#1 The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for Financial Aid Eligibility
In 2021, our team launched the College Planning Hub – a resource for college-bound students and their families, consisting of webinars, podcasts, blog posts and downloadables. Creating the resource was inspired by the value we saw this article provided our clients and readership, so it’s no surprise that The Expected Family Contribution topped the list of our most-viewed content.
Figuring out what you’re expected to pay for college is a confusing and overwhelming task, but there’s one important number that all college financial aid staff use to determine the amount of aid to award a student – the Expected Family Contribution. This article explains how the EFC is calculated, where a student/family can find theirs, and provides additional information on the FAFSA and other financial aid-related questions.
#2 How to Build Your Estate Plan Using Roth IRAs and Life Insurance
Estate planning became a pressing need in 2020, as COVID-19 spread throughout the country, putting everyone’s lives at risk. The importance of estate planning continued into 2021, as families continued to face uncertainty.
How to Build Your Estate Plan Using Roth IRAs and Life Insurance provided valuable information to our readers – as many of them already have a Roth IRA, life insurance, or both. The article dissects the advantages of each, and highlights the key differences (rate of return, health exams, contribution restrictions, early withdrawals and more).
#3 The Power of Investing Young
Our team is relieved to see that this message has reached so many. After all, compounding — the ability to grow an investment by reinvesting the earnings — was referred to by Albert Einstein as “the eighth wonder of the world.”
The thought of investing money for retirement may seem ridiculous to a 20-something, but one of the greatest advantages the younger generations have is time. If you’re not already convinced, take a look at the compelling graphic within the article: The Power of Investing Young.
#4 Agent of Wealth Episode 52 – How to Live the Retirement of Your Dreams With Fritz Gilbert of The Retirement Manifesto
We definitely saw retirement – and early retirement – trending in 2021. As growing numbers of younger employees quit their jobs in what’s been coined the great resignation, the COVID-19 recession and gradual labor market recovery that followed lead to an increase in retirement among adults ages 55 and older.
U.S. workers left their jobs nearly 20 million times between April and August of 2021, according to federal data, a number more than 60% higher than the same period in 2020. And as of the third quarter of 2021, 50.3% of U.S. adults 55+ said they were out of the labor force due to retirement, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of official labor force data.
In one of the most popular episodes of The Agent of Wealth Podcast, Fritz Gilbert joined Marc Bautis for an episode centered on Gilbert’s blog “The Retirement Manifesto,” a website he uses to chronicle his everyday retirement escapades. In the episode, Gilbert provides practical financial independence and retirement planning guidance for people within ten years of retiring.
Follow along with the transcript and blog
#5 Are You Working With a Trusted Advisor… or a Salesperson?
In the financial world, advisors and planners are compensated in one of two ways.
- By earning commissions for the sale or trade of a specific product.
- By earning flat fees, based on a set rate for the services they provide.
At Bautis Financial, our financial advisors are Fiduciaries – earning flat fees – and are held to the Fiduciary standard, which requires them to put the client’s best interest first. Unfortunately, this is not the case for commission-based advisors, who work more as salespeople, advising clients to purchase products and services that earn them money.
Transparency is so important in the financial industry, as cost and value can be very confusing for a person embarking on the journey of getting financial help. So, are you working with a trusted advisor?
#6 Changing Jobs May Impact Your Retirement
Retirement makes a comeback at number six on the list. As stated above, a record number of people have changed jobs, embarked on a new career path, considered retirement or resigned in 2021. I changed my job – see here – so I can relate. There are many things to consider before you put in a resignation letter, though.
According to a study by Fidelity, one in four employees who left their job in 2019 lost out on valuable retirement savings. On average, they left behind $1,710! In uncovering How Changing Jobs May Impact Your Retirement, there’s a checklist of three things to do to make sure you don’t miss out on hard earned money: Be aware, negotiate and save more.
#7 Agent of Wealth Episode 23 – Can Dividends Lead to Financial Freedom?
“Dividends” and “financial freedom” are both buzz-worthy topics, and topics that Agent of Wealth host Marc Bautis is passionate about. In this episode of the podcast, Marc goes back to the basics and explains what a dividend really is and the benefits of a dividend paying stock. He then provides three steps to using dividends to achieve financial freedom.
Follow along with the transcript and blog
#8 15 Answers to the Most Important FAFSA Questions
Since 1980, college tuition and fees are up 1,200%, which has soared relative to overall inflation over the last few decades. With the rising cost of college compounded by the financial challenges many Americans have faced in the aftermath of COVID-19, first-time FAFSA applicants were under more pressure than ever to squeeze out every bit of financial aid they could get.
Prior to the FAFSA opening on October 1st, we compiled the most common questions our advisors received about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid into this article, 15 Answers to the Most Important FAFSA Questions.
#9 What’s New With Social Security? Seven Topics to Watch in 2021
Bautis Financial advisors Marc and John hosted a string of webinars throughout the year, on various topics ranging from How to Hack-Proof Your Smartphone to this webinar, What’s New With Social Security? The best part was that all webinars are available on-demand, to watch wherever and whenever, on our YouTube channel.
In 2022, we’re continuing to host a webinar twice a month, kicking off on January 13th with Key Financial Data for 2022.
For your convenience, below is the replay of What’s New With Social Security? Seven Topics to Watch in 2021.
#10 The Four Roles a Financial Advisor Plays
Did you know that people who worked with a financial advisor were found to be nearly three times happier than those who didn’t? That’s according to a study by Herbes & Company. Predictors of happiness included feeling fulfilled, intentional, impactful and grateful, and that’s because financial advisors do so much more than managing investment portfolios.
This article rounds out the top 10 list of content from 2021, but it’s a blog that Founder Marc Bautis wrote back in 2016. “In my position as a financial advisor, I actually find myself in multiple roles I love,” he wrote – those include teacher, coach, project manager and investment advisor.
Episode 92 – Wine As An Investment With Anthony Zhang of Vinovest