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Latest Events

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Navigating Retirement Pitfalls

by Kendra Erkamaa | September 19, 2023 | Retirement, Social Security, Tax

Ask Triangle – September, 2023

by Kendra Erkamaa | September 12, 2023 | Income, Investing, Markets, Stocks, Wealth

Do You Owe The AMT?

by Kendra Erkamaa | September 5, 2023 | IRS, Social Security, Tax

Breaking Down The Parts Of Medicare

by Kendra Erkamaa | August 29, 2023 | Health Care, Medicare

A Primer On Dividends

by Kendra Erkamaa | August 22, 2023 | Dividend, Investment, Stocks, Tax

A Primer On Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts

by Kendra Erkamaa | August 15, 2023 | Estate, Family, Insurance

Helpful Retirement Strategies for Women

by Kendra Erkamaa | August 8, 2023 | Retirement, Wealth, Women

What Can You Buy with 529 Distributions?

by Kendra Erkamaa | August 1, 2023 | College, Education, Savings

How Will Working Affect Social Security Benefits?

by Kendra Erkamaa | July 25, 2023 | Retirement, Social Security, Tax

Will Power

by Kendra Erkamaa | July 18, 2023 | Distribution, Estate, Income, Inheritance, Retirement

Assess Life Insurance Needs

by Kendra Erkamaa | July 11, 2023 | Family, Income, Insurance

IRA Withdrawals That Escape The 10% Tax Penalty

by Kendra Erkamaa | July 4, 2023 | Retirement, Tax

The Business Cycle

by Kendra Erkamaa | June 27, 2023 | Economy, Investment, Wealth

Ask Triangle – June 2, 2023

by Kendra Erkamaa | June 20, 2023 | Income, Investing, Markets, Stocks, Wealth

How Women Can Prepare For Retirement

by Kendra Erkamaa | June 13, 2023 | 401k, Investment, Retirement, Women

Eight Mistakes That Can Upend Your Retirement

by Kendra Erkamaa | June 6, 2023 | 401k, Investment, Retirement

A Bucket Plan to Go with Your Bucket List

by Kendra Erkamaa | May 30, 2023 | Budget, Estate, Investment, Retirement, Savings

Healthcare Costs in Retirement

by Kendra Erkamaa | May 23, 2023 | Health Care, Investment, Retirement, Savings, Social Security

Ask Triangle – May 5, 2023

by Kendra Erkamaa | May 16, 2023 | Income, Investing, Markets, Stocks, Wealth

Inflation & Your Money

by Kendra Erkamaa | May 9, 2023 | Budget, Income, Investing, Investment, Savings, Wealth

The Cost of Procrastination

by Kendra Erkamaa | May 2, 2023 | Income, Investing, Investment, Retirement, Wealth

Pullbacks, Corrections, and Bear Markets

by Kendra Erkamaa | April 25, 2023 | Bear, Bull, Estate, Investing, Investment, Markets, Stocks, Wealth

When Do You Need a Will?

by Kendra Erkamaa | April 18, 2023 | Estate, Family, Giving, Retirement, Savings

Ask Triangle – April 7, 2023

by Kendra Erkamaa | April 11, 2023 | Income, Investing, Markets, Stocks, Wealth

Five Most Overlooked Tax Deductions

by Kendra Erkamaa | April 4, 2023 | Retirement, Savings, Tax

Ask Triangle – March 3, 2023

by Kendra Erkamaa | March 28, 2023 | Education, Income, Investing, Markets, Stocks, Wealth

Countdown to College

by Kendra Erkamaa | March 21, 2023 | Education, Family, Income, Savings

9 Facts About Social Security

by Kendra Erkamaa | March 14, 2023 | Income, Retirement, Social Security, Tax

Traditional vs. Roth IRA

by Kendra Erkamaa | March 7, 2023 | Investing, IRA, Retirement

Six Surprising Facts About Retirement Confidence – Infographic

by Kendra Erkamaa | February 28, 2023 | Health Care, Insurance, Investing, Retirement, Social Security

