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Wednesday, April 1, 2020

You know you're doing all the right things. You've tried to avoid watching too much financial news. You're trying hard not to let the market volatility get to you. You're not checking your portfolio twice or three times a day. You've...

 

Monday, March 16, 2020

Social distancing to avoid the coronavirus will give us back time we might have spent elsewhere. When you look back at how you spent this extra time, what will you remember? Being paralyzed by fear? Or using this time to better yourself?

 

Friday, February 28, 2020

We have little military history in our family. Neither grandfather served in World War I. My father tried to enlist in the Navy after Pearl Harbor. He was told he should continue in his job, helping to produce fuel and chemicals for...

 

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Did the death of the "stretch" IRA hit your estate planning like a sucker punch to the rib cage? What seemed to have happened suddenly in the final weeks of 2019 shouldn't have been all too surprising. The U.S. House passed the bill...

 

Monday, February 3, 2020

Investec hosted its live "State of the Markets" event on Thursday, January 30th, at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Houston. Clients attending the event heard presentations from John and Daniel Goott, Investec principals, on economic and...

 

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Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Late in 2019, the "Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act," ("SECURE Act") became law. Let's take an initial pass at three broad categories of individuals potentially affected by the SECURE Act.

 

Friday, January 3, 2020

What's known today as Investec Wealth Strategies began when John Goott first registered his firm with the State of Texas on December 17, 1984. What started as John’s aspiration to provide financial planning services to the...

 

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Now's the time to determine how much, if any, estimated tax payment you need to make by January 15, 2020 to avoid being penalized for under-withholding for tax year 2019. Here's a basic outline of what you need to know.

 

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

If you’re unhappy about the taxes you’ll pay come April 15th, check out our latest blog for four possible ways to cut your taxes in 2019. But don’t delay—you have to act before year-end!

 

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

EBU’s are “Earning Bonus Units,” which ExxonMobil employees may be awarded each year as part of their incentive bonus compensation. For those who receive both cash bonuses and EBUs, typically the EBUs are...

 

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Mae West, an iconic 20th century American actress, singer, comedian and sex symbol, reportedly once said “Too much of a good thing is wonderful.” We’re pretty sure Mae wasn’t talking about net unrealized...

 

Thursday, October 31, 2019

What makes a $130,000 car so much better than a $40,000 car? Why is a home in San Francisco worth more than a comparably-built house in Houston? Why can't our daughter's abstract paintings command the price of a Jasper Johns or a...

 

Monday, September 30, 2019

We’re immersed in lot of bad news. Many governments around the world, including the U.S. and the U.K., seem dysfunctional. Climate change leads to worry about what shape the planet will be for our grandchildren. More than seventy...

 

Friday, August 30, 2019

Something looms in your future that you'd prefer to avoid, but can't. It may be a colonoscopy or a root canal, a visit from that cousin you don't care for, or an estimated tax payment (next one is due on September 15th by the way)....

 

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

'Enough' can be challenging to define, whether referring to kidneys or wealth. Here is our kidney donor's latest blog on the subject. "Five weeks transpired between learning that I had qualified to donate my kidney to my daughter and the.."

 

Friday, June 7, 2019

You've likely heard it said that planning for retirement is like steering the Queen Mary across the ocean. You start off. Then you make mid-course corrections to ensure you reach your destination. If that analogy doesn't do much for...

 

Friday, May 10, 2019

Part One explained that inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), doesn't account for quality improvements in the items in the monthly inflation survey. The BLS measures price changes disassociated from quality changes...

 

Friday, March 22, 2019

"If inflation is so low, why are things so expensive?" That's a good question, and if you'll hang with us for a while, we'll answer it. Official measures of inflation don't necessarily reflect the actual prices we pay, but rather prices...

 

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Many studies show the current generation of young adults are hitting major milestones later than previous generations. These include moving out, getting married, starting a family, and buying a home. While the idea might sound nice,...

 

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

You've heard the horror stories. Perhaps you know someone who's been impacted. You think you're prepared to avoid it--but you're fearful it might possibly happen to you. "It" is being exploited. Being taken advantage of. Being scammed...

 

Sunday, September 30, 2018

Portfolio interest intensifies during market extremes. Your account balance hits new highs: you enjoy the "rush of feeling flush." The opposite occurs: you dread the "pain of no gain." We explain our investment philosophy below.

 

Friday, August 31, 2018

Are you one of the fortunate few who doesn’t need all of what Uncle Sam requires you to take out of your IRA? If you are one (or you anticipate you may eventually be one), you might be able to reduce your taxable income....

 

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Suspicions that the IRS might come after individuals who have done a “back-door Roth conversion” have now been allayed. An IRS spokesperson has now stated that the Service agrees with Congressional intent, and recognized...

