Plain-language articles on investing, taxes, retirement income, market context, and planning updates from our CFP® team.
By: W. Devin Wolf, CFP® If you have children qualifying for the Child Tax Credit and make in the neighborhood of $110,000 to $200,000 per year, this pertains to you. If not, feel free to ignore or share with someone who does. What is the Child Tax Credit? (Note: All numbers used below and in […]
For quite a few years now, faith in the markets has been sorely tested. After severe bear markets, confidence in the market’s ability to recover is often lacking. Now for the first time in many years, we have the opposite problem: The markets have recently hit all-time highs: Aren’t we at a “top” now? Shouldn’t […]
If you are currently receiving paper checks in the mail for your Social Security, disability and other benefits this will stop as of March 1st, 2013. If you are currently receiving paper checks in the mail for your Social Security, disability and other benefits this will stop as of March 1st, 2013. You either need […]
Most investors tend to have a high level of angst regarding their stock and stock mutual fund investments. When the investing public is euphoric, investors buy stocks, driving the market higher; and when they panic, they sell stocks, causing it to plunge in value. Over short time frames of one, five, and even ten years, […]
Start 2014 off right by making your 401(k) plan work for you. 1. Take the free money! Make sure you are taking advantage of your employer match. Employer matches have been increasing, with most offering a dollar-for-dollar match for the first 6% of employee deferrals (up from $0.50 per $1.00) according to the 2013 AON […]
Our Annual 2014 Numbers Unlimited sheet is now available in PDF form. Click here to get the latest.
Devin Wolf, CFP® will be teaching three finance classes at Whatcom Community College for the Winter ’14 Quarter. If you or anyone you know would benefit from these classes definitely pass the information along! Class 1: Social Security Made Simple Whatcom Community College Thursday Feb. 6 6:30-8:30 pm Deciding how and when to claim Social […]
As of 12/18/2015 Congress has made the QCD (Qualified Charitable Distribution) permanent. Previously the “IRA Charitable Rollover” had a termination date and Congress had to annually approve the QCD. With this most recent legislation the termination date has been removed, effectively making the QCD permanent. Although the article below references years 2012 and 2013 the information […]
Book Review: The Total Money Makeover 3rd Edition, by Dave Ramsey Reviewed by: W. Devin Wolf, CFP® Dave Ramsey is a well-known financial author, radio host, TV personality, and public speaker whose message focuses on getting out of debt and building wealth. I have been asked my opinion on Ramsey’s philosophies by a number of clients, prompting […]
Forefront in many of our minds lately has been the looming “Fiscal Cliff.” Over the past few months we’ve received a lot of questions from people, maybe even you, about whether they should be making financial moves in anticipation of the “cliff.” Our answer was always the same, and sounded something like this: “We don’t know […]
