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Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Throughout the different stages of life your financial needs will change with you. This is especially true for life insurance. As you begin ramping up your life through marriage, having kids, and new debt, the need for life insurance...

 

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Join Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Preston Gee of Peak Wealth Management as they discuss the "Social Security Tax Torpedo." How will this hidden torpedo impact your taxes in retirement? Peak Wealth Management is a financial planning and...

 

Friday, June 3, 2022

Join Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Preston Gee of Peak Wealth Management as they discuss the things to watch for after a bear market starts. — Peak Wealth Management is a financial planning and wealth management firm in Plymouth,...

 

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Join Nick Hopwood, CFP®, Jim Pilat, AIF®, and Preston Gee of Peak Wealth Management as they discuss their new Social Security Analysis tool. How can we find the optimal social security claiming strategy? They...

 

Friday, May 13, 2022

When you leave an employer the decision on what to do with your 401k is probably more important than you think. There are 3 basic avenues to consider when making this decision. Avenue 1: Rollover to an IRA Rolling the account over to...

 

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Monday, May 9, 2022

 

Thursday, May 5, 2022

Join Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Preston Gee of Peak Wealth Management as they discuss how to diversify retirement income  sources with consideration to income tax and increasing medicare premiums....

 

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Join Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management as they discuss the 2022 performance of bonds. How does the performance compare to other historic years, and what is the...

 

Monday, May 2, 2022

Financial Planner Nick Hopwood, CFP from Peak Wealth offers comments on the recent market action

 

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Semi-Retirement is the New Normal In the modern day, more and more people choose to pursue a stage of semi-retirement rather than fully retiring immediately. This is largely due to the 4 retirement questions which we recommend...

 

Monday, April 4, 2022

Procrastination is the enemy of progress. This is especially true when it comes to your financial health and saving for retirement. Investing today, as soon as you think about it, could be the best decision you ever make for your...

 

Thursday, March 17, 2022

Everybody knows that in order to enjoy a comfortable retirement you need to be saving during your working years. However, a question that we get a lot is where should I prioritize my savings? With so many different investment vehicles...

 

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

With real estate prices up so much recently, investors have been asking me if it still makes sense to purchase rentals. Also, people are asking me how I evaluate the numbers when I am considering a property for purchase. This blog post...

 

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Bond Yields Surge. Nick Hopwood, CFP talks about the recent moves in yields and what it can mean going forward.

 

Monday, March 7, 2022

 

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Options trading is a complex way of managing a portfolio, and one that comes with increased risk. Despite the complexity of actually employing this technique, it can be fairly easy to understand if you look at it in small examples to...

 

Thursday, February 17, 2022

Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® are joined by Jeff Packer of The Packer Group, a real estate team based in Plymouth, MI.

 

Monday, February 7, 2022

One survey found that nearly 25% of Americans have no emergency savings. Another survey found that 40% of Americans said they wouldn't be able to comfortably handle an unexpected $1,000 expense. Here's what you need to do to be prepared.

 

Monday, January 31, 2022

When stock prices break lower, it's a good time to review common terms that are used to describe the market's downward momentum.

 

Monday, January 3, 2022

The CARES Act When the CARES act was passed in 2020 most people knew about it because of the stimulus money that was given to households and businesses in a time of need. However, there is a less discussed provision of the act in...

 

Monday, December 20, 2021

Each year, through our Invest In Others Scholarship, we offer multiple scholarships to students who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to their education and community.

 

Monday, December 20, 2021

Over the last 12 months, financial advisors Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® have shared tools and strategies on the Retire With Confidence Podcast to guide you on your retirement planning journey.

 

Monday, December 6, 2021

How To Manage Your Debt/Income Ratio What Is This Ratio? Many people do not fully understand what their debt to income ratio is and why it is so important. This ratio is simply the amount that you must pay per month to meet all debt...

 

Monday, November 29, 2021

EP 133: Capital Gains & Qualified Opportunity Zones Join Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management as they dive in on capital gains and Qualified Opportunity Zones. Former President Donald Trump's 2017...

 

Monday, November 8, 2021

EP 132: IRS & Potential Tax Increases As we wrap up the year, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management strive to prepare you for potential tax law changes becoming effective in 2022. How will these tax...

 

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

When Should You Take Social Security? There are many schools of thought behind when someone should begin collecting Social Security. One of the more popular ideas is to take it as soon as you turn 62. The reasoning is that it will...

 

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Are You Financially Prepared for the Holidays? If you’re hoping to avoid a New Year’s Day debt hangover this year, your best strategy is to make and stick to a holiday budget. The holiday season will be here before you know...

 

Monday, October 4, 2021

Expense Tracking: Why Does it Matter? Oftentimes when we discuss financial plans with prospective clients they are unsure of what their monthly cash outflows are. They have an idea of how much goes to the mortgage or other various...

 

Monday, October 4, 2021

EP 131: Death of the Balanced Portfolio In this episode, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management talk about the death of the balanced portfolio — and why investment diversification is important....

 

Monday, September 27, 2021

EP 130: Social Security Deficiency In this episode, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management highlight a recent article they read where it dives deeper into the Social Security deficiency. The Social...

 

Sunday, September 26, 2021

How to Get Ready to Buy a House Someday It begins with the question of whether it makes the most financial sense for you to rent or buy right now. But if the answer is "buy," you're going to want to start thinking about things like...

 

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

The Future of the Balanced Portfolio This is an updated take on a blog that Nick wrote back in 2017, but the information has become all the more valuable as we have begun this new decade. It is not very often that an investor ends up...

 

Monday, September 20, 2021

EP: 129 College Is A Business Decision Before you make a decision on which college you'll be attending, listen to this episode because it is one you don't want to miss! For both parents and students, join Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim...

 

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Early Retirement and COVID-19 Early retirement and COVID-19 might seem unrelated but the pandemic is affecting industries from airlines to schools, and forcing some to make difficult choices. Retirement and Savings It is a huge...

 

Monday, September 13, 2021

EP 128: The Value of Working With a Financial Planner Hosts of the Retire With Confidence Podcast, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management are back with a new weekly episode! In this episode, Nick and...

 

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

To Invest or to Pay Down Debt: That is the Question When you have excess cash flow there are 3 things that you can do with it: Save it Pay down debt Spend it There is only one “bad” option out of those, and it is number 3....

 

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

EP 127: Traditional Brokerage Fees Join us for a new Retire With Confidence Podcast featuring Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management. To kick off the episode, Nick shares an update on the recent...

 

Monday, August 30, 2021

EP 126: Mr. Roth Part II There are an incredible amount of Roth benefits — which is why we decided to dive in even more for a second episode on it. In this episode, Nick Hopwood, CFP® AKA Mr. Roth and Jim Pilat, AIF® of...

 

Monday, August 23, 2021

How to Efficiently Become a Millionaire The age old question of how much you need to save to become a millionaire really comes down to two things: What is the average return on your investment? What is the time horizon on your...

 

Monday, August 16, 2021

EP 125: Mr. Roth Join Nick Hopwood, CFP® AKA Mr. Roth and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management to talk about the importance of Roth IRAs and investing. In this episode, Nick and Jim dive in on everything from the benefits...

 

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

EP 124: Real Estate Evictions In this new episode, Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management shares his personal story of evicting a tenant at one of his rental properties. He dives more into the extension of the eviction...

 

Monday, August 2, 2021

5 Tips for Managing Your Money as College Student While the main focus is, of course, getting a quality education, college also provides a great opportunity to develop the money skills you'll need after you graduate. You can start...

 

Sunday, July 18, 2021

How to Avoid Post-Pandemic Overspending Nearly 80% of Americans reported saving money in 2020 just by not going out to eat ($245 savings), not going on vacation ($1,400 savings), and not making major purchases ($5,700 savings)! 1 But...

 

Thursday, July 8, 2021

How To Stay On Track With Your Financial Goals Midway Through the Year Believe it or not, we are halfway through 2021, which means it’s time to check in on your progress with any financial goals you set at the beginning of the...

 

Monday, June 28, 2021

EP 123: Not Your Average Financial Plan In this episode, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management dive in on things you can do right now to take your financial plan to the next level. Listen to our...

 

Monday, June 21, 2021

EP 122: Chatting with New Peak Intern, Adam Roberts In this episode, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® talk with Adam Roberts, our new finance intern at Peak Wealth Management. Adam shares more about his educational...

 

Thursday, June 17, 2021

What Causes Inflation? Inflation occurs when prices go up and the purchasing power (the value of currency) decreases as time goes on. But why can't a dollar today buy you as much as it did in 1955? Inflation happens when the price of...

 

Monday, June 14, 2021

EP 121: Getting to Know Preston Gee: Client Relationship Manager In this episode, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® are joined by Preston Gee, client relationship manager at Peak Wealth Management. He recently joined the...

 

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

EP 120: Getting a Job in Retirement In this episode, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® highlight the benefits of getting a job in retirement. From the advantages of a Roth Conversion to delaying Social Security, learn more...

 

Thursday, June 3, 2021

Case Study: Financial Planning Client Mr. and Mrs. Schoolcraft - Each 56 years old and want to retire when they are 65 Each making 100,000/yr. $200,000 household income Social Security will be 27,250 each at age 65 when they retire. 54...

 

Sunday, May 23, 2021

How to Save For Retirement When You Are In Your 50s If you've hit the half-century mark, you might be closing in on retirement. In fact, the average American retires at age 62.1 With that horizon in sight, do what you can now to make...

 

Monday, May 17, 2021

EP 119: Realistic Retirement Expectations In this episode, Nick Hopwood, CPR® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management talk about a recent article they read titled, "Retirees are overly optimistic about their financial...

 

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

EP 118: Backdoor Roths & Roth Conversions In this episode, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management talk about the benefits of having multiple buckets of retirement money — and how more people need...

 

Sunday, May 9, 2021

How to Pay Off Your Mortgage Early When you own your home free and clear, you can save, invest and achieve other financial goals. Understanding the many ways to pay off a mortgage early can help you take meaningful steps toward...

 

Monday, May 3, 2021

EP 117: Our Thoughts on Bitcoin Thinking of investing in Bitcoin? or perhaps you already have taken the dive. Take a listen to our episode to hear what Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management think...

 

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

EP 116: 9 Categories of Martin Short In this new episode, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management talk about a self-growth exercise created by the actor/comedian, Martin Short. In a recent podcast,...