Insurance Needs Assessment: For Empty Nesters and Retirees

by Kendra Erkamaa | February 21, 2023 | Insurance, Investing, Retirement

Ask Triangle – Feb. 3, 2023

by Kendra Erkamaa | February 14, 2023 | Employment, Investing, Retirement, Wealth

Women And Financial Strategies

by Kendra Erkamaa | February 7, 2023 | Investing, Retirement, Wealth

A Decision Not Made Is Still a Decision

by Kendra Erkamaa | January 31, 2023 | Investing, Retirement, Wealth

Ask Triangle – Jan. 6, 2023

by Kendra Erkamaa | January 24, 2023 | Investing, Retirement, Wealth

SECURE Act 2.0: An Overview

by Kendra Erkamaa | January 17, 2023 | Retirement, Wealth

New Retirement Contribution Limits for 2023

by Kendra Erkamaa | January 10, 2023 | Education, Retirement

Your Emergency Fund: How Much Is Enough?

by Kendra Erkamaa | January 3, 2023 | Education, Family

Have you ever had one of those months? The water heater stops heating, the dishwasher stops washing, and your family ends up on a first-name basis with the nurse at urgent care. Then, as you’re driving to work, you see smoke coming from under your hood. Bad things happen to the best of us, and…

Triangle Financial moved to new location in West Des Moines

by Kendra Erkamaa | July 8, 2022 | Community

Triangle Financial Services is excited to announce the company moved this spring to a new location in West Des Moines.

Triangle’s Action Plan for COVID-19

by Kendra Erkamaa | September 30, 2021 | Uncategorized

We have successfully completed our third quarter of 2021! We are hoping you all are staying healthy and safe during these difficult times. We are here for you, working hard for your finances and doing our best to stay healthy.

New Year Resolutions, Goal Setting and Living With Intention

by Kendra Erkamaa | March 11, 2021 | Community

All my life I have been a planner. My Franklin Covey Planner was known as “my life” starting at the age of 14, when I literally scheduled my days down to the minute. If I was anxious, I planned.

Triangle times

by Kendra Erkamaa | January 25, 2021 | Newsletter

Welcome to 2021! We are still working hard to keep up with Covid safe standards and you all are staying healthy and safe during these uncertain We are here for you, working hard for your finances and doing our best to stay healthy. We hope you enjoy our updates! Look for our quarterly Triangle Times…

The Peaceful Planner

by Kendra Erkamaa | January 18, 2021 | Community

The Peaceful Planner – A hero who helps clients see the humanity in the numbers My mom is a nurse, and my dad was a helicopter mechanic, so they’ve always served, and so it was just something that was really important to me. – Kendra Erkamaa ome people may have heard the quote, “Those who fail…

2020: A Story of Plans Re-Written

by Kendra Erkamaa | January 6, 2021 | Community

As 2020 closes on one of the most transformative years for our country, can we agree that not much has gone as any of us planned? For just about everyone, life and any intentions we may have had for the year to this point have been altered in one way or another. Our jobs, finances,…

Triangle Times July 2020

by Kendra Erkamaa | July 10, 2020 | Newsletter

The second quarter of 2020 has come to a close and what a great second quarter. We are hoping you all are staying healthy and safe during these difficult times. We are here for you, working hard for your finances and doing our best to stay healthy. We hope you enjoy our updates! Look for…

Details on the Tax Deadline Extension

by Kendra Erkamaa | July 7, 2020 | Community

The I.R.S. is giving you three additional months to file and pay. Provided by Triangle Financial Services, Kendra Erkamaa, Lindsey Taylor, and Jessica Dillon The Internal Revenue Service knows that many taxpayers have had a stressful spring. So, it has reset the federal tax deadline. You now have until July 15 to file your 1040…

The Power of Compounding

by Lindsey Taylor | June 30, 2020 | Education, Investing, Wealth

When considering a subject to write about, I decided to ask one of my old college roommates what financial topic she wishes she’d known more about as a younger professional. Her response: Why should I make consistent, small contributions to a 401k – or other retirement account? And how does it build up over time?…

