David Christian, CFA, CFP®

We are pleased to announce that David Christian, CFA, CFP®, has been named a shareholder at Johnson Investment Counsel. His leadership and dedication since joining in 2017 have played a key role in the firm's continued growth. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification. Johnson Investment Counsel serves clients in 50 states, with 6 offices across Ohio and Michigan.

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Yahoo

2 days ago

• Yahoo

Think you know the basics of retirement planning? Think again. ‘There's a lot of ignorance out there.'

For years, Jim Sexton has led financial-education classes at a local library. He's often struck by gaps in attendees' knowledge of retirement planning. 'Very few people understand what they need to know to help them prepare financially for the future,' said Sexton, a certified financial planner in Hudson, Ohio. 'There's a lot of ignorance out there about financial planning and retirement.' Israel-Iran clash delivers a fresh shock to investors. History suggests this is the move to make. 'I'm at my wit's end': My niece paid off her husband's credit card but fell behind on her taxes. How can I help her? 'I prepaid our mom's rent for a year': My sister is a millionaire and never helps our mother. How do I cut her out of her will? As Trump blasts Fed to lower rates, it's the bond market in need of convincing I'm 51, earn $129K and have $165K in my 401(k). Can I afford to retire when my husband, 59, draws Social Security at 62? He administers a five-question 'retirement fluency' test to help pre-retirees assess their knowledge. The results prove his point: many people lack a basic understanding of money issues. For example, in Sexton's test, only 30% of respondents know how much of one's healthcare expenses in retirement are, on average, covered by Medicare and other government programs. The answer: about two-thirds. When it comes to money matters, ignorance is costly. As you age, your margin for error tightens up: You no longer have another few decades to earn income from work to offset any misguided (or disastrous) financial decisions. Aside from lacking a long-term horizon to make up for your mistakes, you need to lean on your own resourcefulness and knowledge to navigate financial uncertainties that can upend retirement. Examples include managing your investments to withstand ever-volatile markets, rebalancing your portfolio so you don't outlive your money and exercising sound, informed judgment amid aggressive attempts to sell you everything from annuities to Medicare Advantage plans. Read: I'm 55 with a state pension in my future. Do I have to save as much as other people? Social Security is another frequently misunderstood topic, Sexton said. Pre-retirees may overlook the 8% increase in benefits they get each year by delaying Social Security past their full retirement age (until they reach 70). 'They know that Social Security benefits are taxable,' he said. 'But they may not know claiming strategies or how benefits are calculated.' As you near retirement, you should receive a Social Security statement in the mail. It explains in plain English how Social Security works. A bar graph shows how much money you might collect based on when you claim benefits. Even well before retirement, workers should make sure they have registered for a my Social Security account as the agency migrates more of its services online. 'People still struggle with what role Social Security plays and when they should start it,' said David Shotwell, a certified financial planner in Lansing, Mich. 