 

Sunday, April 25, 2021

6 Money Saving Tips for SummerA little planning can save you a bundle. During the summer months, it can become difficult to stay on track with our finances - with vacations, activities, and more. Here are 6 money saving tips for you to...

 

Monday, April 19, 2021

EP 115: What to Expect: Second House & Moving Expenses In episode 115 of the Retire With Confidence Podcast, join Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management. Nick and Jim talk about how the current real...

 

Monday, April 12, 2021

EP 114: Stock Trading & Investing with Robinhood In this episode, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management talk about the stock trading and investing app called Robinhood. They dive in on how it can...

 

Sunday, April 11, 2021

April is Financial Literacy Month: How to Improve Your Finances This MonthApril is Financial Literacy Month, which makes it a great time to revisit the basics. These tasks can also help you make sure you are staying on track with...

 

Monday, March 29, 2021

EP 113: Where's Your Money Going? In a recent survey, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management read that 65 percent of people had no idea how much they spent last month. This episode serves as a reminder...

 

Monday, March 22, 2021

EP 112: Real Estate Investing With Katie Nolff Whether if you are just starting out in real estate investing or a seasoned veteran in the market, this is an episode you won't want to miss! Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth...

 

Sunday, March 21, 2021

12 Financial Goals For Each Month of 2021 There is no wrong time to create or refresh your financial plan. Start with these monthly milestones or mix-and-match to correspond with your personal goals. Whether you’re just starting...

 

Monday, March 15, 2021

EP 111: Low Interest Rates Join Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management as they talk about what we are seeing in the low interest rate environment — and what could happen next in the market. They...

 

Friday, March 12, 2021

One Year Anniversary of COVID-19 Lockdowns It has been one year since we entered into a worldwide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Just a few days following the announcement, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of...

 

Monday, March 8, 2021

EP 110: Financial Teamwork at Peak Wealth Management In this episode, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management talk about why working on financial plans as a team is beneficial for their clients - and...

 

Monday, March 8, 2021

Your March Financial To-Do List Spring fever will be in full swing this month as the weather starts warming up. While it's time for renewal, this month is also when you should take care of some financial tasks to make sure that you're...

 

Monday, March 1, 2021

EP 109: What Does it Mean to Retire With Confidence? The mission at Peak Wealth Management is to guide clients on their journey so they can retire with confidence. In this episode, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF®...

 

Monday, February 22, 2021

Joining Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management on the Retire With Confidence Podcast this week is Aaron "Lucky" Li, acupuncturist and owner of Livonia Acupuncture. In this special episode, Aaron shares his journey —...

 

Monday, February 15, 2021

EP 107: Jack Hopwood, 11, Shares His Entrepreneurial Story In this special episode, Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management chats with his 11-year-old son, Jack Hopwood on entrepreneurship. During the summer of 2020, Jack...

 

Monday, February 15, 2021

Why Do I Need a Will? Six out of 10 people don’t have a will. If you’re reading this, you probably don’t have one either—and you’re probably wondering if that’s the best category to be in. Spoiler...

 

Monday, February 8, 2021

We are switching it up with this episode! Join Jim Pilat, AIF® as he chats with Patti Wojcik, operations manager here at Peak Wealth Management. Learn more about our team in this highlight diving in on all things Patti. Peak Wealth...

 

Monday, February 1, 2021

EP 105: Team Highlight: Gwen Smith - Peak's Operations Associate In this special episode, join Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management as he chats with Gwendolyn Smith, operations associate at Peak. Get the scoop on all things...

 

Monday, February 1, 2021

A Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance Did you know that 14 million adults needed long-term care services in 2018? Purchasing long-term care insurance can give you peace of mind and protect the nest egg you worked so hard to build. You'll...

 

Monday, January 25, 2021

EP 104: Peak State of the Union In this special episode, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management hold the Peak State of the Union to share highlights from 2020 — including an increase in new...

 

Monday, January 18, 2021

EP 103: College Savings Plans In this episode, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management discuss college savings plans for families to better identify available routes to take for their children. Nick and...

 

Sunday, January 17, 2021

The Coronavirus and Your Taxes in 2021 The coronavirus has created a ripple effect that will be felt when you sit down to file your taxes for last year. Here are some things to keep in mind: Stimulus Checks As part of the Coronavirus...

 

Monday, January 11, 2021

EP 102: History and Culture of Michigan Athletics with Greg Dooley of MVictors Nick Hopwood of Peak Wealth Management sits down to chat with Greg Dooley, founder of MVictors.com. Greg has shared his knowledge of the University of...

 

Monday, January 4, 2021

Top Retire With Confidence Podcast Episodes of 2020 We have officially wrapped up 2020. Over the last 12 months, Nick Hopwood and Jim Pilat have shared tools and strategies on the Retire With Confidence Podcast to guide you on your...

 

Monday, January 4, 2021

EP 101: Income Segmentation and Bucket Investing We are kicking off 2021 with our 101st episode of the Retire With Confidence Podcast. In this episode, Nick Hopwood and Jim Pilat of Peak Wealth Management dive in on income segmentation...

 

Sunday, January 3, 2021

4 Financial Goals for the New Year Making New Year’s resolutions is a great way to plan to be better in the new year. Unfortunately, sticking with those resolutions isn’t as easy as setting them. Whatever is on your list...

 

Monday, December 28, 2020

EP 100: Pilat Family 2021 Financial Plan We are celebrating our 100th episode of the Retire With Confidence Podcast! This week we are heading into 2021 — and before we do, Nick Hopwood talks with Jim Pilat about the financial...

 

Monday, December 21, 2020

EP 099: Mr. Wonderful Kevin O'Leary AKA Mr. Wonderful, a businessman featured on the television show Shark Tank said people should strive to pay off their debts entirely by the age of 45. Listen to this episode to learn more about Nick...

 

Sunday, December 20, 2020

5 Financial Moves to Make Before the End of the Year We’re closing in on the end of the year, which means it’s a great chance to take stock of your financial situation. To reflect on what's gone well this year, what could...

 

Monday, December 14, 2020

EP 098: Disorganized People How important is it to keep your finances organized? In this episode, Nick Hopwood and Jim Pilat of Peak Wealth Management discuss why it is beneficial to stay on top of your finances and investments. Nick...

 

Monday, December 7, 2020

EP 097: Don't Be A Jerk In this new episode, Nick Hopwood and Jim Pilat of Peak Wealth Management discuss the importance of a good personality fit when it comes to client/financial planner relationships. Learn more about other factors...

 

Sunday, December 6, 2020

5 Smart Ways to Save During the Holidays Need to cut costs this Christmas? Here are five smart ways to save on the holidays, reduce stress and stay within your budget! Wouldn't it be nice to go into the New Year with a surplus rather...

 

Monday, November 30, 2020

EP 096: Important Interview Questions to Ask a Financial Advisor Whether if you are looking to work with a financial advisor for the first time or interested in switching it up with someone new, you'll want to listen to this episode to...

 

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

EP 095: Lifestyle Creep: What It Is and How to Avoid It Say hello to lifestyle creep. Lifestyle creep, also known as lifestyle inflation, can sneak up on you and prevent you from building a strong financial foundation. In the latest...

 

Monday, November 16, 2020

EP 094: How to Navigate Finances During a Life Transition Throughout our lives, we all experience transitions— ones that have the ability to impact us financially. Whether it be a divorce, birth of a child, retirement, loss of a...

 

Monday, November 16, 2020

Your Guide to Medicare Enrollment In this bonus episode, Nick Hopwood and Jim Pilat of Peak Wealth Management hosted a webinar in partnership with Brian Vincent of C.L. Finlan Insurance to talk about Medicare Enrollment. In our webinar...

 

Sunday, November 15, 2020

10 Life Events That Should Have You Revisit Your Will Generally speaking, any significant change in your assets, marital status, or family relationship qualifies as a good reason to reevaluate your will. Common life events that alter...

 

Monday, November 9, 2020

EP 093: Socially Responsible Investing In this new episode, Nick Hopwood and Jim Pilat of Peak Wealth Management highlight socially responsible investing — or ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) referring to a class of...

 

Sunday, November 1, 2020

8 Ways to Save Money for Christmas The sooner you start saving for Christmas, the better. Too many people wait until December to buy gifts with no money saved up. This can often lead to people turning to credit cards in a panic and end...

 

Monday, October 26, 2020

EP 092: Retirement Illiteracy In this episode of the Retire With Confidence Podcast, Nick Hopwood and Jim Pilat of Peak Wealth Management talk about a recent article featured in the Barron's finance publication — where they...

 

Sunday, October 18, 2020

CFP vs CFA: What's the Difference? When it comes to choosing a financial advisor, there are two of the most common that are also frequently confused: CFP, which stands for Certified Financial Planner, and CFA, Chartered Financial...

 

Monday, October 12, 2020

EP 091: Buyout Offer: Do the Math In this new episode of the Retire With Confidence Podcast, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® talk about employee buyouts and pension lump sums. They also chat about the announcement of...

 

Monday, October 12, 2020

In this new episode of the Retire With Confidence Podcast, Nick Hopwood and Jim Pilat of Peak Wealth Management talk about home mortgages — Comparing 15 to 30 year mortgage options and how refinancing can impact your debt payoff.

 

Monday, October 5, 2020

EP 089: How Many Banks Do You Really Need? In this new episode of the Retire With Confidence Podcast, Nick Hopwood and Jim Pilat dive in on a commonly asked question from clients: How many banks do I need? Listen to our podcast or...

 

Sunday, October 4, 2020

10 Financial Tips for Fourth Quarter Fourth quarter is here, and that means there’s no better time to evaluate where you are versus where you want to be financially come the end of the year. Here are 10 financial tips for fourth...

 

Monday, September 28, 2020

EP 088: If I Had A Million Dollars... In this episode of the Retire With Confidence Podcast, Nick Hopwood and Jim Pilat dive in on a scene from the 90's hit, Office Space, where they talk about what they would do if they had one...

 

Monday, September 21, 2020

EP 087: Rethinking Retirement In this new episode of the Retire With Confidence Podcast, Nick Hopwood and Jim Pilat of Peak Wealth Management talk about the concept of plan B. You'll learn more about what you need for the retirement of...

 

Sunday, September 20, 2020

10 Ways to Gift College to Your Grandchild Many grandparents want to leave an educational legacy by helping fund a grandchild’s college education. Grandparents recognize the value of education, and want to see their children...

