Black Diamond Planners

06/02/2026

As of September 30, 2025, federal law and Executive Order 14247 require federal benefits to be paid electronically. To improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance security in federal payments, the Department of the Treasury is phasing out paper checks. Social Security plans to complete the full transition to electronic payments for all beneficiaries this year.

Making the Switch to Electronic Payments: What Beneficiaries Need to Know...

As of September 30, 2025, federal law and Executive Order 14247 require federal benefits to be paid electronically. To improve efficiency, reduce costs, and …

06/02/2026

True or false: Americans in March 2026 are applying for fewer mortgages than they were during the Great Recession.

True. And it's not even close.

96 OF THE 100 LOWEST NUMBER OF WEEKLY MORTGAGE APPLICATIONS SINCE 1999 HAVE HAPPENED IN THE LAST 3 YEARS! (according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Mortgage Application Index)

Yet, unemployment today is a fraction of what it was during the financial crisis.

People aren't staying out of the market because they can't qualify. The market is gridlocked. Here's why. 👇

1️⃣ Millions of homeowners locked in at 3 percent during the pandemic. Selling means giving that up for another mortgage that may have a higher interest rate. So they're not moving.

2️⃣ If existing owners aren't selling, inventory can become thin, prices might stay elevated, and buyers wait for something to change.

3️⃣ Most are waiting for rates to drop. But when they do, demand may pick up, competition returns, and that window closes faster than expected.

Here's the truth about market timing: it almost never works the way people picture it.

The better question isn't "When is the right time to buy?" It's "Am I financially ready to move when the right opportunity comes?" 📋

06/02/2026

We’re hiring! Check out the job opening on Indeed.

06/02/2026

We're hiring! Black Diamond Planners is looking for a Client Service Associate to join our growing financial planning and investment management firm in Downers Grove, IL.

If you're organized, client-focused, and interested in a career helping individuals and families achieve their financial goals, we'd love to hear from you.

05/06/2026

Americans over 70 hold more than 30 percent of the country's wealth, even though they represent just 11 percent of the population.

May is Older Americans Month, and whether you're in this chapter, approaching it, or helping a parent navigate it, here are some of the considerations that come into play:

1️⃣ Required minimum distributions that force withdrawals whether you need the income or not

2️⃣ Sequencing decisions about which accounts to tap first

3️⃣ Medicare timing and long-term care options, including whether a continuing care retirement community makes sense

4️⃣ Protecting against elder scams and financial exploitation

5️⃣ Power of attorney conversations and making sure the documents are accessible

6️⃣ Considering the possibility of cognitive decline before it happens

None of these has one right answer. They depend on your health and what your family goals look like.

The earlier these conversations start, the more options there may be on the table. 🙌

05/04/2026

Behind every small business is someone who believes in themselves. 💼

Business owners carry a weight most people don't see.

You're the CEO, the HR department, and sometimes the night janitor, all in the same day.

The financial picture is more complicated, too.

Choosing a retirement account, balancing what you pay yourself with reinvesting in the business, and making sure the company serves your life, not the other way around.

Think about your local coffee shop, the local family-owned restaurant, and the flower shop—those places exist because someone took a risk and kept showing up.

This week, skip the chain and stop by a small business instead. 🙌

05/02/2026

According to the American Psychological Association…

Money stress is one of the leading causes of anxiety—ahead of work, relationships, and health concerns.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it's worth acknowledging what we see in this work every day: financial decisions carry emotional weight.

Will I have enough? Am I doing this right? What if something changes?

Looking ahead can help make the weight lighter, not heavier. If your financial life feels like a source of stress instead of clarity, that's worth paying attention to.

05/01/2026

May is Military Appreciation Month.

To everyone who served and the families who held things together back home: thank you.

Military families deal with financial complexities that most people never encounter.

Deployments, relocations every few years, pension decisions, survivor benefits, and VA loans.

The financial picture looks different because military life looks different.

We're grateful to work with military families and veterans. And we’re grateful to all who served.

04/30/2026

A lot of what drives outcomes is below the surface.

For example, in 2022, when the S&P 500 fell more than 18 percent, two-thirds of mutual funds still made capital gains distributions, according to a 2025 Fidelity report.

That is not a headline most investors expect, and it is a reminder that taxable distributions from mutual funds do not always reflect market performance.

What’s really going on:
A mutual fund can distribute taxable capital gains when the manager sells underlying holdings at a profit, even if you don’t sell any shares of the fund.

It can happen in a down year; gains on individual holdings can occur while the overall fund value declines.

Buying a mutual fund late in the year can still leave you responsible for distributions tied to that full calendar year.

Fidelity cites a Morningstar study showing taxes may reduce portfolio returns by up to 2 percent annually on average when not accounted for.

There are ways to manage surprise distributions, including tax-smart account placement, tax-managed funds, and evaluating ETFs, where appropriate.

Remember, mutual funds and ETFs are sold only by prospectus. Please consider the charges, risks, expenses, and investment objectives carefully before investing. A prospectus containing this and other information about the investment company can be obtained from your financial professional. Read it carefully before you invest or send money.

This is not about avoiding mutual funds. It is about the benefits of working with a financial professional who can show you what mutual funds pay capital gains and what funds are designed to manage payouts. Your tax, legal and accounting professionals can show you how a capital gain will affect your tax situation.