Washington lawmakers have passed a series of tax increases to address projected budget shortfalls. Bills passed and taxes include: House Bill 2081 increases B&O (business and operation) taxes on businesses. Businesses pay B&O tax on gross revenue, not profits, and depending on the type of business and revenue, the increases will range from 0.03% to […]
A Global Trade War and Market Volatility
The sweeping tariff announcements by the Trump administration have pushed markets into a rapid selloff and added fuel to what was simmering volatility. At Financial Plan, we don’t pretend to know what the final resolution will be or where it will take us. However, we strongly believe that humans will continue to work through our […]
4 Best Practices for Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)
Time flies when you are charitably inclined! In 2013 I wrote the article “Should You be Making Charitable Contributions From Your IRA?” highlighting the benefits of utilizing QCDs. Since that time, we have processed thousands of QCDs for clients, helping them optimize their charitable giving while controlling tax and Medicare IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount) […]
Restricted Stock
In addition to hourly wages or salary, employers often incentivize their employees with compensation in the form of company stock. Company stock can be awarded to employees without restriction or can be awarded through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) or purchased through an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP). These plans can have various goals; […]
The Graceful Exit: 5 things to consider when exiting your business
As every business owner knows, the day will come when it’s time to step away. Whether prompted by retirement, a desire for a new venture, or unforeseen circumstances, a well-thought-out business exit plan is essential for making the transition as smooth as possible. Furthermore, this transition will likely come with a significant boost in financial […]
Does the Federal Reserve Control Interest Rates?
Anyone old enough to have been paying attention to the economy in the early 1980s remembers the Fed Chairman Paul Volcker and his iconic cigar, and what came to be known as the “Volcker Shock”. To combat increasing inflation throughout the 1970s, Volcker began to raise the discount rate when he assumed office in 1979, […]
A New Mental Accounting for Equity Exposure
Common Method of Allocating Between Equity Securities and Debt Instruments Portfolio design customarily begins with a decision regarding the percentage to be allocated to equity securities versus debt instruments[1]. Allocating and rebalancing to a percentage is simple; but the percentage to be allocated is typically nothing but a rudimentary judgement call, based upon ill-defined risk […]
THE SUN IS SETTING ON ULTRA HIGH NET WORTH ESTATES
Estate Tax Exemption for 2024 and beyond What is the Estate Tax Exemption? In 1789, Ben Franklin penned the famous phrase “In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes”. It was not until 1916 that the estate tax was instituted, and death itself became taxable. There are certain amounts that are exempt from […]
The Alphabet Soup of Medicare: Medicare Parts Explained
Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people: Who are 65 years or older. Have certain disabilities or end-stage renal disease. This article explains the Medicare parts impacting group 1: those who are 65 and older. Understanding your Medicare options is an important part of planning for success in your retirement years and beyond. […]
Our Two-Faced Dollar
The last time I checked, there is one face on our dollar bill: that of our great President George Washington. However, here I will make the case that our currency has not one, but two faces. Understanding what our currency truly represents can give us a clue as to how we can do our part […]