Mike Bergen, CIMA®

Mike Bergen, CIMA®

Mike Bergen, CIMA®

Ten Bad Money Habits To Kick And How You Can Start Identifying Them

Managing your finances effectively is essential for long-term financial health and stability. However, many people unknowingly engage in habits that can hinder their financial well-being.

By MIKE BERGEN, CIMA® | May 10, 2025

Understanding Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) And Using Them

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are for people over the age of 70.5 years old. Unlike other distributions, which are taxed at ordinary income tax rates, Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) allow for a tax-free distribution from an IRA, provided that the distribution goes directly to a qualified charity.

By MIKE BERGEN, CIMA® | May 3, 2025

Caring For Kids And Parents Puts You In The Sandwich Generation

The Sandwich Generation is defined as adults who have a living parent over age 65 or older and are either raising a child under 18 or supporting a grown child.

By MIKE BERGEN, CIMA® | April 28, 2025

Preparation Helps With Coping Financially When Your Spouse Dies

One of the hardest parts of our job as financial advisors is helping clients whose spouse has recently passed away.

By MIKE BERGEN, CIMA® | April 19, 2025

Utilize The Bucket Approach For Retirement Portfolio Construction

There have been many improvements in the world since I graduated from Warsaw Community High School in 1987. Back in those days, we didn’t have the internet or cell phones or flat screen TVs. I got an Apple IIc computer for graduation as I headed off for Indiana University. The Apple Watch I wear today is literally 8,000 times more powerful.

By MIKE BERGEN, CIMA® | April 12, 2025

Consider These Important Planning Tips When It Comes To Your Estate

We all experience the death of friends and family members in our life. In financial planning, we often find ourselves involved in the aftermath of those deaths. If the deceased planned their estate before their death, it usually makes it easier on the survivors.

By MIKE BERGEN, CIMA® | April 5, 2025

Ten Investment Facts To Know, Especially When The Market Is Volatile

Investing in the stock market can be a rollercoaster ride, especially when volatility spikes. However, understanding key market principles can help investors stay the course and make informed decisions. Here are 10 crucial facts to keep in mind when navigating market turbulence.

By MIKE BERGEN, CIMA® | March 22, 2025

How And Why Inflation May Be A Risk To Your Portfolio

The market has been a little crazy lately, and stocks closed with a little over a 10% loss this week, which qualifies as a market correction.

By MIKE BERGEN, CIMA® | March 15, 2025

It’s A Good Idea To Start Simple When Building A Retirement Portfolio

To get started you just need to do three things to your account: allocate, diversify and rebalance.

By MIKE BERGEN, CIMA® | March 1, 2025

Here Are A Few Tips For Organizing Your Financial Records

We’ve been talking on the radio, and in this column about some basic things to do to get 2025 started off right. Getting organized is often the first step. One area where organization really can pay off, is in your financial records. Today we are going to offer some suggestions on organizing your financial records.

By MIKE BERGEN, CIMA® | February 15, 2025