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Rummel Wealth Management exists to help you plan for your future, protect what you love, pursue your best life, and live with purpose. On our blog, we'll use stories, statistics, anecdotes, numbers, humor, or whatever it takes to advance our cause. 

Questions? Email us at efoltz@rummelwealth.com or mstasik@rummelwealth.com.

 

Monday, February 21, 2022

 

Monday, September 6, 2021

From the Rummel Wealth Management Mailbox, where as always these are real questions from real clients. (Of course the names are changed to protect the innocent.) From Troy in Fenton: Ed, in April you wrote about student debt and...

 

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

From the Rummel Wealth Management Mailbag, where as always these are real questions from real clients. (Of course the names are changed to protect the innocent.) From Dan in Farwell: A dead limb in a giant tree fell on our neighbors...

 

Thursday, June 17, 2021

When it comes to personal finance, I like to focus on the "big rocks". I don't sweat the small stuff, like cups of coffee or a good book. But when it comes to big ticket items like housing or transportation, you can bet I'll sit down...

 

Friday, April 9, 2021

From the Rummel Wealth Management Mailbox, where as always these are real questions from real clients.(Of course the names are changed to protect the innocent.) From Alyssa in Frankenmuth:I'm 26 years old and have about $10,000 left in...

 

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Thursday, February 18, 2021

Clients ask me all the time, “what would you do if it was your own money?” Or, “what would you suggest for your own Mom and Dad?” Or, “what are you doing for your own kids?” Those are interesting...

 

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Loyal readers, the inspiration for this post comes from a few different client interactions in the last month. But keep those questions coming and real questions from the mailbag will return soon. Age and having ”enough”...

 

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

I happened to catch Leo Babauta on the Tim Ferris podcast (#488) during a walk on the frozen water of Long Lake in Harrison, MI between Christmas and New Year. A very inspiring real-life story. Went to Mr. Babauta's website, ZenHabits...

 

Friday, December 4, 2020

From the Rummel Wealth Management Mailbag, where, as always, these are real questions from real clients. (Of course the names are changed to protect the innocent.) Robert and Kelly in Clio, MI write: Ed, as you know we've been retired...

 

Thursday, November 5, 2020

From the Rummel Wealth Management Mailbag, where, as always, these are real questions from real clients. (Of course the names are changed to protect the innocent.) "Sally" in Reese, MI writes: Ed, I really liked your "September" post -...

 

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Clients ask me all the time, “what would you do if it was your own money?” Or, “what would you suggest for your own Mom and Dad?” Or, “what are you doing for your own kids?” Those are interesting...

 

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Welcome back, loyal mailbag readers! The astute followers will notice we took "Corona Summer" off and let the mail pile up while we spent a little more time with our families. This week’s question comes to us from Tom in Bad Axe,...

 

Sunday, May 10, 2020

As a lapsed budgeter that has gotten back in the groove lately, I've found myself wondering: why don't we track our spending and set budgets more often? Because it's scary! I was determined to track my spending many years ago during...

 

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Loyal mailbag readers, There have been a number of questions in the mailbag recently about Michigan's no-fault auto insurance reform. With auto reform officially starting on July 2, 2020, below are a few key points and suggestions. 1)...

 

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

One of my professional role models, "Downtown" Josh Brown, hosted a segment yesterday on CNBC discussing "optimal portfolios" versus real life. He and his guests provide some great insights relevant to all investors. Check out the...

 

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Almost every personal finance book, pundit, and advisor will emphasize the need for an emergency fund. For those Dave Ramsey fans out there, you all know Baby Step 1 is $1,000 in savings. Baby Step 3 is a full-blown emergency fund with...

 

Sunday, April 12, 2020

With the stay-at-home mandate in effect, you may have some extra time on your hands. How are you filling it? (According to Forbes research, most people are filling it with streaming services. I know there has been an uptick in my...

 

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Editor's note: the below blog post was originally sent as an email to our clients on March 24, 2020. As the market volatility continues, calls and questions keep rolling in. Thank you for placing your trust in me during this time. As a...

 

Friday, April 3, 2020

Editor's note: the below blog post was originally sent as an email to our clients on March 16, 2020. I have spoken and met with many of you over the past few weeks, but given what's going on, I wanted to get a broader message out to...

