Vision Capital Management Financial Advisor Portland Oregon

Vision Capital Management has been providing clients financial planning and investment management services since 1999. Visit our site to find out more.

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      • Christopher Anissian
      • Katelyn Cummings, CFP®
      • Bryan Goss
      • Gina Jacobson, CFP®, CDFA
      • Marina Johnson, CFA
      • John LaBarca, CFA
      • Ellen Logan
      • Maria Malloy, CFP®
      • Sue McGrath
      • Sarah Quist, CFP®
      • Jeffrey Schmidt, CFA
      • Matthew Sheets, CFP®
      • Chris Sizemore, CPWA®, CMFC
      • Stacy Sizemore, IACCP®
      • Madison Steinbrenner, IACCP®
      • Liz Swagerty Olsen
      • Cliff Yount, IACCP®
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Jan 02 2025

New Year, Fresh Start

The start of the new year is a great time to review your finances and take any action that may be prudent. With that in mind, we have written a short manageable list of actionable items everyone can take to kick off their year on a productive and responsible note.

Revisit your budget

  • Take the time to review your spending over the last year. Did your actual spending budget align with what you had planned? Evaluate your spending trends and make appropriate adjustments to your household balance sheet.
  • Closely review your debt and strategize ways to pay it. Start by tackling the balances with the highest interest being charged and prioritize becoming debt free.

Prepare for the planned and unexpected

  • Project the cost of expensive essentials – have you been noticing issues with your water heater? Or is there a household appliance that needs to be replaced? Preparing for a large expense will feel better than relying on a credit card when the time comes.
  • Bolster emergency savings – no one wants to admit that they could be laid off or suffer some other setback that would put pressure on their savings. Look closely at what you have saved and what you can do to increase your savings in the short-term for a more secure future

Review your legal documents and insurance policies

  • Have there been changes in your life that should be reflected in your legal documents, like a change in residential address or marital status? Pull your files out and review what is stated and contact your attorney if there are updates to make.
  • Similarly, it may be worthwhile to assess your insurance coverage. If there have been changes to your home, such as an addition or remodel, it may be necessary to increase the amount of coverage. Other reasons for increasing insurance coverage could be a new car or boat purchase, family heirlooms and jewelry coming into your possession or outdoor investments such as a sprinkler system, hot tub or storage shed.

Increase your retirement contribution

  • Another year passing means we are all that much closer to retirement. Whether that brings you excitement or anxiety, or a healthy mix of both, the realization hopefully moves you to increase the amount you are saving for your golden years.

If you have any questions about the above list, please email your client relationship manager or the team at info@vcmi.net.

Written by Liz Swagerty Olsen · Categorized: FINANCIAL PLANNING, PERSONAL FINANCE, RETIREMENT PLANNING · Tagged: FINANCIAL ADVISOR, FINANCIAL PLANNING, RETIREMENT PLANNING, WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Nov 05 2024

End-of-Year Financial Planning

As the year winds to a close, it is a good time to assess aspects of your financial plan, such as emergency funds and education savings, and to review interest-rate sensitive areas of your portfolio.

Written by Liz Swagerty Olsen · Categorized: 529 PLAN, FINANCIAL PLANNING, INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, PERSONAL FINANCE · Tagged: education savings, emergency funds, FINANCIAL PLAN, FINANCIAL PLANNING, interest rates

Oct 28 2024

IRS Announces Federal Income Tax Bracket Adjustments

The IRS issued an announcement last week that highlighted several changes, including inflation adjustments to each income bracket, which applies to filings in 2026 for the tax year 2025. Additionally, the press release stated that the standard deduction will increase for both married couples and singles, and will include increases for capital gains brackets, estate and gift tax exemptions, and earned income tax credit eligibility. Left unchanged by the IRS are personal exemptions, itemized deductions and lifetime learning credits, items that have been adjusted for inflation in the past. To read the full statement released by the IRS, click the button below. To better understand how these changes may affect you and your short- and long-term plans, please contact your client relationship manager or email us at info@vcmi.net.

IRS Adjustments for 2025

Written by Liz Swagerty Olsen · Categorized: FINANCIAL PLANNING, INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, PERSONAL FINANCE, TAX PLANNING · Tagged: Federal income tax, FINANCIAL PLANNING, inflation adjusted, internal revenue service, Personal Finance, taxes

Oct 13 2024

October Is National Economic Education Month

At Vision Capital Management, we believe in educating our clients on all aspects of their financial life and, in doing so, know we will be empowering financial wellness. October is National Economic Education Month, so we have gathered several of our favorite resources for our own ongoing education on the global economy, financial markets and personal finance. Below are links to various blogs, websites and podcasts we hope you find valuable and informative.

