Plain-language articles on investing, taxes, retirement income, market context, and planning updates from our CFP® team.
To convert, or not to convert: that is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of tax increases, Or to take action against a sea of future required minimum distributions, And by converting end them? OK, now that Shakespeare is spinning in his grave, let’s tackle the tax […]
Not to blow our own horn too loudly, but we have managed to thrive while many other investment services firms have faltered. Over the past few years investors fled some brokerages and banks who have demonstrated their financial incompetence with their own insolvency. Meanwhile, our investment philosophy and service offering have inspired confidence in our […]
Zimbabwe is the first country in the 21st century to hyper-inflate their currency. The country recently had an annual inflation rate of 80 billion percent, which means that prices there are doubling every 12 hours. Needless to say, the economy is now on a barter system. “I’ll give you my pet crocodile and this Game […]
In the 18th century, it was assumed that all swans were white. No one in the civilized world had ever seen a swan of any other color. The statement: “Swans are white” was as self evident and obvious as any other fact taken for granted, such as the fact that the sun rises in the […]
In recent weeks you may have heard the “R” word bandied about. When discussing the economy, it is a dirty word! The mere mention of recession is enough to put fear into the hearts of investors, and the expectation of recession can become a self—fulfilling prophecy: If enough investors and consumers become pessimists, they can […]
The cheerleaders for recession were about a year early, but it appears that they finally have their way, partly due to their own efforts. Perception can become the reality, and with confidence at very low levels, spending, business activity, and investing decrease, and this can lead to recession. In my opinion we will see contracting […]
There are different opinions as to the proper use of insurance. Here is my view: Insurance should be used to buy protection from unlikely, catastrophic events. Good examples of risks that are suitable to insure include: A house fire A catastrophic injury or illness A lawsuit due to an automobile accident A death or disability […]
Despite incredibly low mortgage interest rates, real estate agents are still reporting a high percentage of all-cash home purchases. But is an all-cash home purchase always the right decision for a buyer’s overall financial needs? To help answer this question we can compare two scenarios of a hypothetical home buyer looking to purchase a $300,000 […]
Like most everything else in our practice, our process has evolved over the years. I want to communicate to you a recent change to our process that you may not be aware of; as it takes place in your absence. But first, some background: When I began in the financial planning profession in 1982, things […]
There are different opinions as to the proper use of insurance. Here is my view: Insurance should be used to buy protection from unlikely, catastrophic events. Good examples of risks that are suitable to insure include: A house fire A catastrophic injury or illness A lawsuit due to an automobile accident A death or disability of […]
