One of the challenges of trying to plan for the consequences of the health care bill (or, to call it by its formal name, the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010) is simply sorting out when its various provisions will kick in.

Here is an overview of the timeline as I understand it:

2010 Changes

• A ban on lifetime benefit limits.
• A $250 rebate for those affected by the Medicare Part D “donut hole.”
• Effective June 30, the creation of a temporary insurance program for workers over 55. Continue Reading »

Rick was the guest of Don Grant on his “Focus” program, which aired on KOTA 1380 AM on Tuesday, April 20th. Don and Rick had 19 uninterupted minutes to talk about the current economy and the health care bill. Get Rick’s latest thinking on the economy and some interesting ramifications of the health care bill you may not have heard.  Click here to listen to the audio of the interview which runs for about 19 minutes.

Hear what Rick said about what you could be doing today to get ready for the big changes coming tomorrow.  The new health care bill will affect the daily lives and wallets of millions of Americans. While we don’t exactly know what that impact will be, it isn’t too early to consider some of the possibilities and start planning personal strategies to deal with them.  Click here to listen and view this insightful presentation.

A student, I’ll call Sally is finishing her master’s degree in financial planning. Two years ago, Sally completed a paid internship at my office and did a fine job. This year, she applied with us to complete the practicum that is one of her graduation requirements.

One of the major reasons firms offer internships is to evaluate potential new hires. Since Sally will move to Minnesota upon graduation, she is no longer a potential hire for our firm. This was one of several reasons why we did not offer her a paid internship/practicum this summer. Continue Reading »

Join Rick tomorrow, April 15th at 2pm MDT for a look at what you could be doing today to get ready for the big changes coming tomorrow.  The new health care bill will affect the daily lives and wallets of millions of Americans. While we don’t exactly know what that impact will be, it isn’t too early to consider some of the possibilities and start planning personal strategies to deal with them.  Click here to register for this insightful presentation.

I have a few extra tickets to hear Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K), head coach of the 2010 National Champion Duke Blue Devils, speak at the Civic Center on April 29th. 

My father and I were privileged to witness Coach K and the Blue Devils win their fourth NCAA Championship earlier this month in a thrilling 61-59 victory over the Butler Bulldogs in Indianapolis. That win was Krzyzewski’s 868th career win as a coach and his 795th victory in his 30th year at Duke.

If you are a KFG client and would like to be my guest, please respond by emailing Darla at darla@kahlerfinancial.com.  I only have a very limited number of tickets, so if you would like to go please respond as soon as you can.

One of the biggest mistakes Americans make around their finances is never having taken the time to find out if they are on track for financial independence. Many of us blindly follow a money belief that “Things will work out.” Sometimes they do. Many times they don’t.  Continue Reading »

Good money habits start in childhood, says ParentDish.com in an article written by Meredeth Cardona. She states, “a survey from the bank HSBC found most people who described themselves as “active savers” started young: 57 percent said they had been saving since they were children and 51 percent started after getting their first job. More importantly, 73 percent said it was their parents who taught them the value of saving money.” Continue Reading »

Join Rick this Thursday, April 15th at 2pm MDT for a look at what you could be doing today to get ready for the big changes coming tomorrow.  The new health care bill will affect the daily lives and wallets of millions of Americans. While we don’t exactly know what that impact will be, it isn’t too early to consider some of the possibilities and start planning personal strategies to deal with them.  Click here to register for this insightful presentation.

In a couple of recent columns, I have suggested that building long-term financial health means developing the habit of living on as little as 30% to a maximum of 70% of your gross earnings.

I can hear the comments now: “Rick, you’re a fat cat financial planner who doesn’t have a clue. Why don’t you try living on eight bucks an hour and see if you can save anything?” Continue Reading »