 

Monday, September 14, 2020

EP 086: Our Peak Investment Management Process In this episode, you'll hear Nick Hopwood and Jim Pilat talk about Peak's 3 step investment process — and how the team works together to guide you to build a strong financial...

 

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

EP 085: Where Does Our Market Currently Stand? In this episode, Nick Hopwood and Jim Pilat of Peak Wealth Management talk about the current state of our financial market. Peak Wealth Management is a financial planning and wealth...

 

Sunday, September 6, 2020

Personal Finance: Your Fall Financial Checklist Remember those financial goals you set way back in January? With the holidays and the end of the year approaching, fall is a great time to revisit your goals and set straight any that may...

 

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

EP 084: U.S. Presidential Election Various Outcomes & Market Results If you are anxious about what's next when it comes to your finances during an election year, check out our latest podcast episode featuring Nick Hopwood & Jim Pilat....

 

Monday, August 24, 2020

EP 083: Catching Up With Peak Wealth In this new episode, Nick Hopwood and Jim Pilat return to the podcast by catching you up with everything that's been going on — both in and outside of the office since spring. Listen to our...

 

Sunday, August 23, 2020

9 Money Mistakes to Avoid in Your 40s If you're in your 40s, you're in an interesting financial spot because you likely already have a career and a home, and you may even have a solid plan for retirement. Although it may seem like a...

 

Sunday, August 16, 2020

What to Discuss With Your Parents About Their Estate There’s truly no time like the present to start having estate planning conversations with your parents. After someone is gone, unless they’ve tucked all their plans away...

 

Sunday, August 9, 2020

How to Create a Retirement Budget For many retirees, the fear of running out of money is a major worry. People don’t know how to stretch their Social Security Benefit to pay all their bills, and they’re uncertain about how...

 

Sunday, August 2, 2020

4 Things You Need To Do Before Retirement Financial planners often connect with potential clients who are seeking their services too close to retirement. Many will say "I wish I had talked to you 20 or 25 years ago." A visit to a...

 

Sunday, July 26, 2020

5 Steps to Setting Financial Goals As Zig Ziglar, a motivational speaker, once said: "If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time." Here's the thing: If you don't put a plan behind your finances, it will be incredibly difficult...

 

Monday, July 20, 2020

10 Things You Should Know About Your Parents' Finances Becoming a caregiver for aging parents can bring unexpected responsibilities, such as managing their finances. These helpful tips can help with senior financial planning, and help...

 

Sunday, July 12, 2020

Preparing for retirement is an extremely important task, but one that doesn’t receive nearly the attention it deserves. To set yourself up for a happy retirement, you’ll want to do more than figure out how to just...

 

Sunday, July 5, 2020

Questions to Regularly Ask Your Financial Planner Maybe you have a financial planner you enjoy working with—that’s great! But even so, it’s important to meet regularly to talk about how your investments are performing...

 

Sunday, June 28, 2020

Retirement planning is one of the most important financial goals you’ll undertake – and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Do it right and your golden years can be filled with independence, comfort, and freedom....

 

Sunday, June 21, 2020

3 Steps to Taking Control of Your Finances What does being in control of your finances mean? It’s a combination of understanding where you stand financially, spending less than you earn and having confidence in your ability to...

 

Sunday, June 14, 2020

7 Summer Savings Tips The warmer months offer many opportunities to cut costs and boost savings. You can potentially save hundreds of dollars a month by taking advantage of seasonal opportunities and reorganizing your daily routine....

 

Monday, June 8, 2020

7 Tips to Stretch Your Stimulus Check and Save Money After Quarantine The coronavirus pandemic has affected us all in different ways, and lost income is one of the most difficult to deal with. Quarantine meant more ways to save money...

 

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

After working with educators on their 403(b)'s for

 

Sunday, May 24, 2020

How to Eat Healthy on a Budget We hear it all the time: "Eating healthy on a budget is impossible!" And the truth is—no, it's not. There are plenty of ways you can stick to eating healthy on a budget. Here are some tips to get...

 

Sunday, May 17, 2020

5 Ways to be a More Mindful Spender Sometimes spending less money is all about becoming more aware of how cash leaves your wallet every day. Whether it’s going toward indulgences like restaurant dinners out or necessities like...

 

Sunday, May 10, 2020

Who is Eligible for a Health Savings Account? Do you know what an ambulance, reading glasses, and a thermometer all have in common? They are all qualified medical expenses (QMEs) through a health savings account (HSA). That’s...

 

Sunday, May 3, 2020

3 Key Ways to Improve Your Financial Health Less than one in three Americans are considered "financially healthy" according to the Financial Health Network, who conducted a study late last year—when the economy was still booming...

 

Sunday, April 26, 2020

Build Better Money Habits With These 4 Simple Steps While you may have ambitious money goals, the key to reaching them is building a collection of smaller everyday habits. Here are some habits you can begin implementing into your life...

 

Sunday, April 26, 2020

4 Essential Tips for Working From Home As of mid April 2020, about 95% of Americans—or 306 million people—were placed under a stay-at-home order to stop the spread of the coronavirus. All across the world, political and...

 

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Coronavirus Market Fallout: 5 Investment and Planning Opportunities Nick Hopwood, CFP ® and Jim Pilat, AIF ® of Peak Wealth Management host a webinar where they share 5 investment and planning opportunties in the midst of the...

 

Monday, April 20, 2020

Largest 3 Week of Gains In History of Financial Market In a new episode of Peak University, Nick Hopwood, CFP ® and Jim Pilat, AIF ® of Peak Wealth Management talk about the largest 3 weeks of gains in financial market history....

 

Monday, April 20, 2020

How to Avoid the Health Risks That Come With Financial Stress It may not seem like your rising credit card debt or unpaid medical bills directly link to your physical health, although financial problems can affect more than just your...

 

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Financial Strategy Planning After Job Loss The coronavirus is already forcing companies to lay off workers and the job losses are likely to mount rapidly as the global health crisis drags on. If you are someone who has been impacted,...

 

Sunday, April 12, 2020

How to Develop Your Mindset For Wealth And Prosperity If you find yourself living “paycheck to paycheck” then it’s possible that you’ve created a scarcity mindset in relationship to money. At some point in your...

 

Friday, April 10, 2020

EP 082: Nick Hopwood Celebrates 20 Years in Finance Industry In EP 082, Peak Wealth Management's Nick Hopwood, CFP® talks with Jim Pilat, AIF® on his 20th anniversary in the financial industry. Listen to the podcast or watch...

 

Friday, April 10, 2020

Big Annual Stock Market Declines Are Rare In a new episode of Peak University, Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak University focuses on how big annual stock market declines are rare. He shares data on previous years - and how it compares...

 

Thursday, April 9, 2020

How Markets Bottom Before The Recession Officially Ends In a new episode of Peak University, Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management talks about how markets typically bottom before the recession officially ends. Watch the...

 

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Large Bounces Are Normal During A Bear Market Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management talks about how large bounces are normal during a bear market. Watch the video below to learn more.

 

Monday, April 6, 2020

How We Can Compare Market Patterns To Current Day Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management talks about how markets bottom and different patterns we have seen in the past - and how they compare to what's going on current day....

 

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Saving For Retirement When You're In Your 40s In your 40s, you’re hitting your peak earning years and should be well on your way to achieving your long-term savings goals. But sometimes life can get in the way. We have found that...

 

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Protect Yourself Financially From The Impact of Coronavirus The Coronavirus pandemic has impacted the word economy in unprecedented ways. It’s had huge effects on people’s finances, particularly those who work in retail,...

 

Monday, March 30, 2020

The SBA Provides Low-Interest Disaster Loans to Help Businesses and Homeowners Recover from Declared Disasters With the Care Act being signed last week, many business owners may be trying to navigate the new legislation trying to...

 

Sunday, March 29, 2020

4 Financial Planning Tips for Millennials Building the resources you need to help accomplish what you want in life is better to be started now than later. If you wait too long, you’ll have to save and invest a much larger portion...

 

Friday, March 27, 2020

Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management talk about their thoughts on the Coronavirus Contraction and the markets over the past few weeks. To take the risk quiz, click here. To book a call or a virtual...

 

Thursday, March 26, 2020

How to Survive an Anaconda Attack Nick Hopwood, CFP® from Peak Wealth Management shares instructions from the Peace Corps Manual on "How to Survive an Anaconda Attack," and how that lesson may be applied to surviving a "Bear Market...

 

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Bear Market Recoveries Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management discuss the 12 recent bear markets and observations about magnitude and duration. Watch the video below to learn more.

 

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Intra-Year Drawdowns in the Market Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® with Peak Wealth Management discuss Intra-Year Drawdowns in the Market. Watch the video below to learn more.

 

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Cycle of Investor Emotions With so much riding on our investment decisions, we owe it to ourselves to understand the emotions that occur at various phases of the market. Join Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak...

 

Sunday, March 22, 2020

4 Tips for Financial Spring Cleaning Your spring to-do list shouldn’t be limited to your home. Now is the perfect time to give your finances a deep cleaning. Throughout the year, it can be easy to become distracted and allow your...

 

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management speaks with Sheryl O'Connor of Income Conductor about next-gen retirement income planning. As a retirement income expert, Sheryl explains some of the various distribution strategies...

 

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Make some bulletpoints

 

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Know Your Risk Tolerance to Create a Game Plan The coronavirus is tanking the stock market. After the news reported on the health scare widening around the world – we experienced the worst weekly drop in the market since 2008....

 

Monday, March 16, 2020

403(b) plans are failing teachers. A handful of advisors and technology companies want to undo the damage and bring low-cost fiduciary plans to K-12 educators. In an article featured at WealthManagement.com, Lisa McEvoy, a teacher in...

 

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® of Peak Wealth Management talk about their thoughts on the Corona Virus and the markets over the past few weeks. Peak Wealth Management is a financial planning and wealth management firm...

 

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Learning to communicate about finance is an important part of a successful relationship. Newlyweds or couples deepening their relationship can save themselves a lot of stress and misery if they learn to talk about money. It is...

 

Monday, March 9, 2020

(This article is from June 2017, but it is worth a quick re-read since the 10 year Treasury rate is now in the 0.5% range and was around 2.4% at the time of publishing) Death of the Balanced Portfolio? A majority of people I speak with...

 

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Daylight Savings Time Costs You Extra It’s that time of year again - moving our clocks an hour ahead. The issue of whether daylight saving time should be abolished is a topic that comes up regularly. Daylight savings time is...