'They might say, 'I'll retire at 66 and start Social Security at 66'' without weighing all their options. It's also easy to underestimate the medical costs you can incur in retirement. Medicare helps, but it doesn't cover everything. The average couple will spend $12,800 in their first year of retirement at age 65. To estimate your total healthcare expenses during retirement years, use Fidelity's free estimator (but brace yourself for the shock!). Read: Medicare may actually be in more trouble than Social Security There are many so-called rules of thumb that preretirees treat as gospel. Like many advisers, Sexton scorns these rules. He calls the popular 100-minus-your-age rule 'absurd.' (It involves subtracting your age from 100 to determine the percentage of equities you should have in your portfolio.) With people living longer, there's more risk in prematurely shifting too many assets into bonds and cash equivalents. Investing more conservatively makes sense as you age. But that doesn't mean you should necessarily own more bonds at 75 than 65. Another misguided rule: Retirees should withdraw 4% of their total nest egg in their first year of retirement. From there, you supposedly withdraw an inflation-adjusted amount tied to the prior year. In theory, that means you should not run out of money over a 30-year retirement. But not so fast. 'People still rely on the 4% rule and they shouldn't,' said Thomas Van Spankeren, a Chicago-based certified financial planner. 'Just last week, a new client who was laid off in his mid-50s says, 'I did the 4% rule and I'll be OK.'' Read: I'm 48 and want to retire next year. Do I have enough money to last me until I'm 98? Instead, Van Spankeren suggested they customize a financial plan. The 4% rule is built on assumptions that may prove faulty, he says, so it can derail retirees' plans. Speaking of assumptions, you might assume seasoned investors in their 50s and 60s would acquire the wisdom to buy and sell stocks with prudence and patience. Again, not so fast. As they approach retirement, otherwise smart, successful investors can get caught up in mass psychology. If they missed the surge in stocks over the last 15 years or so, they may feel compelled to overload on equities now. 'For many years, it was all about TINA [there is no alternative],' Van Spankeren said. 'It's tough to stay disciplined, especially with performance-chasing' if you keep buying stocks and expecting big gains. Savvy investors, by contrast, adopt a broader perspective. They think in terms of TARA [there are reasonable alternatives], not TINA. Retirement fluency means keeping an open mind about all types of investments. If risk-free cash yields hover near 4% and investment-grade corporate bonds pay over 5%, exploring these and other alternatives can produce decent returns for retirees content to hit singles, not home runs. 'They should focus on the returns they need [in retirement], not the returns they desire,' Van Spankeren said. Read: The guy behind retirement's 4% rule now thinks that's way too low. Here's how much more money you could spend. Perhaps the most vexing issue for preretirees is predicting how long they will live. Consider one of Sexton's questions in his 'retirement fluency' test: 'On average in the U.S., how long will a 65-year-old man/woman live?' Only 32% of test takers pick the right answer: 84 for men, 87 for women. 'The biggest issue in financially planning for your retirement is your longevity,' said Ben Loughery, an Atlanta-based certified financial planner. That's why he analyzes a client's family medical history to predict their life expectancy. That serves as a starting point for estimating the portfolio performance they'll need to enjoy their retirement years. Read: Opinion: Annuities are looking good right now. So why aren't people buying them? I'm 75 and have a reverse mortgage. Should I pay it off with my $200K savings — and live off Social Security instead? 'I'm 68 and my 401(k) has dwindled to $82,000': My husband committed financial infidelity and has $50,000 in credit-card debt. What now? Why the biggest-ever 'triple witching' options expiration could deliver a jolt to Friday's trading Israel-Iran conflict poses three challenges for stocks that could slam market by up to 20%, warns RBC Tech companies lead list of double-digit gains in June for stocks in the S&P 500 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Newsweek

