Encompass Advisors, Ltd.

12/29/2025

A few years ago, my dad decided to buy a home. His idea of risk was opening his wallet, and he paid for everything in cash. At the time, mortgages were only 4.4% while CDs were paying 6% interest. I told him to put the money in CDs and take out a mortgage; he’d have made more if he did. But he was absolutely against taking on the debt for a house. And that was that.

Like most things in finance, math is only part of the equation. Emotion determines most of our decisions. That said, I believe it’s important to know your financial options. You can be entirely against planning for debt and want to pay in cash—but have a backup plan, just in case.

12/29/2025

The new year is literally right around the corner. What are your financial goals in the next year?

12/27/2025

Debt isn't something to be taken lightly. But it can't necessarily be avoided, either -- especially if you want a better interest rate on a car or house.

To use this financial type appropriately, it's important to plan for your debt, rather than have it tucked away for ambiguous emergencies or large purchases.

12/23/2025

With downtime during the holidays, it's often an ideal period to revise your will and trust -- even if that sounds a little morbid for the season.

There are two key differences between a will and trust:

A will is activated upon death, a trust is effective when the assets are transferred.
A will may still be required to go through probate court, a trust typically does not.

In many cases, a trust will be easier for family members to deal with and reduce potential tensions that can pop up after your passing --- in addition to reducing costs a will may incur through probate.

12/16/2025

There are many challenges to successful financial planning and retirement savings, from emotional stress to emergencies and changing markets. But there are always methods to combat these obstacles, including:

1. Set specific times to evaluate your portfolio.
2. “Turn off” financial news during your off-hours.
3. Prioritize trusted advice from family, friends, and advisors over pundits.
4.Draft a financial plan that budgets investment spending.
5.Identify investment options for bull and bearish markets.
6.Work with a fiduciary advisor to tap into high-quality institutional investments.
7. Select brokerages or trading apps carefully, focusing on transparency over initial incentives and convenience.

12/13/2025

Do you have a family business? Hiring your spouse or a family member can increase IRS scrutiny. But you can offset these risks by highlighting how your family member is a legitimate employee:

✅Keep a paper trail.
✅Put your spouse on payroll.
✅Separate medical reimbursements from their salary.
✅Be aware of what tax-free benefits you can extend to your spouse.

Of course, there are just a few best practices. Ideally, you'll have a trusted tax accountant to help you navigate these complex considerations.

12/10/2025

Two percent of Americans retire in their 40s. Around 17% exit the workplace in their 50s. But more and more Americans are choosing to stay on and work past retirement. And, maybe, that's a good thing.

Racing to retirement can be challenging for many people. Work gives us a sense of identity and community - something we don't realize until we've entered our golden years. And rushing to burn yourself out can mean missing out on important life experiences and jeopardizing your health.

Having trusted friends, family, and advisors to guide you through decisions regarding the now and the later (retirement) can help you maintain a healthy balance.

11/30/2025

What do we know about the new SEC?

There are at least 5 concepts behind the current policies we can track:

1. Deregulation
2. Focus on investor fraud
3. Reducing disclosure requirements
4. A lean staff
5. Supporting cryptocurrency

11/26/2025

Currently, the Treasury rate is higher than it's been in 15 years. According to J.P. Morgan Chase, we can identify a few main reasons for this hike:

➡️Inflation
➡️Tariffs
➡️Weaker foreign demand for U.S. Treasury Bond and notes
➡️Hedge funds trading cash-futures betting on the price cash bonds rising lost out as prices dropped, causing a sell-off loop

09/19/2025

Before singing with a wealth management advisor, it's important to ensure they are the right fit. Here are 7 questions to ask in your discovery meeting:

1. What investment act are you registered under? (An RIA is registered under the 1940s act, a broker under 1933)
2. Are you a fiduciary, and can you put it in writing?
3. How do you get paid?
4 Who is your custodian?
5. What institutional funds are you invested in?
6. Can you walk me through your process?
7. What is your investment philosophy?

Read more on choosing a financial advisor here: https://www.encompassadvisors.com/post/how-to-find-a-financial-advisor

09/10/2025

Only 2% of Americans retire by 40, showing that this retiremnent goal is difficult but not impossible. But even if you can retire early -- should you?

Retire by 40? It’s not common, but it’s not impossible.

09/07/2025

Did you know that the US Money Supply isn't just one thing?

There are 5 general metrics related to tracking it:

💸M1: This economy snapshot includes the currency, savings deposits, demand deposits, and similar assets that can quickly be converted to cash.
💸M2: This metric tracks cash, checking deposits, CDs, and similar assets.
💸M3: The Federal Reserve ended this metric in 2006, but it contains information regarding the money supply plus the M2 data, institutional market fund, and similar large assets.
💸M0: The M0 metric specifically focuses on cash.
💸MB: The MB tracks physical currency and Federal Reserve assets.