 

Friday, March 6, 2020

Financial Responsibility Starts at Home: A Lesson Plan For Parents From rising student loan debt to an increasingly complex financial world, the need for our kids to be financially responsible is growing. Teaching kids about money and...

 

Thursday, March 5, 2020

4 Key Reasons Why You Should Budget Your Money Making healthy financial decisions is an important part of being financially secure. One of those decisions is planning your spending. Budgeting is a very easy tool that can save you a lot...

 

Friday, February 28, 2020

How to Find the Right Financial Advisor For You When it comes to choosing a financial advisor, you want to pick carefully. A financial advisor can be key to helping you determine and achieve your financial goals and get ready for...

 

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Market are in Correction Territory With a 10% drop for the markets in 6 days, this week reminds us of September 2008. In fact, this week is the worst week since the financial crisis. If the markets have you feeling a little uneasy, we...

 

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Qualified Health Funding Distribution (QHFD) - Move IRA Money to HSA Tax-Free This little known trick can only be used once. If you are eligible for an HSA in 2020, the limits for a family are $7,100 or $8,100 for a family over age 50....

 

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

What is the SECURE Act and How Could it Affect Your Retirement? The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE) was signed into law in December 2019 and became a law as of January 1, 2020.The new legislation...

 

Monday, February 24, 2020

In this special episode, Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management sits down with The Michael Spath Show in-studio at WTKA. Nick shares key factors people should look for when they are choosing a financial advisor.

 

Monday, February 17, 2020

Tip: Give Them a Look. Find a credit card calculator on the web to give your kids a real-life look at what it actually costs to “buy now, pay later.” You taught them how to read and how to ride a bike, but have you taught...

 

Monday, February 10, 2020

Taking care of others is not always as simple as it may seem. Especially when balancing work and home life when it comes to younger children or older parents. Watch the video below to learn more on how you can support others struggling...

 

Friday, February 7, 2020

Why you shouldn’t buy a Ferrari The last time I needed to buy a car I considered many factors. Was it big enough to hold my family? Is there enough room to carry our stuff (sports equipment, bags for a trip)? Can it pull a boat,...

 

Friday, February 7, 2020

Did you know that you can use your Health Savings Account to pay for qualified medical expenses from a previous year? In fact, I believe you should not use your HSA for current year medical expenses. Remember, a HSA is triple tax free...

 

Friday, February 7, 2020

Qualified Health Funding Distribution (QHFD) - Move IRA Money to HSA Tax-Free This little known trick can only be used once If you are eligible for an HSA in 2020, the limits for a family are $7,100 or $8,100 for a family over age 50....

 

Friday, February 7, 2020

Retire with Confidence Episode 76 Today's episode features the entire team speaking on the radio with Michael Spath on WTKA. What a fun experience! Patti seems a little nervous, but she did great - check it out for yourself! At Peak...

 

Monday, February 3, 2020

Your current homeowners policy may allow for coverage of two properties under one policy, but because there are unique risks with a second home, a separate policy may be more conducive to obtaining the coverage you need. Here are some...

 

Monday, January 27, 2020

Perhaps Bette Davis said it best when she observed, “Old age is no place for sissies.”¹ The challenges seniors have met throughout their lives have made them wiser and stronger, preparing them for the unique challenges...

 

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Financial Advisor Jim Pilat, AIF® interviews Financial Advisor and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER Nick Hopwood, CFP® about the Hopwood Family Financial Plan for 2020. The goal here is demonstrate our 100% transparent and 100%...

 

Monday, January 20, 2020

The gap between setting goals and achieving them can be difficult to bridge. To enhance the chances of achieving personal goals, reminders and motivation are essential; making a New Year’s resolution is simply not enough. A...

 

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Guaranteed pensions don’t exist like in the past. Peak Income 360 seeks to replace that pension by adding multiple passive retirement income streams. Most people will be relying on Social Security and their 401k - is that enough?...

 

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Most Americans know the fundamentals of good health: exercise, proper diet, sufficient sleep, regular check-ups, and no smoking or excessive alcohol. Yet, despite this knowledge, changing existing behaviors can be difficult. Look no...

 

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Finding True Wealth Podcast with Rich and Sue Allen Nick Hopwood, CFP of Peak Wealth Management, host of Finding True Wealth speaks with couple Rich and Sue Allen about their incredible life story. After working as an engineer at Ford...

 

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Nick Hopwood, CFP of Peak Wealth Management, host of Finding True Wealth speaks with Associate Editor Seth Fisher of MGoBlog on his transition to and success within the sports blog industry, as well as how transitioning from...

 

Friday, December 27, 2019

Nick Hopwood, CFP of Peak Wealth Management, host of Finding True Wealth speaks with couple Rich and Sue Allen about their incredible life story. After working as an engineer at Ford Motor Company for 22 years, Rich heard God's call...

 

Friday, December 27, 2019

Nick Hopwood, CFP of Peak Wealth Management, host of Finding True Wealth speaks with Associate Editor Seth Fisher of MGoBlog on his transition to and success within the sports blog industry, as well as how transitioning from...

 

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Recently, financial planners Nick Hopwood and Jim Pilat of Peak Wealth Management were featured in a Kiplinger.com article. Kiplinger focused on success we've had since 1999 working with families to understand their goals, what is...

 

Friday, December 20, 2019

Nick Hopwood, CFP of Peak Wealth Management, host of Finding True Wealth discusses his top 10 things to do before the new year. As 2019 wraps up, consider evaluating your decisions over the past year and make sure you're taking full...

 

Friday, December 20, 2019

"If Santa Claus should fail to call, bears may come to Broad and Wall" While the media and Wall St analysts love catchy one liners, is there any truth to this one about the Santa Claus rally. The belief is that if stocks do not rise...

 

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Nick Hopwood, CFP of Peak Wealth Management, host of Finding True Wealth speaks with Chief Investment Officer Ben Lavine of 3D Asset Management as well as Chartered Financial Analyst working in global investment management and...

 

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Nick Hopwood, CFP of Peak Wealth Management, host of Finding True Wealth speaks with Behavioral Finance Professor John Forlines III of Duke University as well as portfolio manager of the Forlines Global Suite of strategies as part of...

 

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

As we near the end of another year, you may want to consider some of these planning opportunities. 1. Consider selling some losers - If you have capital gains in your Individual, Joint or Trust account consider protecting those gains...

 

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF®, of Peak Wealth Management, hosts of the Finding True Wealth Podcast have a fun chat about what to do with your Christmas Bonus, picking on Clark W Griswold in our favorite Christmas movie...

 

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The 2020 contribution limits have been updated. Every couple years the IRS increases the contribution limits for retirement accounts. This year some accounts changed and others did not. 401(k), 403(b) and 457 accounts had the limit...

 

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Finding True Wealth Podcast and now VIDEO Podcast as well It's the moment you've all been waiting for....as a result of huge demand, our podcast is now available on Youtube as a VIDEO Podcast. You have the option of listening in the...

 

Monday, November 11, 2019

Invest in Others Scholarship For over 15 years through our Invest In Others Scholarship Program, we offer multiple scholarships to students who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to their education and community. It is our...

 

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Financial Independence/Retire Early Podcast Part 3 Nick Hopwood, CFP of Peak Wealth Management, host of Finding True Wealth talks about the growing F.I.R.E. discussion/movement (Financial Independence Retire Early) and the book,...

 

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

New Office Video As you know, in 2019 we tripled our office space. In addition to more space came functionality in the form of a second conference room, second restroom, four new offices, and of course, The Summit! Join us on a...

 

Monday, November 4, 2019

Nick Hopwood, CFP® is joined by Michael Spath @michaelspathITH from "Inside the Huddle" on WTKA in Ann Arbor weekdays 10-1pm talking about everybody's dream job (sports talk radio host and sportswriter). Learn about Michael's...

 

Thursday, October 31, 2019

This week, two different articles came out regarding the SEC starting two different investigations into teachers 403(b) retirement plans. The first article is titled, SEC probing compensation, sales practices in 403(b) plans for school...

 

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

We often talk about expense tracking with our clients. We even talk about projecting that expense tracking into retirement to help us determine how expenses will change when we are no longer working. This can be a challenging task...

 

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Financial Planner Nick Hopwood, CFP is joined by Shawn and Sarah Hillard, who are in-studio talking about "No-Spend September." The Hillards are here to educate us on what it means, what the challenges were, and what they learned as a...

 

Friday, October 11, 2019

What would you do if you were retired and had a new $7,000/mo bill from the nursing home each month? Nick is joined by Michael Tepper from Capitas Financial, who has over 25 years of experience in the Long Term Care Insurance...

 

Friday, October 4, 2019

Nick sits down with Dr John Mlinarcik talking personality styles. Understanding your own personality style helps you understand your own needs and why you do what you do. The same can be said about the other people in your life-...

 

Friday, October 4, 2019

Did you miss the Naked Retirement Workshop? Listen in and get caught-up as Nick chats with Donna Martin, CEO of Change Engine, a business and retirement coaching firm. At Change Engine, she works with professionals who want to achieve...

 

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Tips for How to Save Money If you find yourself struggling to save money at the end of the month, consider these 4 tips as a way to help turn that around. 1. Pay Yourself First - Once the money is in your bank account, there's a really...

 

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Congratulations to Patti Wojcik Join us in offering congratulations to Patti Wojcik for 5 years at Peak Wealth Management! Patti is celebrating her "workiversary" today by actually taking a lunch break! Rarely does Patti take a lunch...

 

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Social Security can be complicated and, as a result, many individuals don’t have a full understanding of the choices they may have. Here are five facts about Social Security that are important to keep in mind: 1. SOCIAL SECURITY...

 

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Federal Reserve Cuts Rates 1/4 percent Yesterday the FOMC has cut interest rates by 25 basis points, or one quarter of one percent. What does that mean for real people? Money Market Rates First, we expect bank savings rates to be...

 

Thursday, September 19, 2019

CHOICES FOR YOUR 401(K) AT A FORMER EMPLOYER One of the common threads of a mobile workforce is that many individuals who leave their job are faced with a decision about what to do with their 401(k) account.¹ Individuals have...

 

Monday, September 16, 2019

In this episode of #nickneedsU2know, Nick discusses home affordability. #nickneedsU2know is our video series where we talk about financial planning tips we think you need to know about in 60 seconds. Check it out!

