Phase 3 Advisory Services

06/02/2026

Is your advisor a real professional? My partner, Jim Uren, and I are proud to be Certified Financial Planner® professionals. Book a free sessions with either one of us at phase3advisory.com or 847-520-5455.

06/01/2026

A quick summary of Roth vs. Conventional accts

Roth: pay taxes now, but not later.

Traditional: don't pay taxes now, pay later.

The biggest decision that you have to make when it comes to saving for retirement is, which track do you want to go down?

05/29/2026

Here's how to get started with college savings, right now, even if your income is tight:

If you're someone with a young family, we understand that you probably don't have a ton of extra money to save in a 529. But, every little bit helps, so we often recommend for our clients to start with $50 or $100 per month and build up over time as your income increases.

Every little bit saved matters, and those small contributions can grow!

The younger your child is when you start saving, the longer that interest and returns have to compound. Over time, it ends up becoming more than you might think!

On the flipside, it's also never to late to start saving for college - even a recent HS grad would benefit from the returns on anything you set aside now for her to use in her final year or 2 of schooling.

We also encourage clients to explore other ways to save, like asking family members to forego toys in favor of contributions to a child's college fund.

05/28/2026

As a small-biz owner, you invest more into day-to-day finances & providing benefits for your employees than you do into building personal wealth or planning for your retirement. Now it’s time to focus on YOUR needs. Small-biz owners are my favorite clients. Let's chat.

05/27/2026

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes multiple provisions that affect higher education, including new borrowing limits for students and parents. Here's everything you need to know:

The U.S. tax bill signed into law in July 2025 includes multiple provisions that affect higher education.

05/26/2026

Three options for leaving an inheritance to the next generation:

Gifting assets is one way to allow loved ones to make use of your money while you are still alive. Gifts qualifying for the annual exclusion from gift tax are entirely tax-free and do not require filing a gift-tax return. You may chose to set up custodial accounts, create a joint account with a minor child/grandchild, or buy savings bonds in the child's name.

2. Creating a trust provides financial security, allows you to appoint a trusted person to manage the trust until your heirs are able to manage it on their own, and shields the inheritance from creditors, lawsuits, and divorce.

3. If you purchase life insurance, your beneficiaries receive the proceeds tax-free, without having to go through probate or worrying about stock market fluctuations.

05/22/2026

3 Things You Can do now to Ensure Happiness in Retirement: research shows that there are some surefire ways to have a happy retirement, and you can make changes now to be sure you have the best retirement possible.

Volunteer - Start now, and keep on volunteering in retirement. Volunteering brings a sense of purpose and meaning to your life, which are keys for happiness & fulfillment.
Prioritize relationships - Invest now into your marriage and friendship and you'll reap the rewards for years to come. The retirees with the most close connections report the happiest retirements.
Value experiences over things - The high from buying a new care or bedroom set will wear off but the memories of a great family vacation or attending your dream concert will last. Reliving the memories will keep you happy in retirement, as will continuing to invest in memories over stuff.

Your income level in retirement also plays a huge part in your happiness, so let's work together now to put in place the plan for your dream retirement. Give us a call at 847-520-5455 and schedule your Discovery Call today.

05/21/2026

Budgeting brings freedom. It seems contrary, but having a budget allows you the freedom to spend wisely, knowing exactly what your limit is ahead of time.

05/20/2026

There are a plethora of apps ready to empower you in taking charge of your spending and kick-start your savings journey. But with so many options, it's likely that your search for the perfect app has left you overwhelmed.

It's time to simplify your search and discover the tools that can truly make a difference in your retirement planning.

In this episode of The Year You Retire, hosts John Bever and Jim Uren dive into the world of budgeting and tracking expenses in retirement and give advice on the considerations you need to pick the right budgeting app for you.

Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, or at

The buzz about Mint exiting the market has sent shockwaves through its user base, leaving many in search of a worthy alternative. Whether you've been a dedicated Mint user or are just diving into the world of budgeting apps, we've got you covered in this episode.The silver lining? There's a plethora...

05/19/2026

One of our firm's guiding principals is "Begin with the end in mind." That means we may not be able to get you to your dream retirement overnight, but we will develop a plan to help you achieve your long-term goals.