3 Roth Conversion Traps To Avoid After The SECURE Act

by Kendra Erkamaa | June 30, 2020 | Community

Jamie Hopkins Contributor Retirement Director of Retirement Research and Managing Director of Carson Coaching Roth conversions can be a powerful tax and retirement planning technique. The idea behind most Roth conversions is to take money from an IRA and convert it to a Roth IRA. Essentially, you’re paying taxes today instead of paying taxes in…

The Fear Factor

by Kendra Erkamaa | May 12, 2020 | Newsletter

The Fear Factor – Making Smart Choices in the Face of Fear Even the most fearless among us have been faced with uneasiness over the last few months. With an unprecedented global pandemic facing the entire world, it would be nearly impossible not to consider the “what ifs” invading our senses posed by the COVID-19…

The SECURE Act

by Kendra Erkamaa | April 17, 2020 | Newsletter

The SECURE Act Long-established retirement account rules change. The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act is now law. With it, comes some of the biggest changes to retirement savings law in recent years. While the new rules don’t appear to amount to a massive upheaval, the SECURE Act will require a change…

CARES Act 2020

by Kendra Erkamaa | April 13, 2020 | Newsletter

Key Provisions of the CARES Act Distributions can be waived in 2020 for Inherited Accounts, 401(k)s, andIRAs. Recently, the $2 trillion “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security” (“CARES”) Act was signed into law. The CARES Act is designed to help those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, while also providing keyprovisions that may benefit retirees.1…

Triangle Times March 2020

by Kendra Erkamaa | April 8, 2020 | Newsletter

The first quarter of 2020 has come to a close and wow has it been a wild one. We are hoping you all are staying healthy and safe during these difficult times. We are here for you, working hard for your finances and doing our best to stay healthy. Hope you enjoy our updates! Look…

Virtual Meeting Options with Triangle Financial

by Lindsey Taylor | March 12, 2020 | Investing

The outbreak and response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is new for all of us. We are staying tuned in as the situation evolves. Triangle is prepared. We have all our staff set up to work remotely and will be able to provide you with service provided the health of our staff is well. You…

Client Stories on Wealth

by Kendra Erkamaa | February 4, 2020 | Investing

Clear service structure: value

by Kendra Erkamaa | October 30, 2019 | Investing, Wealth

“Life is Change, Growth is Optional One of my favorite professional coaches, Janet Tingwald, uses this as her email signature and tagline. While much has changed in the financial industry during the 30 years, we have been serving Triangle clients, one thing remains the same – our focus on growth. Not only do we strive…

The Financial Planning Industry is Changing

by Kendra Erkamaa | October 30, 2019 | Investing, Wealth

“Life is Change, Growth is Optional” I heard that book title the other day, and even though I haven’t read the book, I found myself considering the title in relation to my profession. As in the case of life itself, there exists a lot of change in the financial world. Our job as financial advisor…

Financial literacy – knowledge is power

by Kendra Erkamaa | August 1, 2019 | Family, Investing, Wealth

Unfortunately, financial literacy rates have dropped nationally since the Great Recession of the late 2000s. According to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Capability Study (usfinancialcapability.org), which shares financial literacy ratings by state, Iowa scores near the national average for spending and savings habits. For example, only 46 percent of Iowans reported having a “rainy…

Making a wealthy mindset work for you

by Kendra Erkamaa | July 1, 2019 | Wealth

Let’s be honest – how many times have you played the “if I ever win the lottery, I’m going to….” game? Most everyone dreams of being wealthy at some point. But what if you could think it into reality? Consider this: how you think drives your beliefs, which influences your attitude and feelings, and those…

Top Things to Ask a Financial Advisor

by Kendra Erkamaa | June 15, 2019 | Tax

Financial Planning Industry: Selecting an Advisor “Life is Change, Growth is Optional” I heard that book title the other day, and even though I haven’t read the book, I found myself considering the title in relation to my profession. As in the case of life itself, there exists a lot of change in the financial…

Robo-Advisors – what’s the hype?

