Social Security Offices Are Misleading Retirees
Last month I had a client ask me about a social security strategy that is going away on April 30th of this year. They wanted to explore the possibility of using the file and suspend strategy. In this case both spouses were 63 years of age. Of course, this issue is confusing because the file and […]
Did You Miss the Gorilla?
Last week we hosted our first session of Brain Games in which we found as many ways as we could to trick the audience. We unveiled to them their own biases and ways their own instincts work against them, especially when it concerns investing. It’s especially interesting to see how most people believe that they […]
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 […]
But I’ve Only Owned it a Month!
They are one of the worst aspects of owning mutual funds. Capital gains taxes on funds are charged typically in December, regardless of how long you’ve owned the fund or how much you’ve made over time. Funds might sell appreciated securities for a variety of reasons. Perhaps a stock hit management’s sell target–even in a […]
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 […]
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 […]
Financially Independent Children in the Age of Entitlement
“Father Merchant, Son Gentleman, Grandson Beggar” – Spanish Saying A few years ago, meeting with new potential clients who were considering retirement, it became clear that the biggest hurdle that stood in the way of a successful future was the continued dependency of their adult children. Even though the children were well into their forties, […]
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 […]