Spectrum Financial Group, Inc.

09/30/2022

Thank you to the Lions Clubs of MN for being the Presenting Sponsors for the 2022 Can Do Woofaroo!

The Can Do Woofaroo is this Saturday! A lot goes on behind the scenes to make this event possible and we want to acknowledge our generous sponsors for their contributions. We hope to see you on September 24 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. for a day of festivities. Visit candocanines.org/woofaroo for more details.

09/07/2022

I am walking, again this year, in support of this fantastic organization, Can Do Canines. I will be walking with Libby our 3 year old Pit/Lab rescue. A donation of any size will help us continue to provide our assistance dogs at no charge to our clients. We provide five types of assistance dogs: hearing assist, mobility assist, diabetes assist, siezure assist and autism assist. Please consider making a donation to help provide an assistance dog to one of the many people on our wait list. Here is a link to my donation page:

https://candowoofaroo2022.causevox.com/ross-thorfinnson

06/03/2020

For many Minnesotans laying on a beach in the warm sunlight is their ideal retirement. You may have a different vision for your retirement, but no matter what your vision of retirement is, it takes a plan to make it happen.

For many people it's a question of taking stock of where they are right now, figuring out what they want their retirement to look like and how to make it happen.

You may need or want someone to guide you through the process and keep you focused and working toward your goal.
We do that and much more for our clients, we are more than just investment advisors. If you want more information, feel free to contact us. It is always free to talk and before you decide to do business with us, you will know exactly what we will do for you and what it is going to cost. At that point, the decision to move forward or walk away is yours.

You can check us out our web site: www.sfgi.com

05/27/2020

Have you been meaning to make a will and keep putting it off?

You are not alone. Discussing and planning for one's passing is not a topic people like to tackle. As a result, it is often neglected when it comes to dealing with finances. At a minimum, you should have a Will, a Power of Attorney, and a Durable Health Care Directive. For may people these will cover their needs.

A will directs who gets what when you pass and who will direct that process. A Power of Attorney appoints someone to handle your financial affairs while you are alive if you are unable to do it yourself. A Durable Health Care Directive appoints someone to speak for you on your behalf if you are incapacitated and may also give direction in end of life matters.

Making sure you are prepared with the above documents and anything else you may need is part of what we do. If you have been putting this off and want help navigating this process, call us at 952-449-4414 and ask for Ross.

04/03/2020

Day 15 working from our home office. While I am trying to work on this cold and dreary Friday, one of my new co-workers has decided she has worked enough week. She pulled her bed over next to my chair and has been trying to engage me with every chew toy and rope she can grab. Finally she settled down to finish the rope off for Good!

Thank God it's Friday!

04/01/2020

Whether you are sitting on the beach retired or nearing retirement, you should be aware that the recently passed CARES Act stimulus bill includes several breaks for individuals as a result of the Coronavirus Crisis.

First, Required Minimum Distributions (RMD) are waived for 2020. Yes, that is correct. If you are already taking your RMD or need to start taking it this year you are no longer required to take one this year. If you've already taken an RMD for 2020, you can even put it back if you want.

If you are out of work due to the Coronavirus Crisis and you need to take a distribution from your retirement funds prior to age 59 1/2, the 10% penalty will be waived. The income as a result of the distribution will, by default, be spread over three years, 2020, 2021 and 2022. Finally, if you can afford to pay it back, you will have three years to do so.

Those taxpayers that take the standard deduction when filing their tax return will be allowed to take an above the line deduction of $300 for Qualified Charitable Contributions. So, take your standard deductions and you can deduct up to $300 if you made contributions to a qualified Charities.

If you have questions about the CARES Act and how it might affect you, talk to your financial advisor or contact us, we will answer your questions.

www.sfgi.com

03/25/2020

After 8 days of working from home, one thing has become obvious: It is really hard for the dogs to get their 20 hours of sleep each day.

The little girl has finally decided she doesn't need to be awake the whole time we are working. She is out cold!

03/25/2020

Even in the worst of times, there are people looking to make money by scamming others. Please be aware that scamming efforts are increasing as the Coronavirus Crisis is ramping up.

People are scarred and worried, hackers and scammers are out to take advantage of your fears..We have already seen an increase in activity, much of it centered around your fear of this virus.

We remind you, as always to never trust an email from someone you do not know. It is very important that you do not click on any links or attachments unless you know the source. If you are uncertain who sent it to you, there is a way to see who is behind the email. Hover your cursor over the person's name. Eventually the email address that it was sent from will appear. If you do not know that address or the person behind it simply delete the message without opening or clicking on anything.

They are many other things you can do to further protect yourself, the best is to changing your passwords regularly. There are several password programs available to help you keep track of yours. Do not use the same password for everything or even several things. All passwords should be at least 8 characters long. There should be at least one of each of the following, an upper case letter, a lower case letter, a number and a special character. If you are using a password like 12345, stop it now!

Finally, many sites are going to dual or multiple verification. Don't get frustrated by this, it makes your information even more secure. And, eventually most everything will require it.

Stay home, be safe and think before you click, my words of wisdom for today!

03/20/2020

Does the stock market volatility have you worried? Wondering if you should change your investment options?

This is a scary time, no doubt about it. What you should do with your 401(k) varies based on your personal situation. Whether you are nearing retirement or just starting out, it helps to have someone that can sort it all out and give you real helpful advice.

Talk to your financial advisor. If you don't have one, you should. We don't bite and can be very helpful on your retirement journey. You don't have to do it alone, seek out the advice of a professional.

www.sfgi.com

03/19/2020

Day four working from home! We have our security force hard at work protecting us. Abby, head of security, and her capable intern Libby are making sure no one storms the castle!

We are all getting used to the new routines, but the four of us are making it work.

We are here to answer your questions and concerns. Give us a call or send us an email.

03/11/2020

Lots of fun at the Spectrum Financial Chopped Challenge Dinner Party! The chef judges preferred the dishes the winning team prepared. The winning team is shown wearing their trophies, the chef hats. The losing team got nothing. Nothing like a little competition to fire people up!