 

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

If you've ever been in my office, you've seen this image before: I came across Carl Richards' work about eight years ago, and his piece "Focus" has been my mantra ever since. I love it, because it is simple, powerful, and applicable in...

 

Sunday, March 15, 2020

From the Rummel Wealth Management mailbox, where, as always, these are real questions from real readers. Mitch in Bay City writes: Ed, with all these market ups and downs, should I remain invested? I'm a little nervous when I watch the...

 

Sunday, March 1, 2020

From the Rummel Wealth Management mailbox, where, as always, these are real questions from real readers. From Kari in Saline: My two boys are in 8th grade and 6th grade. We know college gets more expensive every year. What are some...

 

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Procrastination can be costly. When you get a late start, it may be difficult to make up for lost time. 103 Cost of Procrastination 630

 

Friday, December 20, 2019

From the Rummel Wealth Management mailbox, where, as always, these are real questions from real readers. From Jane in Frankenmuth: My son is a junior in high school. He makes a few thousand dollars per year at a part-time job, and I...

 

Thursday, December 5, 2019

From the Rummel Wealth Management Mailbox, where as always these are real questions from real clients. (Of course the names are changed to protect the innocent.) From ”Laura” in Atlas Twp, MI: Hey Ed, so I want to go to...

 

Monday, November 18, 2019

You’re young, have little in savings, and likely have no one yetrelying on you financially. So why do you need to think aboutestate management?¹ Or maybe you’re a little older and single, kids are grown and ontheir own...

 

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Whether through inertia or trepidation, investors who put off important investment decisions might consider the admonition offered by motivational speaker Brian Tracy, “Almost any decision is better than no decision at all”...

 

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

At the start of August, I took a little time off to go up to family cottage and build a 10' x 14' shed. Weeks prior I had been prepping the area, setting the "foundation" with stonecrete and a plate compactor on which the concrete...

 

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Despite evidence to the contrary, many people believe that investment success is dependent upon their ability to outguess the markets—entering and exiting at the most opportune times. However, history paints a different picture....

 

Monday, July 15, 2019

Looking to retire and live the retirement you've imagined? Book after book and expert after expert repeats a similar theme: Pay Yourself First! What does this mean? Automated your retirement savings so the money you are setting aside...

 

Thursday, June 27, 2019

Over 20 years of working with clients, some clients find that investing for the long term may be scary. Below are five strategies we use to help reduce the emotional fear. Don't time the market. Money you need tomorrow or soon, should...

 

Friday, June 21, 2019

Signing up for Medicare can be confusing. We want to help. Here are 10 things you should know to get you started. 1) Medicare consists of several different components Part A: hospital coverage Part B: medical coverage Part C: Medicare...

 

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

With two in college plus a soon to be 6th grader and 2nd grader, "college" funding is topic many clients ask about and I enjoy talking through. Before we start with "college" funding, a couple of points to help frame the...

 

Saturday, May 11, 2019

In 2004, the U.S. Senate designated April as financial literacy month (I know, I'm a little late!). The President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy defines personal financial literacy as "the ability to use knowledge and skills...

 

Friday, May 10, 2019

With Spring finally here, it's time to take a couple of hours to review how your place survived the winter. Below is a partial checklist to help with the process: Outside Home ☐ Inspect roof for shingles that are missing, curled up at...

 

Friday, March 1, 2019

Do you find yourself wondering where your money went at the end of each month? Sounds like a great time to reassess saving and spending habits and put new goals in place. To do so requires creating a formal process to succeed—and...

 

Friday, February 22, 2019

While many people view estate planning through the narrow lens of death and taxes, estate planning is really about the living. As part of a comprehensive financial plan, an estate plan helps you manage your business and personal...

 

Thursday, February 21, 2019

It’s easy to assume that your expenses will drop off dramatically in retirement once you’re no longer raising children, managing a full household, or carrying work-related costs for transportation, clothing, lunches, etc....

 

Monday, February 11, 2019

An important factor in determining how well you age is how active you are, according to the Mayo Clinic. The world renowned not-for-profit institution recommends 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per...