By: James Twining

13 MarRetirement Tax Planning: The Three Tax Wallets


Note: While some information in this article is specific to BP employees, the points about the three tax wallets may be…

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19 SepYour Future Income Tax Brackets May Be Higher Than You Assume


Future assumed income tax brackets are a major consideration when making current decisions, such as the decision to convert a traditional…

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19 MayConvert! Oh, Ye of Little Faith: Roth Conversions are Underutilized


By James B. Twining, CFP® and Tor Benson The decision to make a Roth conversion can be extremely impactful, warranting thorough,…

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22 MarThe SECURE ACT 2.0: Three Good features


On December 29th, 2022, the SECURE 2.0 ACT was signed into law. It includes a few provisions that are beneficial for…

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28 JulHow Inflation Affects Asset Values


In 1980, the inflation rate peaked at 13.5%; higher than it had been in 60 years. The miserable economic conditions of…

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23 JunAdvice Regarding the Washington State Long Term Care Law


The latest tax news from Washington State includes a long- term care tax on W2 income. For details, please refer to…

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15 JanShould I Manage My Own Investment Portfolio? | The Abysmal Record of DIY Investor Cash Flows


If 2020 taught personal investors anything, it’s that managing your own investment portfolio is a dangerous game. The typical DIY-investor relies…

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07 DecWhat is the new ETF rule?


Every so often, something occurs that changes the way we invest, and we think it best to keep our clients informed…

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18 SepThe ETF Rule and Custom Baskets


At Financial Plan, we are analytical to a fault when evaluating investments.  We continually ask the question: “Are we populating our…

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09 SepStock Market Performance: A Case for Diversified Portfolios


If you have been paying attention, you know how much we believe in equity markets. Our clients who have a long…

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27 MarGetting to the Point of a Point


Recently, I ran across this article from Dimensional Fund Advisors. It contains insight into the difference between a price-weighted index like…

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08 MarLet the Dogs Bark


The term “expected return” is in wide use among financial planners. To the layman it carries misleading connotations: most assume that…

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15 OctThe Nature of American Tariffs


With all the buzz surrounding the recent increase in U.S. tariffs, a discussion regarding the nature of tariffs is timely. We…

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30 AugUnderstanding Rates of Return


Will Rogers once quipped: “It is not the return on my investment that I am concerned about; it’s the return of…

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15 MayThe Risk Illusion


As emotional beings, we are susceptible to illusions and phobias. Never mind that the snake under the bed turned out to…

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