LampPost Planning

Call Website Contact the business

LampPost Planning We are financial advisors. We objectively guide committed clients along a thoughtful, simple path to building wealth and knowledge.

We specialize in planning, investments, and insurance.

Did you know the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland does $6 movie tickets every Tuesday?Tuesdays are historically one of the ...
10/14/2026

Did you know the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland does $6 movie tickets every Tuesday?

Tuesdays are historically one of the slowest days for theaters, so instead of eating empty seats, they just lower the price. $6 instead of $15 is enough to get people off the couch who might've skipped the movies altogether.

But the ticket price is only half the story. Filling seats on a slow day means more popcorn and drink sales, where the real margin is, revenue on a day that would otherwise be dead, and new price-sensitive customers without cutting into the weekend crowd that's happy to pay full price.

Worth asking yourself if you run a business: where are your slow days, seasons, or time slots where a lower price might actually grow revenue? And on the flip side, where are the peak times people would pay more without blinking?

It's about matching price to demand, because 50% of something beats 100% of nothing.
..and that's from a Mind of a Financial Advisor. 💭

📌 Higher rates sting borrowers, but they can be a real win for savers.As rates rise, banks may increase the yields they ...
10/12/2026

📌 Higher rates sting borrowers, but they can be a real win for savers.

As rates rise, banks may increase the yields they offer on savings products to attract deposits. The average U.S. savings account still pays just 0.64% annual percentage yield. Some high-yield accounts are paying more than six times that, up to 4.2%, for the exact same deposit. 🔎

Certificates of deposit, or CDs, can offer even higher rates, but the tradeoff is access: your money is locked in for a set term, and pulling it out early usually costs a penalty.

Higher yields don’t erase the effects of inflation, and they won’t necessarily transform household finances. But if your savings account is still earning close to that 0.64% average, that gap alone might be worth a second look.

Why So Bearish?
10/09/2026

Why So Bearish?

I'm a sucker for a good deal, always have been. So when I told my mom Ghirardelli was doing $7.25 mini hot fudge sundaes...
10/07/2026

I'm a sucker for a good deal, always have been.

So when I told my mom Ghirardelli was doing $7.25 mini hot fudge sundaes for National Hot Fudge Sundae Day, she didn't hesitate. Guess I know where the deal-hunting and the sweet tooth both come from. 🍨

The store was easily twice as busy as I'd expect for a random weekday. And I couldn't help but think about the business behind it, Ghirardelli's barely making anything on that sundae, food cost is probably under a dollar, but that was never really the point. Promotions like this are about getting people through the door and letting the rest of the visit do the work.

Rough math: if they're seeing 100 customers an hour, half came for the promo, and half of those spend an extra $20 while they're there, that's $12,000 in additional revenue in a single day. Numbers will vary, but the principle holds: a good promotion drives way more than the discount itself costs.

What made this one work:

Limited-time, so there was real urgency
The offer was genuinely good (half off!)
It tied into something fun
It got pushed hard on social media

The best promotions don't just cut a price. They give people a reason to join the moment.
..and that's from a Mind of a Financial Advisor. 💭

Politics has a funny way of shaping how we see the economy, even when we're all looking at the same numbers.Take inflati...
10/05/2026

Politics has a funny way of shaping how we see the economy, even when we're all looking at the same numbers.

Take inflation expectations. Right now, Republicans expect prices to rise about 2.4% over the next 12 months. Democrats? 4.7%. Same economy, same data, nearly double the outlook.

This is what economists call "motivated reasoning", our political identity quietly coloring our financial predictions.

As election season heats up, it's worth remembering: markets don't run on opinions. They run on fundamentals. Don't let the noise of the news cycle drive your financial decisions.

Stay focused. Stay grounded. And when in doubt, talk to a professional who can help you separate the signal from the static. 📊

What is Universal Life Insurance?Unlike term life insurance, universal life insurance is permanent, it stays in force fo...
10/02/2026

What is Universal Life Insurance?

Unlike term life insurance, universal life insurance is permanent, it stays in force for your entire life. But its standout feature is flexibility: you decide how much to pay above a set minimum, and that shapes your policy's face amount.

Other key features:
✅ Cash value grows tax-deferred
✅ Policyholders can typically borrow against that cash value under favorable terms
✅ Beneficiaries receive a death benefit (which may or may not be taxable, depending on structure)

It's not a one-size-fits-all solution, whether it's right for you depends on your goals, health, and financial circumstances. 📋

Curious if universal life insurance fits into your financial plan? Click below
https://www.lamppostplanning.com/post/universal-life-insurance

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month 🎀We take this time to honor the strength of those who have faced a diagnosis, s...
10/01/2026

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month 🎀

We take this time to honor the strength of those who have faced a diagnosis, support those currently going through it, and recognize the families and communities who stand beside them.

Awareness matters. Support matters. Presence matters. We stand with you.

Retire in your 30s, 40s, or early 50s? 🔥 It's not a daydream for everyone, it's a movement.FIRE = Financial Independence...
09/28/2026

Retire in your 30s, 40s, or early 50s? 🔥 It's not a daydream for everyone, it's a movement.

FIRE = Financial Independence, Retire Early. The formula: save 25x your annual expenses, then retire and live off a 3-4% withdrawal each year.

Example: need $50K/year to live on? You're aiming for $1.25M.

It takes serious discipline, but for the right people, it's a real path to a work-optional life. 💪

Is FIRE right for you? Learn more on our blog

https://www.lamppostplanning.com/post/fire-retirement

With penny production ended, some merchants have started rounding cash purchases up or down to the nearest nickel.Depend...
09/25/2026

With penny production ended, some merchants have started rounding cash purchases up or down to the nearest nickel.

Depending on the total, that could mean a few cents more or a few cents less. Paying by credit card may come with another wrinkle.

Some retailers and service providers are adding surcharges to help offset card processing costs, which may increase the final price. That means the same purchase could cost slightly different amounts depending on whether you use cash, debit, or credit.

Before you pay, take a second to compare the total for cash, debit, and credit so you know which option makes the most sense for that purchase.

Ever notice how certain products are always right at eye level? Every time I grab lunch at Brother's Deli in Oakland, I ...
09/23/2026

Ever notice how certain products are always right at eye level?

Every time I grab lunch at Brother's Deli in Oakland, I end up staring at their chips and soda display before I even order. It’s not by accident. Those are almost always the highest-margin items, placed exactly where they're easiest to see and grab.

Visibility alone can boost sales anywhere from 10–30%. So I started running the numbers on a place like Brother's:

Say they sell around 300 chips and sodas a day, and each higher-margin item earns about $0.25 more. Bump sales by just 20% with better placement, and that's an extra $15 a day. Over a year, roughly $5,400 without touching the menu, raising a single price, or selling one more sandwich.

Restaurant margins are brutal. A 10% profit margin is considered a great year. So an extra $5,400 can be the difference between a stressful year and a comfortable one, all from where you put the chips.

…and that's from a Mind of a Financial Advisor. 💭

Address

Oakland, CA
94619

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 7pm
Tuesday 10am - 7pm
Wednesday 10am - 7pm
Thursday 10am - 7pm
Friday 10am - 7pm

Telephone

+15109924000

Website

,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when LampPost Planning posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to LampPost Planning:

Shortcuts

Share

Category