2 days ago

• Newsweek

Millennial Woman Was Always a 'Finance Nerd'—by Her Mid-30s She'd Retired

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. For one self-described "finance nerd," crunching numbers did not just build wealth—it unlocked the coveted path to early retirement. Jumoke, a former investment banker based in London, England, retired in her early 30s and now lives in part off passive income from her investments. "I retired from my 9-5 in my 30s and now I live off my investments," she told viewers online in a YouTube video from February. "How would you like to wake up every morning knowing that your bills and lifestyle are completely funded, not by your 9-5 salary, but by passive income?" The 16-minute video has triggered a wave of support and discussion among viewers, with many praising her clear breakdown of financial concepts and her practical walk-through of building $1,000 per month in dividend income. She told Newsweek that she used the platform since rejoining social media via YouTube in 2023—having left all social platforms in 2017—not to flaunt her success but to unpack the habits and knowledge that enabled her to achieve financial independence early in life. "I became an early 9-5 retiree before the age of 40 or said differently, I became work-optional before 40," Jumoke, who would prefer to keep her full identity private, told Newsweek. "I hold the Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designations, two of the top accreditations in my industry." From left: Jumoke poses for a professional headshot; and speaks in a YouTube video. From left: Jumoke poses for a professional headshot; and speaks in a YouTube video. @JumokeMi Jumoke, now in her late 30s, began her journey in the high-stakes world of global finance. She worked for one of the top investment banks in the world, advising wealthy clients and institutions across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. But despite the prestige of her job, and how much she enjoyed working with her clients, she quietly built an investment portfolio designed to generate consistent cash flow and long-term independence from the rat race. What pushed her to start sharing her knowledge online was not a career pivot—but the pandemic. "I took the knowledge and experience I had in investing for granted because I assumed most people were aware of good money and wealth building habits and investments in general," she said. "But during the pandemic, my perspective significantly changed. "Financial markets were extremely volatile but they also presented a once in a lifetime wealth building opportunity." The market volatility in 2020 drew friends to her with questions about how to secure their finances. Realizing that most people lacked foundational financial education, she launched her YouTube channel JUMOKE MI - FINANCE NERD, under the handle @JumokeMi, with a mission to teach the basics of wealth building in a digestible, authentic way. And building passive income is a lot more accessible than it has ever been thanks to the internet, access to finance and other tools required "The 'finance nerd' part comes from my healthy obsession with studying and investments," she said. "My aim is to provide financial education that sadly is not taught in school. "I loved my job and my clients and didn't leave because I hated it, on the contrary, a six-month travel hiatus turned into years-long, and now, I am absolutely enjoying living fully on my own terms and schedule." Breaking Down Dividends Central to Jumoke's approach is dividend investing. Dividends are payments made by companies to their shareholders, often on a quarterly basis, as a way to distribute profits. For those aiming to fund a lifestyle without a salary, value or dividend-paying stocks can offer a stable source of income—if approached correctly. "The key is to find strong and reliable dividend-paying companies that can help you build a consistent or steady cash flow," she explained in the video. She walked viewers through concepts like dividend yield—the annual dividend income as a percentage of the stock's price—and demonstrated how to calculate projected income based on different investment scenarios. Jumoke emphasized targeting stocks with a proven track record of paying and increasing dividends. "The recommendation is to look out for stocks that have a very strong track record of paying consistent and growing dividends," she said, adding that she invests in a combination of growth and value stocks. The idea for her video came during a conversation with a friend, a well-paid corporate lawyer based in London who asked how she managed her finances in retirement. The contrast between their experiences prompted her to share her story publicly. "She struggles to save monthly, not to talk of investing, even on her high salary," Jumoke said. "It dawned on me that more people could benefit from how I quietly did things over the years. "So I took to YouTube to introduce dividend investing to my audience and explain how I part fund my lifestyle through dividends and income from other assets." Her video has racked up more than 540,000 views to date, inspiring thousands by demystifying how dividend investing can supplement, or even replace, traditional income. "People often think of retirement in an outdated, archaic manner," she said. "Retirement has changed and for the better, and it is now about freedom to pursue passion or just live, travel, rediscover and enjoy the beauty that the world has to offer. "I want to empower people to believe that it is possible for a regular individual to achieve financial liberation before 65 and that they don't need to be on a six figure salary to attain that financial freedom." Jumoke's story challenges long-standing myths about money—that financial freedom is only for the rich or that early retirement is only for tech entrepreneurs. "Some people view wealth building as an activity for the rich without realizing that you are a sum of all decisions you've made in the past, and your future will be a sum of decisions you make from today," she said. "It is not an easy journey but it is doable. "And building passive income is a lot more accessible than it has ever been thanks to the internet, access to finance and other tools required." Though her approach has reached a large audience, her goal was never followers or internet fame. "I did not share my journey with the intent of going viral," she said. "I thought: if 100 people watch this and 10 people start building investment income as a result, I'm happy." What drives her is a simple promise to her audience: "Every video has one singular objective: For viewers to leave saying—I feel smarter because I learned something new or that was a good reminder to pursue financial freedom." Do you have a monetary dilemma? Let us know via life@ We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.