Websites and Blogs:

  • HerMoney – As a journalist, founder Jean Chatzky recognized that when it comes to money matters, women are different. She founded HerMoney with the intention to inform women with easy-to-understand content about finance and the economy and inspire them to stress less and invest more.
  • Investopedia – Aiming to simplify financial information and decisions, Investopedia provides clear and easy to understand information and news updates on banking, investing, the economy and personal finance with over 56 million monthly readers.
  • San Francisco Federal Reserve Blog – in-depth articles with insight from Federal Reserve experts, it provides commentary to accompany data and indicators as well as a behind the scenes look at working for the Federal Reserve.

Podcasts:

  • Bloomberg Daybreak– Powered by the massive research and analysis provided by Bloomberg, this show delivers the day’s top financial stories in 15 minutes.
  • Freakonomics – Bearing the same name as the ultrapopular book by Steven J. Dubner, it explores the ‘hidden side of everything’ such as pollution, bananas and human behavior and the impacts on the economy.
  • Planet Money – Journalists explore various topics such as cap and trade policies, political turmoil abroad, artificial intelligence and more and then explain the ties back to the economy and the effects on consumers.

Written by Liz Swagerty Olsen · Categorized: ECONOMY · Tagged: FINANCIAL PLANNING, INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, Personal Finance, WOMEN FINANCIAL ADVISOR

Sep 30 2024

Cybersecurity: Staying Safe in a Digital World

October is cybersecurity month and it is always a good idea to review best practices and stay up-to-date with current trends and schemes. Below we share cybersecurity tips and reminders for your online activity in an effort to mitigate vulnerabilities and avoid security threats.

As always, if you have any questions, please contact your client relationship manager.

1. Unsolicited phone calls – A primary red flag for cybercrime is when an individual receives an unsolicited call from a scammer pretending to be an associate of a legitimate business or organization asks for sensitive information such as that person’s log in information and password, etc. Remember, your bank, custodian or other financial institution will never contact you and ask for these details. If you receive a phone call that you think is fraudulent, hang up and call the main number for the organization and explain your experience.

2. Urgency and fear tactics – Bad actors can be convincing and when they increase the fear and threats they can manipulate individuals into releasing sensitive information, linking bank accounts and/or transferring money remotely. If you feel you are being targeted, pause and look at the facts as you know them and then reach out to your financial client relationship manager or a law enforcement agency if necessary.

3. Strong passwords – Create unique passwords with different combinations of letters, numbers and upper- and lower-case letters and special characters. Avoid using common and easily guessed information such as your child’s name or your birthdate. Additionally, steer away from reusing the same password for multiple websites as that increases the probability it will be hacked.

4. Update devices and software – When you receive a notice from your operating system, your web browser or the applications you use regarding a planned update, be sure to accept the update and participate. These revisions and upgrades often address security patches, software glitches and other vulnerabilities. It is important to keep your systems current which will reduce unintended access to fraudulent users.

5. Two-factor authentication – Two-factor authentication is the method of requiring two separate forms of identification to verify a user’s identity. For example, if you are logging on to your bank account from your laptop, you will then receive a text message from the bank that verifies you are in fact your self and then properly logs you in. Two-factor authentication is a simple way to protect your information and thwart bad actors from accessing data. We recommend using two-factor authentication whenever possible, particularly for financial accounts, health records, government agencies and other sensitive information.

6. Stay alert and use your best judgment – The most advanced tool we have to fight cybercrime is our existence as humans and our inherent intuition. Perhaps the email you received shows a company logo that looks outdated or fuzzy. Maybe the sender of the email has an email address that looks similar to an official address but appears to have a misspelling. Or, maybe the phone call you received tipped you off because of the terse manner of the agent speaking or the short timeline they gave you to provide information. Whatever the clues, be aware and proceed with due caution. As the adage goes, when in doubt, don’t act. Reach out to your financial advisor, call your banking institution or contact another trusted person that may help you understand if the request is legitimate, or recognize the intended criminal activity and shut it down.

If you have any questions or concerns, we recommend you reach out to your client relationship manager or email us at info@vcmi.net.

Written by Liz Swagerty Olsen · Categorized: FINANCIAL PLANNING, UNCATEGORIZED · Tagged: CYBERSECURITY, FINANCIAL ADVISOR, FINANCIAL PLANNING, INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, WEALTH MANAGEMENT

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Certifications and Associations

Certified Women Owned Business
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Private Wealth Advisor
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