors. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Inherited IRA assets are vulnerable in bankruptcy proceedings. Many older IRA owners...

Monday, November 20, 2017

Understanding Inherited IRAs What beneficiaries need to know and consider. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® At first glance, the rules surrounding inherited IRAs are complex. Here are some questions (and...

Monday, November 13, 2017

The Pros & Cons of Roth IRA Conversions What are the potential benefits? What are the drawbacks? Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® If you own a traditional IRA, perhaps you have thought about converting it to a...

Monday, November 6, 2017

Enjoy the Rally, But Prepare for the Retreat Investors may be lulled into a false sense of security by this market. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Will the current bull market run for another year? How about...

Monday, October 30, 2017

Is a Home an Investment? From one perspective, the answer is yes; from another, no. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® When you buy a home, are you investing? If you buy it to flip it or buy it as a rental property...

Monday, October 23, 2017

Life Insurance Products with Long Term Care Riders Are they worthwhile alternatives to traditional LTC policies? Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® The price of long-term care insurance has really gone up. If you...

Monday, October 16, 2017

Tax-Loss Harvesting A useful year-end move to counteract capital gains. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® It looks like 2017 will end up being a very good year for the stock market. Consequently, you may realize...

Monday, October 9, 2017

Avoiding the Cybercrooks How can you protect yourself against ransomware, phishing, and other tactics? Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Imagine finding out that your computer has been hacked. The hackers leave...

Monday, October 2, 2017

The Equifax Data Breach Have you been affected? If so, how can you try to protect yourself? Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® On September 7, credit reporting agency Equifax dropped a consumer bombshell. It...

Monday, September 25, 2017

Financial Priorities Young Families Should Address Wise money moves for parents under 40. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® As you start a family, you start to think about certain financial matters. Before you...

Monday, September 18, 2017

Why You Should Stay Invested Through Tense Times Crises pass, and markets eventually regain equilibrium. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® We have seen some uneasy times lately. Uneasiness impacts the financial...

Monday, September 11, 2017

The Current CD Quandary Economists thought inflation would pick up. Guess again. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® The Consumer Price Index has advanced less than 2% in a year. Mortgage rates are still not far...

Monday, September 4, 2017

Translating Stock Market Jargon The meaning behind some of that Wall Street lingo. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Have you ever been confused by the jargon used on Wall Street? Perhaps it is time to translate...

Monday, August 28, 2017

Talking to Your Kids About Your Wealth How can you convey its importance and its meaning? Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Are you an owner of a thriving business or a medical or legal practice? Are you a highly...

Monday, August 21, 2017

Understanding the Gift Tax Most of us will never face taxes related to money or assets we give away. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® “How can I avoid the federal gift tax?” If this question is on...

Monday, August 14, 2017

Which Financial Documents Should You Keep On File? … and for how long? Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® You might be surprised how many people have financial documents scattered all over the house –...

Monday, August 7, 2017

Cybercurrencies: A Risky Choice Investors attracted by bitcoin & other altcoins should recognize their downsides. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Bitcoin. Ethereum. Litecoin. Ripple. These are just four of the...

Monday, July 31, 2017

Managing Money Well as a Couple What are the keys in planning to grow wealthy together? Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® When you marry or simply share a household with someone, your financial life changes...

Monday, July 24, 2017

Saving $1 Million for Retirement How can you plan to do it? What kind of financial commitment will it take? Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® How many of us will retire with $1 million or more in savings? More of...

Monday, July 17, 2017

Having the Money Talk with Your Children How much financial knowledge do they have? Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Some young adults manage to acquire a fair amount of financial literacy. In the classroom or...

Monday, July 10, 2017

Keep Calm, Stay Invested Expect more volatility, but avoid letting the headlines alter your plans. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Recent headlines have disturbed what was an unusually calm stock market. The...

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

The June Rate Hike The Federal Reserve takes the key interest rate north by another quarter point. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® On Wednesday morning, futures markets put the odds at 99.6% of a June interest...

Monday, July 3, 2017

What You Need to Know About the Fiduciary Rule A quick look at the changes coming for retirement accounts. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Rules are changing concerning investment professionals and retirement...

Monday, June 26, 2017

The Rough Consequences of Not Saving for Retirement Do you really want to risk facing these potential outcomes? Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Saving for retirement may seem a thankless task. But you may be...

Monday, June 19, 2017

Why Retirees Need Good Credit Scores Careers & businesses end, but the need to borrow remains. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® We spend much of our adult lives working, borrowing, and buying. A good credit score...

Monday, June 12, 2017

Beware of Emotions Affecting Your Money Decisions Today’s impulsive moves could breed tomorrow’s regrets. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® When emotions and money intersect, the effects can be...

Monday, June 5, 2017

An Estate Planning Checklist What to check (and double-check). Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Create a will if you do not yet have one. A valid will may save your heirs from some expensive headaches linked to...

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

What Are Your Odds of Being Audited? They are low, unless you show the I.R.S. some conspicuous “red flags” on your return. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, AIF®, CRPS® Fewer than 1% of Americans have their...

Thursday, February 9, 2017

As taxpayers and tax preparers send in 1040 forms for 2016, they are also wondering about the changes to federal tax law that may occur in 2017 and 2018. Will President Trump’s administration be able to follow through on his...

Friday, December 30, 2016

Am I Likely to Lose My Health Insurance? There’s ongoing uncertainty about the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) following the election of Donald Trump. With this in mind, as well as the question of what could emerge to...

Thursday, December 22, 2016

As Anticipated, Interest Rates Rise The Federal Reserve’s latest policy move corresponds to market expectations. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, CRPS® Wednesday, the Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate by 0.25%....

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Entering the Yellen YearsA look at the economist newly nominated to lead the Federal Reserve.Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, CRPS® Janet Yellen – currently the vice chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve – has been...

Monday, October 7, 2013

The Government ShutdownBasic information and frequently asked questions. Provided by Nick A Weber CFP®, CRPS® As you have no doubt heard, the United States government shut down at midnight (Eastern) October 1, 2013. There are many...

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

End-of-the-Year Money MovesHere are some things you might want to do before saying goodbye to 2013. Provided by Nick A Weber, CFP®, CRPS® What has changed for you in 2013? Did you start a new job – or leave a job behind?...