 

Friday, September 13, 2019

Roth Conversions Would converting from a traditional IRA/401(k)/403(b) be a smart move for you? A Roth conversion refers to taking all or part of the balance of an existing traditional IRA/401(k)/403(b) and moving it into a Roth IRA....

 

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Inside the Huddle Show on WTKA with Nick Hopwood, CFP® Interviewed In-Studio Check out the live in-studio with out very own Nick Hopwood, CFP® in-studio today on WTKA talking about the Peak Income 360 Formula: Diversify Your...

 

Monday, September 9, 2019

Nick Hopwood, CFP® chats with former Michigan Daily football, basketball, and Hockey beat writer Chris Duprey. Chris wrote for the daily from 1997-2001 and covered the football beat for the 2000 season, where Lloyd Carr and Drew...

 

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

In this episode of #nickneedsu2know , NIck discusses the importance of paying off your home mortgage BEFORE retirement. #nickneedsu2know is our video series where we talk about financial planning tips we think you need to know about in...

 

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

FIRE - Financial Independence, Retire Early Nick Hopwood, CFP of Peak Wealth Management, host of Finding True Wealth talks about the growing F.I.R.E. discussion/movement (Financial Independence Retire Early) and the book, "Retire Like...

 

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Lifestyle Creep is Real This post is the podcast with Jim and Nick talking about the topic, and you can read the original article here.

 

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

#nickneedsU2know about Mortgage Amortization Few people understand the nuts and bolts behind mortgage amortization, but it is a very important component of your financial plan. In this video, Nick Hopwood, CFP® and financial...

 

Monday, August 26, 2019

F.I.R.E. - Financial Independence/Retire Early F.I.R.E. - Financial Independence/Retire Early is a fascinating topic among today’s youth. In my line of business, a traditional financial planner, a traditional financial advisor,...

 

Friday, August 23, 2019

We can all look back and remember the days when money was tight. During college or early in our career we regularly made sacrifices so that we could get by. As our income increases, we tend to get more and more comfortable spending...

 

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Tour The Big House and Crisler with Us Next Week Last year, my family had the unique experience of touring Michigan Stadium, which included going through the tunnel, locker rooms, running on the field, and hanging out in one of the new...

 

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Finding True Wealth Podcast Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management, host of Finding True Wealth talks about the growing F.I.R.E. discussion/movement (Financial Independence Retire Early) and the book, "Retire Like a...

 

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Scams Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management in Plymouth, MI talks about financial planning tips he thinks you need to know about. This episode of #nickneedsU2know discusses the recent abundance of scams and how to protect...

 

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Suze Orman said You May Need $5M - Here are My Thoughts Recently I saw on marketwatch.com that Suze Orman has talked about needing $5M to retire, and this headline suggested they did the analysis and suggested she was right. It is...

 

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Have a Cottage with a Boat? Ever Wonder the True Cost of each Boat Ride? A few years ago I did a podcast episode on the second home as the anti-dividend. Feel free to listen to it again. In that episode, I talk mostly about the effect...

 

Saturday, August 10, 2019

#nickneedsU2know about Tax Planning as part of your annual financial planning strategy. I've been a strong believer in tax planning for 20 years. Everybody can benefit, but it is especially critical for small business owners, who have...

 

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Retirement Planning Retirement is not like it used to be. Making sure you have a plan set in place is crucial to enjoying your years in retirement. Although retirement today presents many challenges such as shrinking social security,...

 

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Today we finally took delivery of the furniture for the gathering space, aka "THE SUMMIT" as well as the second conference room. Just in time for the Sixth Annual Top of the Peak Summer Party! We are excited to have you at the office...

 

Monday, July 22, 2019

Nick Hopwood, CFP of Peak Wealth Management, host of Finding True Wealth talks about the true cost of owning that dream cottage up north. He breaks down the costs per year and even the cost per boat ride. You might be shocked how much...

 

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Nick Hopwood, CFP of Peak Wealth Management, host of Finding True Wealth sits down with JJ Sovinsky, CPA of Sovinsky and Company, to talk about taxes now that we've had time to evaluate the new tax law consequences. Peak Wealth...

 

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Peak Income 360: Pt. 4 Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management in Plymouth, MI talks about financial planning tips he thinks you need to know about. This episode of #nickneedsU2know covers the final installment of the Peak...

 

Thursday, July 11, 2019

It's Officially Time to RSVP for Top of the Peak Summer Party! Please join us for our Top of the Peak Summer Party! The event will take place at the offce on Thursday, August 1st from 4pm-7pm, featuring middle eastern food from Sheesh...

 

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Peak Income 360: Pt. 3 Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management in Plymouth, MI talks about financial planning tips he thinks you need to know about. This episode of #nickneedsU2know covers the third installment of the Peak...

 

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

War for Your Wallet Nearly everyday we are constantly bombarded with thousands of different media messages attempting to sell us a new product. Many individuals struggle with their wants versus their needs. It can be extremely...

 

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Nick Hopwood, CFP of Peak Wealth Management, host of Finding True Wealth sits down with Joe Owczarek to talk about Private Equity investing, the opportunity, how the markets have changed over the last 30+ years, and finally how...

 

Monday, July 1, 2019

Learn How to Streamline Your Parent's Situation Money management can be a very overwhelming thing for your parents as they get older. Family view allows you to store both your parent's financial and legal information all in one safe...

 

Monday, June 24, 2019

The Desire of Desire Throughout time, many people have referred to money as "the desire of desire". So what exactly does this mean? In her article Money: A Love Story, Dr. Elesa Zehndorfer explains that various physiologists have...

 

Monday, June 17, 2019

How Do You Earn $500k per year and Still Feel Average? Recently I came across this infographic which showed how you can earn $500k per year and still feel average. In this episode, Nick and Jim talk about how the assumptions may be a...

 

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Life Insurance: How much do you need? Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management in Plymouth, MI talks about financial planning tips he thinks you need to know about. This episode covers life insurance and how you may need more...

 

Monday, June 10, 2019

Plan with us Today! Whether it's your dream to own a vacation home, travel abroad, or have the ability to pay for your kids college education, the best time to start planning is today. Here at Peak Wealth Management we will work with...

 

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Eligibility In the post-pension world, we need to take full advantage of the retirement plans offered by our employers. If you work for certain tax-exempt organizations such as a hospital, university, or state/local government, you may...

 

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Social Security and When to Elect Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management in Plymouth, MI talks about financial planning tips he thinks you need to know about. This episode covers Social Security and when to elect. To learn...

 

Monday, June 3, 2019

Peak is officially 5 years old Peak Wealth Management is proud to announce that as of June 3rd, 2019 we are celebrating our 5 year anniversary of helping clients retire with confidence. We are so proud of all our colleagues that have...

 

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Net Worth Tracking and its Benefits Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management in Plymouth, MI talks about financial planning tips he thinks you need to know about. This episode covers net worth tracking and the resources Peak...

 

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Peak Wealth Management is proud to provide you with a mobile experience that allows you to oversee your entire financial life. Whether you need to view your account balances, track your financial goals, or upload important documents,...

 

Friday, May 24, 2019

Did you know that May 29 (5/29) is recognized as National 529 College Savings Plan Day? A 529 can be a powerful way to save tax free for not just college but K-12 education expenses.

 

Monday, May 20, 2019

Planning, determination, and hard work are some of the key components which leads to one's financial success. However, many financial decisions involve challenges as the financial landscape is always changing. Peak Wealth's systematic...

 

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management in Plymouth, MI talks about financial planning tips he thinks you need to know about. This episode covers the term budget as well as expense tracking and the resources Peak Wealth...

 

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Meet Erin! Erin is our 2019 summer intern. Erin will be entering her Junior year at Michigan State University in the fall with a major in Communications and a double minor in Graphic Design and Health Promotion. Throughout the summer...

 

Monday, May 6, 2019

I came across an article by Christy Bieber at The Motley Fool, about 3 Money Mistakes she made. It caught my attention because they were things that we see often and talk about a lot. They involve knowing how much you need to be saving...

 

Thursday, May 2, 2019

We've been under construction for a month now, and we suspect we have another month to go. Below are some pictures of the new stone work just completed today. Up next is finishing the new restroom, a little more drywall, paint, and...

 

Monday, April 15, 2019

The decision to retire is not about finally accumulated a specific amount of money. Other factors play a huge role in your retirement readiness starting with your living expenses and extend into non-financial issues like having a plan...

 

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

From Success to Significance After reading the book, "Half-time," I thought it would be great to sit down with Chip DeClue, who is a friend and Halftime Coach. During our conversation, Chip shares and reflects on his interesting story...

 

Monday, April 8, 2019

Have You Considered a Roth Conversion? As the tax deadline approaches. so does the deadline for 2018 Retirement Account Contributions. Now is the time to make a deposit for your 2018 Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, or Solo K. For...

 

Monday, April 1, 2019

Peak Wealth Management is a Registered Investment Advisor and comprehensive financial planning firm located in Plymouth, MI. We believe by providing education and guidance, we inspire our clients to make great decisions putting them on...

 

Sunday, March 31, 2019

As your tax bill is due imminently, you may be wishing you did a little tax planning back in the fall (when you had more control to make changes). We always recommend using a CPA® and doing tax planning each fall as part of your...

 

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management in Plymouth, MI talks about financial planning tips he thinks you need to know about. This episode covers the 401k Max vs the 401k Match and why you need to know the difference! To...

 

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

5 Mistakes Teachers Are Making With Their Retirement In October 2016, the New York Times released an article titled "Think Your Retirement Plan is Bad, Talk to a Teacher". This 5 part article highlighted many of the pitfalls and...

 

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

With the tax deadline getting closer, the opportunity to procrastinate is getting away from us. While we are forced to get our tax documents together, why not take this opportunity to tackle some other commonly procrastinated financial...

 

Monday, March 4, 2019

Join Nick and Jim as they Talk about Why 401k's are Not Fair IRA, Roth IRA, 401k, Roth 401k, Simple IRA, SEP IRA, Single K, Solo K, say what? These are usual suspects when it comes to #retirement funding. Which are you eligible for,...

 

Monday, March 4, 2019

Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management in Plymouth, MI talks about financial planning tips he thinks you need to know about! This episode is all about the HSA and why it may be the biggest NO-BRAINER in the history of the...

 

Monday, March 4, 2019

Slaying 1099 Requests for over 15 years Meet Garrett’s mom (Patti) aka "The 1099 Tax Slayer." Legend has it she completed 50+ 1099 requests in one day! If you need your 1099, just call our 1099 Tax Slayer! #taxslayer If you don't...

