Blog

We're new to this blogging thing, but we have a lot of ideas that we would love to share with you. From financial planning topics like saving for retirement or paying off student loans, to our thoughts on seasonal topics or current events, we're excited to educate and engage you in a new way. We're happy to have you read along.

 

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

This week’s blog article comes to you from the research team at Dimensional Fund Advisors. During this time of uncertainty in the markets (and on the homefront!), we can all stand to be reminded that while the markets can...

 

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

I love finding money. Soon, I’ll be breaking out the shorts from my dresser drawers, and I’m hoping that I left a $20 bill in one of the pockets. It’s unlikely, because I rarely carry cash on me - I can’t miss...

 

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Near the end of 2019, Congress passed the SECURE act, which impacted quite a few investors who have saved or are saving for retirement. One of the changes is that retirees won’t have to start taking money from their IRAs until...

 

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

The year 2019 was a great year for the US and international stock markets. Large-cap US stocks were up more than 30% measured by the S&P 500, small and mid-cap US stocks were up more than 25%, and international developed stocks were...

 

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

I have a lot of fond memories of Januaries in Nebraska. Snow storms (it’s actually snowing as I’m writing this), a Nebraska football bowl game (OK, maybe not every year), watching the Packers in the playoffs (I was born in...

 

Show All

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Recently I was attending a networking event, and a business connection of mine decided it was time to tell a terrible financial planning joke. “Two ducks are sitting on the runway at O’Hare airport. As an airplane zooms by...

 

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

After 10 years of having the privilege to focus full-time on my family, I’m back to work. Knowing I would return to work and looking forward to this season, I’ve spent time refining my professional values and establishing...

 

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

It is hard to believe, but we will soon be completing our third year in business as Flagstone Financial Management. We opened our doors on January 1, 2017. Flagstone was a dream of mine for a number of years, but I wasn’t sure...

 

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

It was Friday, November 1st, and baby Stous was giving us signs that his or her (we didn’t know the gender yet) birthday was coming soon, which made sense considering the November 2nd due date. My wife, Kate, was feeling some...

 

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

I love so many things about fall in Nebraska. I love driving down our neighborhood street and seeing the changing leaves. I love experiencing the (sometimes) mild weather, and seeing the neighbors’ doorsteps become decorated...

 

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Getting married can be one of the most exciting times in your life, but it can also be stressful and confusing. As with any major life change, marriage comes with a long list of financial topics that need to be addressed. Here’s...

 

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

The Randomness of Global Equity Returns June 2019 Investment opportunities exist all around the globe. Across more than 40 countries, there are over 15,000 publicly traded companies. If you listen to the news, however, some...

 

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

A common question we help our clients answer is how much life insurance they really need. It’s not an easy question to answer, because there are a lot of things you need to consider. Is the employer-provided insurance that is...

 

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

We would like to introduce our newest intern, Dane Bowen. Dane is family friends with Michael Johnson’s family. After discussing an internship for a couple of years, having Dane work at Flagstone finally made sense, and he began...

 

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

A little over a year ago, a friend of mine reached out to me to ask - Should she be purchasing a home now? She had been saving up for a down-payment on her first house, so she was paying close attention to what was happening to...

 

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Over the course of a summer, it’s not unusual for the stock market to be a topic of conversation at barbeques or other social gatherings. A neighbor or relative might ask about which investments are good at the moment. The lure...

 

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

One of the most confusing things in the financial services industry is trying to understand how financial advisors and financial planners charge for their services. Many people we talk to who have investment accounts at other...

 

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

The presidential campaigns for the 2020 election have officially begun. The first debates for the Democratic party took place on June 26th and 27th, and as expected, the student loan crisis was a big topic of debate. The solution...

 

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

A lesson from Austin, Texas... Good barbeque is worth the wait. That’s something I had to argue about with numerous people when I was in Austin last week, which was kind of a surprise to me, considering it is one of the best...

 

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

We would like to introduce our newest intern, Ethan Cox. While Ethan was searching for financial planning firms in Lincoln, he came upon Flagstone Financial Management and decided this looked like a place he would like to work –...

 

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

I was recently attending a baby shower with some friends and I ran in to an old friend who I hadn’t seen in probably six or seven years. We did the typical “what’s new, how have you been” small talk, which...

 

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Growing interest in the impact of fossil fuels on the global climate may spark questions about whether individuals can integrate their values around sustainability with their investment goals and, if so, how. As citizens, individuals...

 

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Budgeting can be a real drag. Even the thought of the term can bring tears of boredom or guilt to the most frugal or all spenders. Often times, budgeting can feel restrictive and time-consuming for little benefit, but if done right,...

 

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

As many of you know, Flagstone Financial Management recently moved into a new office that we built in Village Gardens, a development in south Lincoln. Many of our business clients have asked about the building process because they are...

 

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

If you’ve saved for retirement using a Traditional IRA, you’ve benefited from tax-deferred growth in the account for years, maybe decades. Uncle Sam encouraged you to save for...

 

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

After my wife, Kate, and I visited Hawaii in late 2016, we immediately began thinking about our next island vacation. It seemed like everything we did in Hawaii was better than we expected it to be. We witnessed manta rays feeding...

 

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

As taxpayers are finalizing their taxes for 2018, many are surprised to learn that this year is unlike previous years. Their return may not be as big as they thought, or they might find they actually owe money this year, but...

