Plain-language articles on investing, taxes, retirement income, market context, and planning updates from our CFP® team.
Many years ago when I was just beginning my budding career, an older and wiser financial advisor told me that “the only rule of thumb is that there is no rule of thumb”. My experience has taught me to believe it. Take savings rates for instance. Many have heard the rule of thumb: “Save 10% of […]
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Interesting article from Bloomberg “The Hugely Profitable, Wholly Legal Way to Game the Stock Market” Our clients know this as the Reconstitution Effect and that we have been using patient strategies to avoid/prosper from this effect for over a decade!
These days, socially responsible investing, or SRI for short, is a popular practice among investors who consider themselves socially conscious, and who want to believe their money can do more than just increase the value of their own portfolio. And in theory, this seems like quite the win-win: after all, who wouldn’t want to see […]
The common perception among the investing public is that all of the professionals who help clients manage their money are “financial advisors,” and all belong to one profession. This (mis)conception is dangerous and needs to change. In reality, there are two distinct businesses: investment sales and financial advice. Knowing the difference can be crucial to […]
In February, my youngest son Gabriel graduated from Saybrook University in Seattle with a Master’s Degree in Industrial Psychology with a focus on Organizational Systems. In March, he and his wife Jaimee (who has trouble spelling her name correctly) moved to Bellingham to escape the big city and be closer to family. Gabe’s extensive and […]
As a newcomer to financial planning, entering the world of investing without some basic principles to follow can feel a lot like Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole. All of a sudden, you find yourself in a bizarre alternate reality where normal, everyday language is replaced with “securities,” “beta,” “alpha,” “tranches,” “futures,” and “REITS.” You […]
(Note: all screenshots in this post are from our 2015 Numbers Unlimited financial planning worksheet, which you can access here.) With April 15 nearly upon us, you’ve submitted your tax returns by now, and the chances are good you’re breathing easy knowing the next tax season is nearly a year away. But before you get […]
If you have ever had any sort of retirement plan with your employer, you have probably at least heard the term “rollover.” Until recently, this term has generally referred to the process of moving your retirement funds from your employer-sponsored retirement plan to your own Individual Retirement Account (IRA), any number of times per year. […]
Saving for retirement as a self-employed individual can be difficult. Without an employer setting up and contributing to a 401(k) or similar plan, retirement savings often fall off the radar. But if you are self-employed without employees, you and your spouse have access to one of the most powerful and underutilized retirement planning tools available: […]
