Poor Asset Allocation is the Greatest Threat to Your Nest Egg*

Here’s the thing about your nest egg…it’s your nest egg. But you may be at risk of losing control of it unless you protect it.

“No matter the size of your estate, you need a plan that helps safeguard your wealth against those who are not entitled to it such as the government, nursing homes, probate court, and even disenfranchised heirs, such as divorced spouses.”

-Donald A. Galade, founder and CEO of GFS Financial Advisors, LLC, a full-service independent registered investment advisory firm in Pennsylvania.**

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Galade has been in the financial services industry for more than three decades, serving families, non-profits, businesses and others in northeast Pennsylvania. Soon after he started his career, Galade recognized the need for resilient legacy plans. “I saw too many people unnecessarily put their retirement and legacy goals at risk.”

Developing an Estate Plan is Not for the Faint of Heart

Sheltering hard-earned assets is not a DIY project. Without expert guidance, investors may attempt to cobble together a plan using lawyers, tax attorneys, estate attorneys, insurance professionals and other experts. Then they cross their fingers that every ‘i’ is dotted and every ‘t’ crossed.

“But the devil’s in the details,” cautions Galade, one of few advisors who take the time to fully address estate planning. “A multidisciplinary team coordinated by an elder law attorney can create a cohesive estate plan designed specifically for each investor’s unique needs. Working from the same playbook, they may avoid conflicts between important documents such as insurance policies, wills, beneficiary forms, property titles, power of attorney forms and others. It’s not unusual to save even modest investors a substantial amount of their total assets.”

You Don’t have to Lose Your Moneyto the Government

“The most persistent barrier to robust legacy plans is the investors’ failure to plan. In my experience, the Silent Generation was brought up to be private. Talking about one’s money just wasn’t done.”

“The generations after them may have been more inclined to seek out the advice of professional financial service providers, but learned over the years that not all advisors had their best interests at heart. Many of them were sold products that were not in their best interest, because their advisors were really salespeople, working on commission. In our opinion, the aftermath of the crisis of 2007-08 made them wary of everyone in the industry…including those working for the “too big to fail” corporations,” explains Galade, a fiduciary legally bound to offer advice strictly with his client’s interest in mind.

Planning also demands a good deal of time…and compassion. GFS delves into extremely personal and emotionaltopics. A realistic assessment of family dynamics is often hard to face, but the stakes are too high to ignore.

“We are passionate about enabling our clients to age with dignity and retain the best quality of life without a constant fear of becoming a burden on their families. it’s why we come to work everyday.”

*www.msn.com/en-us/money/retirement/the-30-greatest-threats-to-your-retirement/ss-BBNAIAm#image=27

**Insurance products and services are offered through Galade Financial Services Inc. GFS Financial Advisors, LLC and Galade Financial Services Inc are not affiliatedwith or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any government agency. All written content is for information purposes only. It is not intended to provideany tax or legal advice or provide the basis for any financial decisions.

This content was provided by Financial Service Directory. Kiplinger is not affiliated with and does not endorse the company or products mentioned above.