 

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

One of the most common goals our clients have is to save for their children’s college expenses. Their specific goals widely vary. Some parents want to provide tuition at a 2-year community college, and then leave it up to the...

 

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

A few weeks ago, one of the most influential investors in America passed away. Jack Bogle - the founder of Vanguard and a pioneer of the low-cost index approach to investing – was 89 when he died, and his ideas transformed...

 

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

A few weeks ago, as I was winding down for bed, I noticed a strange sensation in my chest. I could feel my heart beat, which I thought was quite odd. I checked my pulse, and it seemed like my heart was regularly skipping beats. That...

 

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

For investors, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the relentless stream of news about markets. Being bombarded with data and headlines presented as impactful to your financial well-being can evoke strong emotional responses from...

 

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

It was a December Saturday in Nebraska. The weather was typical and atypical all at the same time. I spent the afternoon working a little and watching the college football conference championships, including the SEC championship game...

 

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Last month, I spoke with CNN about some pitfalls that should be avoided when using Donor Advised Funds. It was timely, because as the end of the year approaches, many taxpayers are looking for ways to be less of a taxpayer.

 

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

When I’m driving home from work each day, I usually listen to the news on the radio. I like the routine. I don’t have a lot of time during the day to be checking the headlines, so hearing a condensed version of the news on...

 

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

I recently had to dig through the depth of my storage to find some old scrapbooks from my high school days. As often the case, when you start digging you realize there is a bunch of stuff that you are storing that you no longer need...

 

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Spending money on experiences tends to bring more happiness than spending money on things. There are five principals that should be followed in order to maximize the amount of happiness that our money can buy for us.

 

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Knowing what to do with your extra cash can be challenging. Typically, when our clients here at Flagstone have debt, they wonder whether they should invest the extra cash or make extra payments towards their debt.

 

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

If you pay much attention to the investment world, you have probably heard of index funds. Index funds are a low-cost way to invest in the stock and bond markets. Basically, an index fund is a basket of stocks or bonds.

 

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Flagstone hired our first intern, Riya Pandey, earlier this summer and we certainly made a good choice. In our initial meeting with Riya we immediately noticed her enthusiasm, strong desire to learn and her entrepreneurial spirit.

 

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

From 1928–2017, value stocks in the US have outperformed growth stocks, on average, by approximately 3.5%. In seven of the last 10 calendar years, however, this so-called “value premium” in the US has been negative.

 

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

At Flagstone Financial Management, we’re passionate about many things: helping our clients meet their financial goals, providing top-notch service, and helping clients discover what drives them. We're also passionate about our pets...

 

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

When investors create their own investment portfolio, often times they know they should diversify. It may be the most-preached concept in investing. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket!” It’s generally good advice.

 

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

As Flagstone continues to grow, we recognize that much of our success is a result of being a part of a caring, generous community. Those who serve their community end up reaping the benefits of a thriving community.

 

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

This erosion of the real purchasing power of wealth is called inflation and is an important element of investing. When the prices of goods and services increase over time, consumers can buy fewer of them with every dollar they have saved.

 

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

We often meet with clients who ask us “Should I be contributing to a Roth?” Just the other day, I met with someone who said “My relative told me I should open a Roth. What do you think about that?”

 

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Flagstone Financial Management is a fee-only “planning first” firm so we spend as much time on financial planning and holistic advice as we do on investments. One of the main areas we review with many of our clients is...

 

Friday, June 1, 2018

Many individuals are in the position to be able to give away a portion of their income or their wealth to charity, but they really don’t have a clue where to start. You might have had some questions run through your mind.

 

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

My wife, Kate, and I both graduated with student loan debt. We wanted to pay off our loans as quickly as we could, while still saving enough for other goals such as retirement and an emergency fund. It’s not always best to plow...

 

Friday, March 9, 2018

When discussing life insurance with our clients, one of the most common questions we hear is “Should I buy a term policy, or a whole life policy?” The question certainly isn’t confined to walls of our conference room...

 

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Somewhere around early 2016, my wife and I got the itch to go to Hawaii. I had never been there before, and she hadn’t been there as an adult. We both enjoy Scuba diving, and Hawaii has some of the best dives sites in the world....

 

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Getting out of an old car and into a new one is a big decision. If you’re like me, you spend entirely too much time researching which vehicle you should get. About six months ago, I spent about three days straight obsessing over...

 

Thursday, January 25, 2018

When I’m talking to family and friends about the investment industry, I’m often surprised at how much confusion there is around the topic of how financial advisors (or financial planners, or stock brokers, or portfolio...

 

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Flagstone Financial Management recently concluded its first year in business. As I reflect on what has transpired over the last year I thankful for this past year and very excited for the future. In some ways it feels like 2017 lasted...

 

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

The year is coming to an end, and it’s a perfect time to reflect on both the good and the bad that has happened in our personal lives over the last twelve months. Maybe you welcomed a new child or grandchild to your family....

 

Friday, December 15, 2017

The holiday season is upon us. It’s the time of year for spending time with family, cozying up by the fireplace with some hot chocolate, decorating the house with lights and mistletoe, listening to your favorite (or dreaded)...

 

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

The end of the tax year is nearly upon us, which means we are typically weaving some tax planning topics into our discussions with clients. How can you prepare for the proposed changes?