It’s tax season, so we have been talking about different types of tax with clients a lot lately. Although ordinary income tax and capital gains tax are not the only types of taxes that exist, they are the two we deal with the most. So,...
In my career as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ I have had the opportunity to work with many clients reviewing their investment accounts. What has always struck me was the large number of accounts that are held across an array of firms such as brokers,...
In December 2019 the SECURE Act was signed into law. This brought about changes to retirement savings and one of the most impactful changes applied to non-spousal beneficiaries of IRAs. The most common example of this is an adult child inheriting their parent’s IRA, so...
Recently we have had several clients ask what they should do with their extra cash. This may be cash that is set aside for a short-term goal (1-3 years) or it could just be cash that has accumulated in the bank. While we make different...
If your auto and homeowner’s insurance premiums have risen significantly this year, you are not alone. Auto rates in particular have jumped significantly and unfortunately, premiums are expected to continue to rise. The Wall Street Journal recently reported rate increases for selected insurers and showed...
We noted in our Q1 newsletter that the broad-based rally we were seeing in the most economically sensitive stocks had caused us to get more bullish on the stock market at the beginning of the year. That has proven to be the right call thus...
The short answer is probably, and the good news is no one pays taxes on 100% of their benefit. Many people are surprised to find out that their monthly Social Security income is not tax-free. Most Americans pay federal taxes on their benefits, and some...
The S&P 500 hit its all-time high on January 3rd, 2022. That was 16 months ago, and while the market has rallied significantly off the October 2022 lows, the index still sits about 13% below that January 2022 high. Bear markets are always difficult to...
Banks have been a hot topic this quarter. There has been negative news about bank failures, but also positive news like high rates available on CDs and savings accounts. We have received questions from clients about the safety of cash deposits in the last couple...
At age 65 if you do not have additional health insurance options through an employer or a spouse’s employer you will likely enroll in Medicare Part B. Part B covers “medical” expenses like doctors visits and outpatient care. There is a monthly premium associated with...