 

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

It that time of the year where we need to start the tax filing process. Unfortunately, every year we hear stories about how someone was taken advantage of because of a tax scam. While some tax scams can be seen from a mile away, others...

 

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Nick Hopwood, CFP® of Peak Wealth Management in Plymouth, MI talks about financial planning topics which he thinks you need to know about! Subscribe today here on Youtube.com/peakwealthmgmt or visit us at peakwm.com

 

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Small Business 401k Plan Design Nick Hopwood, CFP® chats with Scott Westgate, founder and president of MBC Retirement Services, located in Rochester, MI. Peak and MBC have worked together on many plans since 2002 with tremendous...

 

Friday, February 15, 2019

We start every New Year with great intentions of keeping our resolutions. Whether you wanted to get in better health, be more disciplined or get control of your finances, it's not to late to get back on track. See the attachment for...

 

Friday, February 15, 2019

Gwen has worked in the financial services industry since 2007 and her client-centered approach is a result of 30 years in administrative operations and customer service. She joins us after spending the past 11 years with a boutique...

 

Friday, February 15, 2019

Don’t Buy Stuff You Cannot Afford You may have noticed that each month on the first of the month, I like to re-post the podcast episode 13 “Track Your Expenses and Net Worth!” It is a highly recommended, simple...

 

Sunday, February 10, 2019

Schedule an Appointment Health savings accounts, or "HSA" for short, have been around since 2003, when President Bush improved upon medical savings accounts and flexible savings accounts. HSAs are superior compared to their...

 

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Social Security Insights for Younger Clients This article written by Mark Hulbert on Social Security funding caught my attention today, because it clearly explains what I've been telling people for years: Social Security is not going...

 

Sunday, February 3, 2019

1099's Available by Feb 15 Many of you are inquiring about your 1099's for 2018. Here is the scoop: If you took a withdrawal from an IRA, your 1099-R is available now at Advisorclient.com or in the Advisor Client app. If you have an...

 

Saturday, February 2, 2019

Still starting slow but we do have some updates to share with the conference room (new chairs and counter). Jim stumbled upon a drinking fountain (or bubbler if you live in Wisconsin), and Nick is perplexed in the new kitchen!

 

Friday, February 1, 2019

We have all heard about the government shutdown and the employees who were not receiving a paycheck. What if we put ourselves in their shoes. How well positioned are we to miss a paycheck or two or more. We always encourage clients to...

 

Friday, February 1, 2019

The first of the month means it is time to update our spending and net worth spreadsheet for the prior month. This should be posted each month on the first as a reminder for all of us. This month should be a lot better than last month!

 

Monday, January 28, 2019

Star Wars meets Financial Planning Tune in for my take aways from Donald Miller's "Building a Story Brand." All great movies follow a traditional formula - we have a Hero, a Villain, and a Guide/Coach as three of the main characters in...

 

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

A client recently forwarded us an article on 5 money mistakes people make. She thought it sounded like the advice we had been giving her and we agree.

 

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Stop! Listen to EP 026 first, which is the 2018 edition of Nick's Personal Financial Plan. It gives you the foundation for this episode. The goal here is demonstrate our 100% transparent and 100% authentic approach to offering sound...

 

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Peak Wealth Management Global Headquarters Remodel Update Not a lot of action yet, but we did add a new TV in the lobby for some active signage! We expect to take over the full space by the end of the month, so we're running a month...

 

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

We are pleased to introduce you to the 2019 Invest In Others Scholarship recipients. Breann Allen: Breann is currently enrolled at Lake Erie College in their masters level Physician Assistant Program. Her goal upon graduation is to...

 

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

President Donald Trump recently slapped tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on foreign aluminum, prompting significant concern and discussion about the wisdom of this action. As an economist who shares some of those...

 

Monday, January 14, 2019

The Markets People love rules of thumb. Sometimes, mental shortcuts are helpful. Other times they are not. When it comes to investing, seasonal shortcuts are not uncommon. In fact, January boasts two: The January Effect explains why U...

 

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

2019 Outlook While nobody knows what 2019 has in store for us, we came across a couple reports we would like to share with you from Vanguard, 3D Asset Management, and LPL Research. In a year that is sure to have continued volatility,...

 

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Top 5 Episodes of Finding True Wealth It's always fun to look back and review the the prior year. We put a lot of effort into the podcast to bring you quality content. We find existing clients listening as well as people who are...

 

Monday, January 7, 2019

The Markets Investors will think of the last quarter of 2018 for years to come, but they won’t remember it fondly. The Economist described it like this, “After a rotten October and limp November, the S&P 500 tumbled in...

 

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

The Markets Investing during the month of December was like traversing an icy mountain stream. It delivered a staggering shock to the senses that triggered the instinct to, “Get Out!” When it comes to investing, that...

 

Monday, December 24, 2018

Santa’s sleigh is usually pulled by reindeer. This year, it looks as if it will be pulled by a team of bears. My nine year old son witnessed me reviewing market charts on my iPad Saturday morning and correctly remarked...

 

Monday, December 24, 2018

Financial Planning expert Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF® talk about the 403b investment landscape, focusing on a NYT article from a few years back. Fortunately we have arrangements with non-profit institutions such as...

 

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

The Markets Ouch! It never feels good when the stock market heads south, and that’s what happened last week. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500), Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq Composite all moved into...

 

Monday, December 17, 2018

Markets have been extremely volatile as of late, so financial planners/financial advisors/wealth managers Nick Hopwood, CFP® and Jim Pilat, AIF®, talk markets and react to Facebook Guy, who makes fear-mongering posts when the...

 

Monday, December 10, 2018

The Markets We’re off to a slow start. December is usually the best month of the year for the stock market. It has been since 1950, according to Randall Forsyth of Barron’s, but not so far this year. Two issues made...

 

Monday, December 10, 2018

Recently a couple decided to partner with Peak as their advisor/planner and we were reviewing what their former advisor put together for them. At first glance, the former advisor's fees were in line and the investments looked fine, but...

 

Sunday, December 9, 2018

The BluePrinting Process is the best place to start! The Blueprinting Process is a series of exercises we created to help you live your life by design, not be default. The purpose of these exercises is to help ignite your relentless...

 

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Social Security is More than a monthly check. Do you realize it can be worth well over a million dollars? Its a pension with cost of living inflation adjustments, which pretty much do not exist anywhere else. It is a pension for a...

 

Monday, December 3, 2018

Examining Donor-Advised Funds - Making it Easy to Make A Difference Americans donate billions to charity annually. If you give to charity, you need to know about one of the best tools to facilitate generosity: Donor-Advised Funds...

 

Monday, December 3, 2018

The Markets Hold on to your hats! Recently, stocks have delivered a wild ride. During Thanksgiving week, U.S. stock markets took investor uncertainty on the chin, suffering a 3.8 percent drop, which was the worst performance in eight...

 

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Today we are speaking with Brian cook, who is the founder and editor of MGOBLOG. From Go Blue Cook Family Supports You to breakfast on campus with Sexy Grandpa to earning $10 per post from AOL, loyal readers of MGOBLOG finally get a...

 

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

The Markets It was a turkey of a week. The United States and China continued to spar over trade and other issues. An expert from Moody’s told Frank Tang of the South China Morning Post (SCMP) the United States-China dispute will...

 

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Hurry! The Deadline for Scholarship Applications is fast approaching! The Invest in Others Scholarship Application deadline is Friday, November 30th. Each year, Peak Wealth Management awards multiple $1,000 scholarships to deserving...

 

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Have you been waiting for The Peak Times? Your wait it over! The Fall 2018 edition is now available - Click Here! Peak Wealth Management is a full-service Registered Investment Advisor located in Plymouth, MI. We believe by providing...

 

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Higher Social Security checks, lower health-insurance costs and a longer-lasting nest egg are possible when spouses stagger their retirements For many couples, retiring at the same time seems like the obvious thing to do. But from a...

 

Monday, November 19, 2018

The Markets Keep your eyes on the horizon. Motion sickness happens when your body receives conflicting signals from your eyes, ears, and other body parts. One way to manage the anxiety and queasiness that accompany the condition is by...

 

Friday, November 16, 2018

The tricky thing about this industry is that it is hard to understand who is qualified and who is not. Just check out this commercial the CFP Board put out a few years ago - click here. Experience is good for an advisor to have, but...

 

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

The Deadline for Application Submittal is Dast Approaching The deadline for receipt of the Invest in Others Scholarship applications is the end of November. If you know of a young adult who is heading off to college or currently in...

 

Monday, November 12, 2018

If you haven't taken a look at our planning software, consider spending ten minutes watching the demo below:

 

Monday, November 12, 2018

The IRS has increased the 401k limit in 2019 to $19,000 The basic employee contribution limit for 2019 is $19,000, up from $18,500 in 2018. To encourage those nearing retirement to accelerate their savings, the IRS allows 401(k)...

 

Monday, November 12, 2018

The Markets How are you feeling about financial markets? Some votes are still being counted but investors appear to be happy with the outcome of mid-term elections. Major U.S. stock indices in the United States moved higher last week,...

 

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

The Markets Stocks recovered some ground last week and then stumbled over unemployment. Major U.S. stock indices faltered Friday after the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on a popular ‘lagging’ economic indicator...

 

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

The Markets Why did the stock market fall when the economy is doing well? The answer is that one reflects the past and the other anticipates the future. Last Friday’s advance estimate from the Bureau of Economic Analysis showed...

 

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

If you are not utilizing the Plan with Peak portal you are missing out on an invaluable tool for staying current on your financial picture. Your financial success starts HERE. Plan with Peak is your complete financial portal. It is our...

 

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

The Markets The world remains full of opportunities and challenges. Although we’ve seen global markets moving in tandem in recent years, Sara Potter of FactSet pointed out, “…we’re starting to see the end of...

 

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Tripling Our Office Space We are happy to announce that we are growing. We recently added a new advisor, Jim Pilat, AIF® to our team and are now looking at expanding our office space to better serve you. Effective January 1, 2019,...

 

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Financial Planning Spotlight - The Monte Carlo Stress Test If you have been a Peak client for more than a few months then you have experienced our robust financial planning software, which we call PlanwithPeak.com (PWP). One unique...

 

Monday, October 8, 2018

The Markets The stock market tends to be a leading economic indicator. Last week offered some insight to economics and stock market behavior. The U.S. unemployment rate reached its lowest level since 1969 and wages moved higher, yet...

