Blog

At Plancorp, we don’t wait for you to ask the right questions.
We take the initiative to offer insights and guidance — real enlightenment for real life.

The Real Cost of DIY Finances

With a few practical skills and knowledge, DIY projects in your home or car can save you money. Financial planning, however, isn't the same as painting a room or replacing a headlight. In fact, DIY financial planning can cost you more than you think compared to the cost of professional help. Read more…

Succession Planning 101: What is It and Why Is It Important?

There comes a time that every business leader must ask themselves a question: "Before leaving my business, how do I go about planning for a successor?" With factors such as generational wealth, future goals, and executive strategies all tied up in your leadership role, you need to know how to Read more…

How to Build an Effective Exit Strategy for Your Business

While you might not equate your business exit strategy with a family vacation, it actually helps to think of it like one (metaphorically speaking, of course). You probably wouldn't wait until a couple of weeks before your departure to start planning the trip. You wouldn't hold off until a few days Read more…

401(k) Inflation and its Impact on Your Retirement Plan

With inflation continuing to rise, many investors are concerned about the impact that this may have on their 401(k) plans. These concerns have become even more valid as inflation rates continue to hit decades-high levels, reaching 8.52% in August 2022. Investments and their dividends don’t adjust Read more…

15 Key Terms to Know About Your Employee Stock Purchase Plan

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What is a Family LLC?

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10 Times in Life When You'll Definitely Want a Financial Advisor

Working with a wealth management advisor has tremendous benefits due to the holistic approach they take to your financial health. An advisor does much more than manage your investment portfolio; they relieve you of stress and help you achieve your dreams. Throughout life’s changes, your wealth Read more…

How to Break up with Your Financial Advisor (and Find a New One)

Not every relationship is a "fit," and sometimes they just have to end when people aren't on the same page. Sometimes business partnerships and personal relationships have an end date, and the same might also apply to your financial advisor. Read more…

Questions to Ask About Charitable Giving Before Making Contributions

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Social Security & Medicare Quick Guide from InspireHer

This blog summarizes the information and discussion shared at a recent InspireHer event at Plancorp’s office by Senior Wealth Manager, Jessie Weiss. If you are interested in learning more about the InspireHer mission to inspire financial confidence among women or to sign up receive updates about Read more…

What is a Fiduciary? Dual Registration Can Make It Harder to Tell

Many successful investors know what a fiduciary is and want to work with an advisor who is legally required to put clients’ interests first. But even people who understand the value of a fiduciary might be surprised to learn that not all fiduciaries are the same. The differentiator? Dual Read more…

Tax Planning with Cryptocurrency

This is the third installment in a series on planning for cryptocurrency assets. The purpose of this series is not to debate the merits of cryptocurrency or provide commentary on its outlook. Instead, it’s meant to serve as a resource for those holding cryptocurrency and how to properly factor it Read more…

Incorporating Crypto into An Existing Investment Allocation

This is the second installment in a series of posts on how to properly factor your crypto holdings into a financial plan. The purpose of this article is not to debate the investment merits of crypto — there’s enough of that on the internet already — but instead, it will focus on how to incorporate Read more…

Estate Planning for Cryptocurrency

While there are plenty of trendy headlines in the world of investing, one of the trendiest topics over the last few years has been cryptocurrency. Whether you’re in tech, finance, politics, or infrastructure, cryptocurrency is a talking point. Read more…

A Guide to Asset Allocation Models

Asset allocation is a relatively simple concept: It involves dividing your investment portfolio among various assets—including stocks, bonds and cash—in an effort to balance risk and reward. Read more…

Preserving Generational Wealth: What to Know About Family Trusts

Families that have worked hard to build wealth want to share that success with their children, grandchildren, and beyond. When it comes to building that kind of generational wealth, a family trust is a great place to start. Family trusts are a key tool for managing wealth carefully over multiple Read more…

The Risks of a Single Stock Concentration

Say the word “investing” and a lot of people automatically think of buying individual stocks. Even though the stock market isn’t the biggest financial market out there—that would be the bond market—it’s the one that gets the most attention. As a result, people tend to gravitate toward stock Read more…

Plancorp Client Updates Regarding The TD Ameritrade Acquisition

Announced in 2020, TD Ameritrade Institutional was acquired into Schwab Advisor Services (Schwab), kicking off a multi-year integration process. Much of the integration work will not impact end-users directly, but we have created this page to house the latest information and any actions our clients Read more…

Bear Market Commentary

The S&P 500 is flirting with bear market territory (defined as a 20% decline from the high) as investors grapple with several variables including multi-decade high inflation, aggressive monetary policy tightening, and persistent global supply chain issues. Whether we are heading towards an official Read more…

Understanding Equity Compensation and Incentive Plans

Equity compensation plans come in multiple forms, including stock options, restricted stock units (RSUs), and employee stock purchase plans. Each is designed to give employees a direct stake in the financial success of their companies, and hopefully to provide additional monetary benefits beyond Read more…

Smart Tax Strategies, Return Tips and Mistakes to Avoid with Equity Compensation

One of the most powerful advantages of equity compensation is that equity awards typically offer ways to defer or minimize taxes. But making the most of stock options, restricted stock units and other types of equity compensation requires smart tax planning—otherwise, you could end up with a Read more…

The Information You Need For Every Type of Business to Develop a Successful Succession Plan

As a business owner, you may have spent years growing, cultivating and shaping your company to match your strategic vision. It’s your baby, your lifeblood. While moving on or selling it might not be on your mind currently, but considering an exit strategy and succession plan now will help you to be Read more…

Charitable Contributions with Equity Compensation, Estate Planning and Taxes

A charitable contribution is the gift of cash or property made to a nonprofit organization. The gift is meant to help an organization accomplish its goals, and the donor receives nothing in return. In most years, taxpayers can deduct cash charitable donations to public charities of up to 60% of Read more…

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