Got Milk?
**Since yesterday was a big down day in the market, I’ve got a quick thought at the end of this blog. Once upon a time in the country there worked a dairy farmer who was having trouble getting his cows to produce milk. They seemed well fed but as the cows grew fatter and fatter, […]
Plan Early, Plan Smart
The old adage goes, “the early bird gets the worm.” The same rings true of financial independence. Those that start young are more likely to build substantial wealth over the course their lifetime. Those that wait may end up being forced to make concessions on their standard of living during retirement. Millennials are faced with […]
Buybacks for Better Returns
Have you ever watched Family Feud? Perhaps you were a child when Richard Dawson hosted the game show or maybe you enjoy the current version. No matter, take a moment and: • Name a three-letter word that ends in –ow • Name a chess piece • Name a one-word color for a pair of socks • Name how […]
Who Gets the Family Jewels?
Several years ago, a long time client of mine passed away and left everything to the step mother of his children. The son, who is also a client of mine, spent many conversations with me detailing his thoughts with regard to how the estate was distributed. The children were not near as concerned about the […]
The Road to a Tax Free Retirement
I was recently quoted in an article that was published in Forbes on how we have worked with one of our clients to reduce Social Security taxes and eliminate his need to take required minimum distributions. To go to the Forbes site to see the article, click here. The Road To A Tax-Free Retirement Ashlea Ebeling […]
Family Finances When Dad’s Losing His Grip
I recently wrote this article for Money Magazine. Follow this link to view it. The unedited version is below: Just the other day, the daughter of a client of mine told me that she did not expect her father to last much longer. I had known that her father’s health had deteriorated somewhat, but he still […]
Secrecy or Transparency? – That is the Question
In reading through Trusts and Estates Magazine online, I came across two sets of opinions regarding what parents should tell their adult children with regards to family finances and estate plans. With our young children, we have not had these conversations yet but plan to do so after they start learning how to manage their […]
Something we can learn from the French
Each year when our anniversary rolls around, I’m typically looking for something new to surprise Jennifer with. We both love to travel, so this usually involves a trip of some type. We usually go somewhere warm to scuba dive or somewhere cooler for good snow skiing. Napa was the choice this year because we won […]
Beat The Clock -Last Minute Qualified Charitable Deductions
Congress has passed the “extenders bill” for 2014 (the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014). President Barack Obama just recently signed this into law. This bill revived qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) for 2014 only. There are NO transitional rules allowing 2014 qualified charitable deductions to be made in 2015 so you must get your 2014 it done before the end of […]
Large Tax Hits from Mutual Funds?
Mutual Fund Capital Gains Distributions They show up like uninvited guests, usually in early or mid – December and eat up our profits. They are one of the worst aspects of owning mutual funds. Funds might sell appreciated securities for a variety of reasons. Perhaps a stock hit management’s sell target–not out of the question, […]