 

Monday, October 1, 2018

The Markets It wasn’t headline news… But, if newsprint was still popular, last week’s key economic news would have appeared below the fold. The Federal Reserve raised rates for the third time in 2018, as expected. In...

 

Monday, September 24, 2018

The Markets Did you hear the news? A tech company introduced a microwave you can turn on using Wi-Fi – as long as you have one of the company’s voice assistants at home, reported Kaitlyn Tiffany of Vox. Soon, the voice...

 

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Join Nick and Jim as they rap about a recent meeting which did not work out as planned. We had the chance to help someone go from good to great, but it turns out that we are not the right fit for everyone! Peak Wealth Management is a...

 

Monday, September 17, 2018

The Markets All investors are consumers, but not all consumers are investors. The September installment of University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Survey reported Americans are feeling pretty optimistic. Consumer sentiment...

 

Monday, September 10, 2018

The Markets Remember: Volatility is normal. Major U.S. stock market indices climbed into record territory during August. They gave back some gains last week. Peter Wells of Financial Times explained: “Speculation about a fresh...

 

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

The Markets Where is our country’s biggest export market? Markets were fired up last week after the United States and Mexico agreed on new trade rules. The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) Index reached an all-time high and...

 

Monday, August 27, 2018

The Markets Tick, Tock. Not everybody loves meetings and even fewer enjoy reading the minutes, but investors make an exception with the Federal Reserve. This week the Fed published the minutes from its August 1 meeting. While no...

 

Monday, August 20, 2018

The Markets As Maxwell Smart used to say… Missed it by THAT much! After a rocky start, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index came within 1 percent of an all-time high last week, reported Ben Levisohn for Barron’s....

 

Monday, August 13, 2018

Get to know Jim Pilat, AIF® our newest team member at Peak Wealth Management! Jim shares with Nick his background and story as to how he became an advisor, and why joining the firm is a "Nash Equilibrium."

 

Monday, August 13, 2018

Often people will ask me how should they prioritize their retirement funding vehicles - should they should fund their Traditional 401k, Roth 401k, Traditional IRA or Roth IRA? What makes the most sense when it comes to contributing to...

 

Monday, August 13, 2018

The Markets Let’s talk Turkey! So, how did a country that represents just about 1.4 percent of the world’s economy spark a global selloff? Turkey was once a rising star. The country’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip...

 

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Meet Patti! Patti is our Operations Manager. Patti currently resides in Plymouth and has two kids, Paige and Garrett. She came to the firm with over 25 years of experience in the operations, compliance, and customer service industries....

 

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Meet Renee! Renee is our team's Operations Assistant. She currently resides in Canton with her husband, and has a son and daughter-in-law who live in New York. Renee recently joined our firm after working many years in the client...

 

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Peak has experienced significant growth over the past few years and we've been searching for an associate advisor to join our team who shares our beliefs, core values, and mission. A planner who believes in planning and inspiring our...

 

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Meet our Intern, Will! Will has been our intern throughout this summer. As school time approaches, he will soon be heading back to the University of Michigan for his senior year. Will is looking forward to his final year of school, but...

 

Monday, July 30, 2018

#nickneeds2know are you a preventer or a reactor when it comes to your personal health #healthyieldswealth. Join in the conversation using #nickneeds2know. embed video here

 

Monday, July 30, 2018

The Markets Is it a sugar rush or something more sustainable? Economic growth in the United States was strong during the second quarter. Gross domestic product (GDP), which is the value of all goods and services produced in the United...

 

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Please join us for our Top of the Peak Summer Party. The event will take place at the office on Thursday, August 16th from 4pm-7pm, featuring Mediterranean food from Sheesh, live music from R&R Acoustic Duo, and of course, your...

 

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

embed video here #nickneeds2know which painting do you like better? The one on the left or the right? One of them was painted by me, and one by my wife. Vote below using #nickneeds2know and I will let you know who painted which one...

 

Monday, July 23, 2018

The Markets Last week, there was some good news and some notable news. Here’s the good news: Corporate earnings have been strong. As of July 20, 17 percent of the companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index had reported...

 

Monday, July 16, 2018

The Markets Investors are becoming more discriminating. Trade tensions escalated as the U.S. administration expanded tariffs on Chinese goods last week. You wouldn’t have known by watching the performance of benchmark indices,...

 

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

#nickneeds2know what your experiences have been with camping? Have you been a camper your whole life, or just recently started picking it up? Or, are you an anti-camper? Feel free to engage in the conversation about your own personal...

 

Monday, July 9, 2018

#nickneeds2know are you crazy enough to ride this trap door water slide? The boys did it in exchange for some dippin dots! Join the conversation below using #nickneeds2know

 

Monday, July 9, 2018

The Markets What a rollercoaster of a quarter! When it comes to the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) Sentiment Survey, respondents tend to be more bullish than bearish about U.S. stock markets. The survey’s...

 

Monday, July 2, 2018

The Markets There’s a bear in China – and it’s not a panda. The Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) Composite Index, which reflects the performance of all shares that trade on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, dropped into bear...

 

Monday, June 25, 2018

The Markets What time is it? The yield curve may be the pocket watch of economic indicators. It’s been around for a long time and it’s often right, but not always. The yield curve is the difference between the interest paid...

 

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

#nickneeds2know are you still drinking soda? If so, is it regular or diet? Engage in the conversation using #nickneeds2know and let me know what you think!

 

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

This year, we were fortunate enough to have Ben Lavine, CFA®, CAIA, and Chief Investment Officer of 3D Asset Management, come speak with us again. The event was held at The Inn at St. Johns and involved a general speech from Ben as...

 

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

** embed podcast/bean link here ** Nick Hopwood, CFP® chats with Benjamin Lavine, CFA®, CAIA, and Chief Investment Officer of 3D Asset Management. Benjamin discusses his take on the markets and economy from the first half of...

 

Monday, June 18, 2018

The Markets Deal or no deal? Last week opened with heightened trade tensions between the United States and its allies. It closed with the United States imposing new tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods. The Chinese declared it was...

 

Friday, June 15, 2018

In the inaugural #nickneeds2know as we have spring break behind us and summer vacation ahead, we want to know if you’ve experienced the vacation blues?

 

Friday, June 15, 2018

Some "Financial Planners" don't do any Financial Planning at all - they are simply salespeople who sell financial products like insurance, annuities, and mutual funds. At Peak, it is a little bit different. We don't sell financial...

 

Monday, June 4, 2018

The Markets If the countries were instruments, last week sounded like a fifth grade garage band. World markets were buffeted by a clamor of good, bad, and unexpected news last week. Events that captured media and investor attention...

 

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Nick Hopwood, CFP® chats with Rick Guttersohn, the Executive Director at New Hope Center for Grief Support. Rick teaches us about "Fun" raising, Blueprinting as it relates to grief support, and the generational impact New Hope has...

 

Monday, May 21, 2018

The Markets Too much? Too little? Or just right? U.S. stock markets were relatively calm, although they finished the week lower. U.S. Treasury yields hit a 7-year high and finished the week above 3 percent. While these were notable,...

 

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

I hate the word budget. It reminds me of being on a diet. For some reason, people hate diets AND budgeting. This ten minute podcast uncovers a new spin on budgeting – expense tracking. Learn how to combine expense tracking with...

 

Monday, May 14, 2018

The Markets Splash! How do employers lure staff in a tightening labor market? The curly tail grubs and spinnies of the business world are higher wages and better benefits. During the past decade, the employment picture in the United...

 

Monday, May 14, 2018

Have your contracts reviewed! Nick chats with Rick Hoeg of @HoegLaw about Star Wars, Michigan Football, and course, Business Law! Given Rick's background and experience with small business and venture capital, he has unique insights...

 

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Don't Die Intestate! Nick chats with Estate Planning Attorney Marc Wander of the Marc Wander Law Firm. Learn about Marc's "Retirement Trust" concept as well as discussing many of the common pitfalls he sees people making with their...

 

Monday, May 7, 2018

We've updated our New Client Questionnaire! If you are a new Peak client, be sure to download that form and fill it everything which applies to your situation. And if you're a long time Peak client it wouldn't hurt to review it to make...

 

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Nick chats with Shawn Presnell from Academy Mortgage about America's Refinancing Addiction, the state of the mortgage industry, and how he approaches his loan design. Shawn has over 15 years of experience and is a trusted resource for...

 

Monday, April 23, 2018

Hot off the press! The latest edition of The Peak Times is now available in pdf format. Click the image below to download the latest edition or click here to view past editions! The printed edition should show up in your mailboxes...

 

Monday, April 23, 2018

The Markets The world is in debt. The April 2018 International Monetary Fund (IMF) Fiscal Monitor reported global debt has reached a historically high level. In 2016, debt peaked at 225 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP)...

 

Monday, April 16, 2018

What do you think? Are you bullish, bearish, or neutral about the U.S. stock market? Are U.S. stocks undervalued, overvalued, or fairly valued? What is the biggest threat the U.S. stock market faces this year? During the first four...

 

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Nick chats Social Security Disability with veteran attorney Jason Steinhelper of the law firm Levine Benjamin. Jason has represented thousands of clients seeking to obtain Social Security Disability over the last 11+ years. Learn more...

 

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Congratulations Nick for your Investment News 40 Under 40 Nomination! InvestmentNews' 40 Under 40 project aims to reveal the tremendous potential in the financial advice industry by finding young talent doing remarkable things. Key...

 

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

For the 8th year in a row, Nick has been recognized as a Five Star Professional in Wealth Management! Five Star Professional conducts market research to define and promote professional excellence in the profession they serve. For the...

 

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

We are pleased to announce our Partnership with TriState Capital We can now offer clients a securities-backed line of credit Just like a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) for your house, this is a securities-backed line of credit from...

 

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

The Markets You could almost hear the spurs jingling. Trade tensions ratcheted higher last week as the United States and China staked new positions on the not-so-dusty main street of trade. It was the latest round of posturing in what...

 

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

People are always asking me, “Do I have enough to retire?” They expect me to be able to look at their 401(k) statement and give them a yes or no answer in two seconds flat! The truth is it doesn’t matter how much...

 

Monday, March 26, 2018

The Markets Why am I saving and investing? After a week like last week, it’s an important question. There are many reasons people save and invest, including to: Live the life they want today and in the future Accumulate resources...

