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This blog offers our perspectives from the investment world and a variety of concepts from the financial industry. We also follow the news and expound upon events that have the potential to impact investors. We’re glad to have you reading along!

 

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...

 

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...

 

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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,...

 

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

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...

 

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...