 

Saturday, June 30, 2018

Grandpa became a widower at the age of 55. He remarried within a year, to a single lady friend of the family whom we called Aunt Florence. Florence and Grandpa had a relatively short married life together—he died at age...

 

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

We have all faced the question “What will our loved ones do if something unexpected happens to us?” To address that question, most of us have put safety nets in place: We draft a will so that our assets can be passed down...

 

Monday, April 30, 2018

Google “Millennial savings” or any variation of that and you’ll see polarizing headlines. One study says young people are clueless about financial markets, while another study touts us as financially shrewd. There are...

 

Friday, March 30, 2018

Identity theft isn’t going away. You click on an innocent-looking link or download what you think to be a document sent by a friend or relative. Days later you learn that your credit card has been used by someone else, accounts...

 

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Inheriting wealth sounds good. Most of us at one time or another have dreamed of a forgotten distant relative whose unexpected bequest eases our financial burdens or provides an opportunity to do something we always wanted to do but...

 

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

What kind of IRA should I invest in – Roth or traditional? Seven words provide an answer: Pay taxes now or pay them later. Your investment in either a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA benefits from tax-deferred growth, but the...

 

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

The largest tax rewrite in decades passed through the House and Senate last week, and President Trump signed the bill into law on December 22nd. We thought it would be helpful to share some changes that impact individuals and families,...

 

Monday, October 30, 2017

Affluent Americans spend millions of dollars each year with high-powered estate attorneys and tax planners. The result? When the time comes, their assets will transition to their heirs through tax-effective, complex arrangements like...

 

Friday, September 15, 2017

We’ll be honest. This blog may appear self-serving. Seeming self-serving, however, isn’t a sufficient reason not to publish ideas that can help you out, whether you’re a client, a prospect, or a casual reader. So,...

 

Friday, August 25, 2017

No one wants to see a clash between two nations with nuclear capabilities. So, when the war-of-words between North Korea and the U.S. reached a new level earlier this month, markets briefly stumbled as investors grew uneasy. While we...

 

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Schooling Your Student (or other Young Adult) About Managing Money Classrooms across the nation will open for the fall semester in the next couple of months. Your child, grandchild, niece or nephew is all set to spend the semester...

 

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

With the world we live in, the sooner this is said, especially to people my age, the better: In finance and in life, you won't find me making any guarantees. But one thing I can come very close to promising is, somehow, the world will...

 

Monday, May 22, 2017

Think about the money you're counting on for retirement. If you're still working, you may be participating in a 401(k) plan. You have a pension plan benefit, and an IRA or two on the side. If you've been thrifty over the years, you may...

 

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Budgeting: A Frame of Mind My friends used to tease me about how I budget (or, at least, reconcile) every expense in my life. If asked how much I’ve spent month-to-date, I can give a pretty accurate estimate. Few guys in their...

 

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Time To Retire? If you're among the lucky minority of employees eligible for a pension when you retire, you may have a choice. You may be able to choose between taking your benefit as a lump sum or as a monthly annuity. In many cases,...

 

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Avoiding Common Errors When You File Your Taxes The dawn of 2017 brings opportunities to create new resolutions or plans for the next 12 months — and also marks the beginning of tax season. While tax day on April 18th can seem...

 

Monday, January 30, 2017

Diversification or Di-worse-ification? The S&P 500 index ran up nicely in 2016—up almost 10%. Small U.S. stocks were up around 20%. Emerging market stocks recovered well from dismal performance in 2014 and 2015. Bonds and...

 

Thursday, December 22, 2016

My wife, Geni, is a wonderful woman, and I'm fortunate to have married her. But Geni has strong opinions. She rarely expresses doubt about things. She sees issues as distinctly black or white. Her absolute conviction often strikes me...

 

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

No one wants to pay more in taxes than necessary. As we approach year-end, focus shifts to what we can do to minimize taxable income...

 

Monday, October 31, 2016

An Investec Wealth Strategy… Many of us are creatures of habit. We find a restaurant we like, and we eat there often. We discover a vacation spot we enjoy, and we travel there year after year. We find a dentist or doctor we...

 

Friday, July 29, 2016

Baseball Smarts and Investing Have you ever had insights from one experience that apply to a completely different part of your life? Would you imagine that an investment guy could find wisdom in the experience of a professional...

 

Monday, June 20, 2016

Have you’ve ever felt a rush of excitement at making a big purchase? Or have you experienced feelings of shame at making a financial mistake? Does looking at your net worth statement give you a sense of accomplishment? If so,...

 

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Procrastinators, listen up! Most of us have not yet gotten around to signing up for our membership in the Procrastinators' Club. But that's a topic for another day, agreed? More important, many of us keep postponing estate planning....

 

Monday, April 25, 2016

“Why would someone like me need to work with a financial advisor?” This was my question a few years ago as I approached retirement from a large energy firm. I could look after our lifetime savings myself. After all, I had...