by Lindsey Taylor | May 31, 2019 | Wealth

As a financial advisory firm, we talk a lot about the importance of finding the right match in an advisor. But some people aren’t to the place where they need the full financial planning experience…yet. In the last few years, we’ve seen an increase in the availability of online advisors called “Robo-Advisors.” Robo-advisors are online,…

Women, Money and the Wealth Gap

by Kendra Erkamaa | March 1, 2019 | Family, Investing, Wealth

As a woman, I’m proud of the unique gifts and qualities our gender offers. We are diverse, we have strong values, and we are caring. Our aptitude for multi-tasking has served us well in the relatively recent advancement of women in the workforce —juggling parenthood, careers and social activities. Additionally, most women are instinctual caretakers.…

Time for a new vehicle – lease or purchase?

by Kendra Erkamaa | February 1, 2019 | Wealth

As a financial advisor, I’m sometimes asked what my opinions are on purchasing vs. leasing a car or truck. Next to homes, vehicles are typically the second largest single household purchase. Edmunds forecasted that just within the month of December, 1,607,724 new vehicles would be sold in the U.S. I have owned my car for…

Holidays: Making Memories Instead of Breaking the Bank

by Kendra Erkamaa | December 3, 2018 | Family, Giving

Years ago, I hosted a family holiday gift exchange that ended up an epic fail. In the spirit of taking the focus off buying gifts and instead creating memories, I implemented what I thought would be a fun experience of a random gift exchange. I was hoping to take the pressure off family members to…

NAWBO Iowa names new leadership

by Kendra Erkamaa | September 21, 2018 | Community

Kathryn Towner, president and owner of WinCommunications, and Kendra Erkamaa, CEO and owner of Triangle Financial Services, have been selected to lead NAWBO Iowa as co-presidents of the organization’s 2018-19 board of directors. The two new leaders will work together to expand NAWBO Iowa’s mission throughout the state by focusing on continued membership growth and…

Financial Planning Through Divorce – Tax Considerations

by Kendra Erkamaa | July 30, 2018 | Tax

In this second of two articles in the series, we’re focusing on how taxes may affect the division of property during divorce. Divorce is already a painful process, but taxes have the potential to compound the pain more through confusion over new tax laws and changing finances with retirement and beyond. In my opinion, the…

Certificate of Divorce

by Kendra Erkamaa | July 2, 2018 | Family

Divorce is a painful process in many ways. It’s not a topic many want to discuss or think about, but it happens. One of the major areas of focus throughout the process is the division of finances. While marriage is ideally a matter of the heart, if it ends in divorce, it quickly becomes also…

Creating Wealthy Habits

by Kendra Erkamaa | April 27, 2018 | Wealth

How would you define “wealth?” I often hear the following: When I can do what I want, when I want, without money worries Knowing I have enough money for both what I need and what I want When I can focus on what brings me joy and happiness instead of work For some, wealth is…

When do I take Social Security benefits?

by Kendra Erkamaa | April 9, 2018 | Wealth

Most people entering the retirement phase of life start questioning when they should collect social security benefits. Should they collect at the age of 62, immediately upon eligibility? Or should they hold off longer to collect more monthly? Just like every other aspect of individual or family finances, planning for social security is very personal.…

Tax Reform Article

by Kendra Erkamaa | February 26, 2018 | Tax

On Friday, December 22, the President signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 into law. We have separated the tax discussion into four major parts: individual provisions, pass-through provisions, corporate provisions, and estate provisions. These items are effective for the 2018 tax year. Individual Provisions Most individuals will see a tax decrease…

Grey Divorce

by Kendra Erkamaa | February 9, 2018 | Family

As an independent financial planning firm, we help people in all stages of their life plan for, grow and enjoy their finances. Recently I have noticed an interesting new trend among the clients we help through tough divorce decisions — approximately 60 percent are in what is being called “grey divorces.” Grey divorces are among…

Kids & Money

by Kendra Erkamaa | February 8, 2018 | Family

Tips for setting up children for financial success It’s the time of year when many parents are sending kids off to college to start newly independent lives full of exciting opportunities – new classes, new friends and many new opportunities. It may also be one of the first times some parents realize their children will…