by FirstWave Financial Consumers are inundated with advertisements about why they should use a particular financial service. I expect that most consumers seeking help with their personal finances behave like me when I am looking for an auto mechanic or home contractor – that is, even if time is devoted to carefully searching for the right person or company to help guide them, they feel overwhelmed and ultimately just hope that they make a good choice. Most consumers are probably attracted to a particular advisor by the prospect of superior returns. The honest-to-goodness truth is, portfolio ma ..read more

Unwrap financial wisdom this holiday season with our Christmas series podcast, “Festive Finances: Lessons from The Grinch” with WealthCoach & Retirement Plan Specialist Robert DeVries. Drawing inspiration from Dr. Seuss’s timeless tale, we offer 3 tips to keep your holiday spending in check: budget wisely, resist unnecessary purchases, and limit self-gifting.  https://firstwavefinancial.podbean.com/e/money-lessons-from-the-grinch ..read more

By FirstWave Financial® How much debt should you carry and what kind? Here are some guidelines from our wealth services firm in Satellite Beach, FL – Melbourne/Brevard area to help you make these tough decisions. The best kind of debt to have (if you are going to have any debt at all) is the long-term, fixed rate, tax-deductible kind. Long-term because you can always shorten it by accelerating payments, but cannot extend it without refinancing; fixed rate because interest rates are at a historical low and you can lock in now for the entire term of the debt; tax deductible becaus ..read more

By FirstWave Financial® Tax law and policy have taken many different shapes and forms over the years. Their primary purpose is the generation of revenue, with individual income taxes contributing approximately 50% to the annual US federal budget. Another purpose of tax laws and policies is to affect economic and social behavior. Investing in stocks comes with the risk that you could lose some or all of your investment. Taxing your long-term stock gains at lower rates than those applied to less risky interest income may provide the encouragement for you to take that additional risk, invest ..read more

By FirstWave Financial® As we move toward the end of the year, you may notice that your mailbox and inbox are filling up with requests from your favorite charities and likely also from many organizations that you don’t even know. There’s a good reason for this upsurge in communication at year-end. Approximately one-third of all annual charitable giving occurs each December. The stakes are high for organizations who depend on our giving. In 2015 donations from America’s individuals, estates, foundations and corporations reached an estimated $373.25 billion in 2015. Twenty nine percent  ..read more

Prepare for a financial revolution like never before! We’re absolutely thrilled to unveil our groundbreaking podcast series, “Financial Waves.” Dive deep into the dynamic world of finance with us as we navigate the highs and lows of investment strategies, financial wisdom, and economic insights. Join us as we kickoff our series with Hunting Unicorns – The fascination with an outsized gain can ultimately do more damage than good, with WealthCoach & Retirement Plan Specialist Robert DeVries. Stay tuned for valuable discussions, inspiring stories, and the knowledge you need to ride the wave ..read more

By FirstWave Financial® In 2016, the homes of two friends were victims of Hurricane Matthew. The good news was that they were both fully and properly insured for these events. One had a home inventory, the other did not, and they had very different experiences when filing insurance claims for items lost and destroyed. The first presented their inventory to his agent and had a full claim paid out very efficiently. The other spent many difficult hours, once she could get back to her home, cataloging and photographing her wet, moldy belongings, and it was many months and insurance-related co ..read more

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