Forbes

3 days ago

• Forbes

Why Now Is The Time To Find A Fabulous Gay Financial Advisor

Now is the time vote with your wallet and find an amazing gay financial advisor. It's 2025, and a gay financial advisor just might be right for you. If nothing else, they may make financial planning fun enough for you to take the steps necessary to reach financial freedom and enjoy it along the way. The gay community faces a unique set of challenges when it comes to careers and finances that deserve the best advice available to them, and that may mean choosing an LGBTQ+ friend or even, if available, a gay financial advisor.I'm writing this article during Pride Month, which, despite misinformation circulating on the web, has not been canceled. We also just witnessed the "No Kings Day" protests across the county, reportedly the largest protest in U.S. history. Millions of Americans are ready for change and are often willing to vote with their wallets. Your financial advisor doesn't need to match your political affiliation or sexual orientation. Still, if they see the world differently than you, it might create financial planning blind spots that could be devastating for your finances when things go I'm proud to be a financial planner, sadly, the demographic truth is that the overall financial industry skews mostly older, whiter, more male and socially conservative than the population as a whole. Mind you, just because your adviser is wearing a Maga hat in his profile picture doesn't necessarily mean he (and in this case, he probably is a 'he') is a big homophobe. But aside from some notable, admirable exceptions, fiscal conservatives aren't exactly out there speaking up for LGBT rights. Some may be blatantly hostile to them. It's a double whammy if you are LGBTQ+ and a person of color, an immigrant or the wrong religion. While no specific data shows how many financial advisors are LGBTQ+, we know that more than 76% of Certified Financial Planners™ are male. There has been a significant increase in racial diversity across the 100,000 CFP® in the USA over the past few years. According to the CFP Board's Consumer Sentiment Survey — LGBTQ+ Financial Planning Pulse, same sex married couples are more than twice as likely to be working with a financial planner. Nearly ¾ of LGBTQ+ investors would prefer to work with a gay financial advisor or who identifies as part of a financial advisor who is part of the LGBTQ+ community. What difference does sexual orientation make when it comes to financial planning? Quite simply, the way you spend and allocate your money has everything to do with who you are and how you live. It follows that if someone has a visceral prejudice against your very existence, how can you trust them to have your best interests at heart? So, here are the top reasons you may be happier with an LGBT gay or gay-friendly financial planner. You might as well have a financial planner who is as fabulous as you are. The Worldview Of Your Gay Financial Advisor Every time I attend a financial industry conference or interact with other financial advisors, I can't help but notice how conservative many of them are. They may be nice guys, but if they don't think you deserve to exist, they likely aren't going to give you the best advice to reach financial freedom or have the best options to build your family. I've spoken to many women who described their families' (or husbands') financial advisors as creepy or even lecherous on a few occasions. It's not exactly how I'd want to be described, nor is it a skill I'd look for in my financial advisor. The right gay financial advisors will more likely share your social and political views. Hopefully, this means hiring someone you can trust. If you find that you can more easily trust someone who is gay or gay-friendly, then so be it. We might also appreciate it when you say you want to retire to Palm Springs or spend summers in Provincetown, not to mention not coming back and scolding you for what could seem like an exorbitant travel budget compared to the average retiree. Beyond the fun aspects, such as where to retire and how much to spend on travel or entertainment as we age, there are several other considerations for gay retirees to consider. A gay financial advisor may have better insights into where you can retire and get the healthcare you need without too much homophobia getting in the way. Likewise, long-term care planning is different for gay couples without children. Many in the gay community have expressed interest in retiring abroad. The number of people reaching out to me on this topic has skyrocketed since the last presidential election. People I know who were considering retiring abroad have pulled the trigger and are making it happen. Gay retirees are not alone in this desire to escape the U.S. I've seen many other people put plans in place just in case they need to move Best Gay Financial Advisor Advantage - Lifestyle Comprehension Walking down the street in Palm Springs, Manhattan or West Hollywood, it is easy to forget that there are still people in the closet. These days, in many parts of the county, staying in may actually be a matter of survival. We'd like to think that the closet is history, but in many parts of the country, staying 'in' can literally be a matter of survival. Throughout the last 20 years working as a fabulous financial advisor, I've spoken with a wide variety of people across the LGBTQ+ spectrum who were fearful of coming out to their financial advisor. This is a person you are entrusting to your financial future. If they don't know what truly motivates you and what you are looking to accomplish, how can they offer the best financial advice for your specific goals and the timeframe in which to achieve them? I've also literally reviewed financial plans where the sex of the second spouse was changed to cover the fact that this was a same-sex couple. Two glaring problems present themselves here: 1) The input of both spouses was not included in the financial plan. Financial Planning for couples (gay or straight) is not a solo sport. 2) Healthcare needs and life expectancy differ significantly when a couple consists of two women versus two men. The difference may not be dramatic now, but it can prove quite sizable over Marriage Equality Mean The End Of Gay-Specific Financial Planning The good news is that the LGBTQ community has achieved legal marriage equality. With that equality comes all the rights and responsibilities that come with marriage. When it comes to income taxes and estate planning, this has significantly helped level the playing field for LGBT citizens by granting access to spousal benefits, such as Social Security and additional retirement account options. There are currently nine states with proposals attacking same-sex marriage. Five of the measures urge the Supreme Court to overturn its 2015 landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which granted same-sex couples nationwide the right to marry. While I am optimistic that at least those who are already married won't see their marriage nullified, our community needs to be vigilant to maintain our hard-fought and well-deserved rights. Either way, marriage equality does not mean an end to the unique financial challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community. If nothing else, gay seniors may differ in priorities, interests, hobbies and ideal retirement For Your Fabulously Gay Financial Plan Choosing the best gay financial advisor is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make. Here's what to look for in a financial advisor: If your advisor was more likely to be storming the Capitol on January 6 than voting for marriage equality, it may be time to think about your financial advisor relationship. The days are gone of having to search for a financial advisor near me and working with the person who is closest to me. Gay business owner? There is a financial advisor who specializes in that. Gay couple looking to retire abroad. Likewise, there is someone who specializes in that. The list goes on, so there is no reason to settle for anything less than fabulous financial advice.