Investing, Saving for Retirement
Daniel Patterson
Where to Save Money First?

Many of us want to save and invest more, but with so many options available to us, such as our 401(k)s at work, IRAs, ESPPs, 457(b) plans, etc., it can sometimes be hard to figure out the order of where to save money first. If you can relate to this, then this blog is for you…

Where to Save Money First?
General Finance, Investing
Daniel Patterson
25 All-Time Great Books for Your Summer Reading ...

In honor of it almost being summer time, I decided to compile a list of the 25 all-time great investment/financial planning/business related books that I’ve read over the years. There should be something for about everyone on this list.

25 All-Time Great Books for Your Summer Reading List (2020)
General Finance
Daniel Patterson
4 Financial Items to Review While in Quarantine

If you’re anything like me, social distancing is beginning to make you a little stir crazy. While we’re waiting for this coronavirus to calm down and everything to go back to normal, here are three financial items that would be helpful for you to review while you’re stuck inside…

4 Financial Items to Review While in Quarantine
Investing, Saving for Retirement
Daniel Patterson
What is an ETF?

Exchange Traded funds (ETFs) have become an increasingly popular investment option over the last couple of decades. There is now over $4 trillion worth of assets that are invested in ETFs worldwide. The largest and oldest ETF, the SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) has nearly $237 billion in assets and is consistently one of the most highly traded securities in U.S. exchanges. In spite of this, I’ve found that many investors are still kind of confused on what exactly an ETF is. Many times, they’ve heard about them, but are still kind of fuzzy on the details of how they work…

What is an ETF?
Investing, Employer Benefits
Daniel Patterson
Should I Contribute to a Roth 401(k) or a ...

If your company provides both a Roth 401(k) and a Traditional 401 (k) option to you at work, which one should you contribute to? I know most of you would prefer a clear-cut, definitive answer, but unfortunately it’s not quite that easy or straightforward. Rather, the right choice can vary greatly from person to person and depends heavily on the particulars of your personal financial situation….

Should I Contribute to a Roth 401(k) or a Traditional 401(k)?

529 Plans

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Using Roth IRAs to Save for College – The Pros and Cons

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Using Roth IRAs to Save for College – The Pros and Cons

Roth IRAs are a great, tax-efficient way for many families to save money for retirement, but can they also be useful in college education planning? Should you utilize a Roth IRA or a more traditional college savings account, such as a 529 plan, when saving money for your children’s college education? The answer is it really depends. If you’re absolutely certain that you want this money to be used to pay for your children’s education expenses, then it’s really hard to beat the tax-efficiencies of your state’s sponsored 529 plan. With that said, there are several interesting characteristics of a Roth IRA that could make it the superior option for some families…

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8 Year-End Tax-Saving Tips

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8 Year-End Tax-Saving Tips

December is here, which means that we are nearing the end of yet another tax year. This may be causing some of you to have visions of looming tax-bills instead of sugar plums dancing through your head. Fear not! Here are 8 tax-saving tips that you can do between now and the end of the year to possibly reduce your tax obligations for the year.  

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Connect with SFP:

Daniel Patterson, CFP
Sweetgrass Financial Planning
daniel@sweetgrassfp.com
(843) 608-0231