 

Friday, March 23, 2018

In this episode, Coach Ben and Coach Kevin, from the InFlow Wellness Academy, sit down with Nick Hopwood, CFP and chat about "How much is enough?" Learn more about InFlow. Peak Wealth Management is a full-service Registered Investment...

 

Thursday, March 22, 2018

We are pleased to host Nick Hopwood, CFP, President and CEO of Peak Wealth Management, LLC, to discuss his path towards independence following his departure from LPL Financial and turning Peak Wealth Management into a successful...

 

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Social Security is more than a monthly check. Do you realize it can be worth well over a million dollars? A $1,500/mo SS payment with 1.5% inflation will add up to over $675,000 in 30 years. If your check is $2,000/mo for 30 years the...

 

Monday, March 19, 2018

The Markets It’s a good time for a gut check. Last week, after sliding lower for four days, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index recouped some of its losses on Friday. The reasons behind the week’s poor showing were...

 

Monday, March 12, 2018

The Markets It’s a bird…It’s a plane…It’s a labor shortage! There is little doubt the Millennial generation has been reshaping our world. One of the most remarkable aspects of this demographic group is a...

 

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Schedule an Appointment Recently a bunch of things have happened which got me thinking. The teacher at school was teaching about loans, or bonds; a wholesaler for one of the mutual fund companies introduced me to a program they are...

 

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

The Markets As Yogi Berra once said: It’s déjà vu all over again. Last week, global stock markets took a bit of a dip after President Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum....

 

Monday, February 26, 2018

The Markets U.S. Treasuries are offering a lesson in supply and demand. Last week, the U.S. Treasury auctioned $258 billion in bonds. Treasury auctions are the way the United States government finances its debt. The Treasury sells...

 

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

The Markets As New York Fashion Week ended, inflation strutted its stuff. Ever since the Federal Reserve began raising the Fed funds rate in 2015, analysts have been anticipating higher inflation. The fact that price increases remained...

 

Monday, February 12, 2018

The Markets Back to reality... After months of eerie calm, stock market volatility has returned. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) – a measure of how turbulent investors expect stock markets to be during the next 30 days –...

 

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Dr. Russ Dore of PCS Counseling and Dore Productions sits down with Nick to chat about Finding a Satisfying Second Career. Dr Russ has consulted with hundreds of individuals in transition and shares some stories and takeaways from his...

 

Monday, February 5, 2018

The Markets It was not a good week for stocks. Last week, stock markets around the world lost value. In the United States, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500), Dow Jones Industrial Index (Dow), and NASDAQ all finished lower...

 

Monday, January 29, 2018

The Markets The numbers are coming in. Publicly-traded companies report their earnings and sales numbers for the previous quarter in the current quarter. For example, fourth quarter’s sales and earnings are reported during the...

 

Monday, January 22, 2018

The Markets Last week, the United States government might as well have hung a sign on the front door of the Capitol that read, “Gone negotiating. We’ll be back in…however long it takes.” In 2013, the U.S....

 

Monday, January 22, 2018

Retirement is a major life transition, but its stages are predictable. Sadly, most people don’t think it through all the way. Many retire simply because they hate their job or as soon as they have enough money. But, they work...

 

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

2017 was by far the best year ever for Peak. Join Nick as he reflects on some of the things going on driving growth and what we are working on for 2018. This is your chance to to kick the tires and look under the hood on how a...

 

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

The Markets Inflation, inflation, where’s the inflation? The U.S. Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates in anticipation of higher inflation. In its 2018 forecast, Goldman Sachs indicated it expected to see “a...

 

Friday, January 12, 2018

Ever wonder how a CFP manages their own money? Listen as Nick talks about his personal financial plan for 2018. Everything from cash flow, investments, debt, and real estate. January is the perfect time of year to evaluate and update...

 

Friday, January 12, 2018

Thinking of a cottage up north or a condo in Florida? Listen to EP 025 of Finding True Wealth and hear about Nick's personal experience as well as what he has learned from client experiences and why owning a second home is The...

 

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Congratulations to our 2018 Scholarship Recipients! We are pleased to announce the recipients of our 2018 Peak "Invest In Others" Scholarship! These students have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, as well as significant...

 

Monday, January 8, 2018

The Markets Whoosh! Bang! Flash! Fizz! Whistle! U.S. stock markets delivered their own version of fireworks to celebrate the New Year. During the first week of 2018, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a new all-time high, moving...

 

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Weekly Market Commentary January 2, 2018 The Markets How good was 2017? It was so good, the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index finished in positive territory every month for the first time ever (on a total return basis), reported...

 

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Join Nick as he talks Real Estate Investing and updates you on his personal real estate porfolio and why he loves real estate. If you haven't heard EP 006you should start there. Investing in real estate is part of the Peak Income 360...

 

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Join us Jan 11, 2018 for Health Yields Wealth 2.0

 

Monday, December 18, 2017

The Markets Here we come a tax-reforming… The reconciliation of Congressional tax reform bills proceeded apace last week, and Congress is expected to vote on the measure early this week. If tax reform passes, Dubravko...

 

Monday, December 11, 2017

The Markets “It's the hap- happiest season of all.” While holidays don’t make everyone happy, investors should be feeling festive. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index is up more than 18 percent year-to-date. The Dow...

 

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Many thanks to the 134 clients and guests who joined us at Fox Hills for our annual Christmas Party! Thanks for helping make the 2017 edition was the best party yet! Another great big THANK YOU to those who donated non-perishables to...

 

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Listen to the latest edition of Finding True Wealth as Nick reminisces about the industry twenty years ago and reflects on what he would be looking for when selecting a CFP/financial planner. CLICK HERE

 

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

The Markets There was a lot to be thankful for last week. Stock markets around the world may have ripened to full-slip sweetness this year. Emerging markets have delivered the most attractive returns year-to-date. The MSCI Emerging...

 

Monday, November 20, 2017

Are You Ready to Retire? There is a simple and unsettling reality in the United States. Most Americans are not financially prepared for retirement. Some are completely unprepared. The Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI)’s...

 

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

The Markets Selling it overseas. Most of the companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) Index have reported third quarter earnings per share (EPS), which is the profit earned per share of stock outstanding during the...

 

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

The Markets “Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society.” U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes’s statement is engraved on the front of the Internal Revenue Service building in Washington, D.C. Some...

 

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Smartphones are incredibly handy. That may be why about three of every four Americans own them.1 On average, smartphone users spend almost three hours a day – 86 hours every month – using their phones. They send texts and email,...

 

Thursday, September 28, 2017

How times change! In 1940, half of Americans finished their education in eighth grade. College degrees were relatively rare. Just 6 percent of men and 4 percent of women had one.1During the past 80 years, college has become far more...

 

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Labor Day is about a lot more than the end of summer and the start of a new school year. The holiday, which celebrates American workers, became a federal holiday in 1894 and was created to recognize the contributions and achievements...

 

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

In a 2002 interview with Mike Wallace, former First Lady Nancy Reagan said she often reread the love letters written by her husband, former President Ronald Reagan. The letters, which had sustained and enriched their relationship,...

 

Friday, July 28, 2017

While some may be concerned about the iconic American meat that arrives in a rectangular 12-ounce tin (and is inexplicably popular in certain island states and American territories), more should be wary of its namesake – the spam that...

 

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

The idea of Artificial Intelligence (AI) may bring to mind movies like Terminator, Wall-E, and Transcendence, but the reality of AI is expected to help people find answers to some significant issues. For example, a PwC survey found:1 •...

 

Friday, June 30, 2017

On July 4, 1776, the American colonies claimed independence from Britain. This declaration eventually led to the formation of the United States. As we celebrate the birth of our great nation, test your knowledge with this brief quiz.1...

 

Thursday, June 29, 2017

The bull market in U.S. stocks has been charging ahead for more than eight years.1 While that’s young in people years, it’s ancient in bull market terms. Since World War II, the longest bull market in U.S. stocks lasted for almost...

 

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

In the post-pension world, we need to take full advantage of the retirement plans offered by our employers. If you work for certain tax-exempt organizations such as a hospital, university, or state/local government, you may be eligible...

 

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

People are always asking me, “Do I have enough to retire?” They expect me to be able to look at their 401(k) statement and give them a yes or no answer in two seconds flat! The truth is it doesn’t matter how much...

 

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Despite everything you have heard, your house and your 401k are not your largest asset – your career path and income are your biggest asset by far. Listen as we give one simple tip on how to maximize your largest asset,...

 

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Learn about the sweet spot of Roth IRA Conversion from Nick Hopwood, CFP. How do some people convert their IRA to a Roth IRA with little or no tax due? http://peakwm.com/podcast/Rothconversion.mp3

 

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

As Published originally on Investopedia.com Attention Millennials: Your house and your 401(k) are not your largest assets. Despite everything you may have read or heard, your house and your 401(k) are not your largest assets—your...

 

Monday, May 22, 2017

The First $100,000,000 is the hardest! We are proud to announce that Peak Wealth recently reached $100M in client assets! Many thanks to our loyal partners over the past 17 years!

 

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

0Meet Renee Kowal, the newest edition to our team! Renee has recently joined Peak as an Operations Assistant. She comes to Peak with many years of professional experience in a client based service industry. She has been married to her...

 

Monday, May 1, 2017

Pensions don’t exist like they did in the past. Peak Income 360 seeks to replace that pension by adding multiple passive income streams. http://peakwm.com/podcast/Income360.mp3

 

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

I hate the word “budget.” It reminds me of being on a diet. For some reason, In this day and age our human nature struggles with limits. So when I speak with people about their cash flow, I don’t talk about budgeting,...

 

Monday, April 10, 2017

Nick speaks with John Diehl, SVP at Hartford Funds and liaison to the MIT Age Lab, where they do a lot of cool research! Our topic today is the 5 ways technology will change the way we age. Check out this white paper which covers the...

 

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Our goal when we meet is to determine if there is a fit between what you are looking for and the services we provide. In order to make the best use of our time, please use the resources below to help prepare. Prior to your initial...

 

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

From success to significance: Chip shares his story about reaching “Halftime” in his life. Learn why he walked away (in his early 50’s) from his successful 26 year career as VP of Finance at Enterprise Car Rental and...

 

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Peak Blueprinting Booklet Small File The Blueprinting Process is a series of exercises we created to help you live your life by design, not be default. The purpose of these exercises is to help ignite your relentless burning desire,...