The Gift Tax November 18, 2019 Not all gifts are taxable. I’d like for you to meet my friend, Hugh. He’s a retired film stuntman who, after a long career, is enjoying his retirement. Some of what he’s enjoying about his retirement is sharing part of his accumulated wealth with his family, specifically his wife and two sons. Like many Americans, [...]
Tax Efficiency November 4, 2019 What it means; why it counts. The after-tax return vs. the pretax return. Everyone wants their investments to perform well. But for many investors it’s their after-tax return that may make all the difference. After all, even if your portfolio is earning double-digit returns, it may not matter if you’re also losing a percent of [...]
An Estate Strategy for Your Digital Assets October 28, 2019 What should you know? What should your executor know? When you think about your estate, you may think about your personal property, real estate, or investments. You also have other, less-tangible assets – and they deserve your attention as well. Your digital assets should not disappear into a void when you die. Nor should they [...]
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Your Diversified Portfolio vs. the S&P 500 September 16, 2019 How global returns and proper diversification are affecting overall returns. “Why is my portfolio underperforming the market?” This question may be on your mind. It is a question that investors sometimes ask after stocks shatter records or return exceptionally well in a quarter. The short answer is that even when Wall Street rallies, international [...]
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Yes, Young Growing Families Can Save & Invest September 9, 2019 It may seem like a tall order, but it can be accomplished. Put yourself steps ahead of your peers. If you have a young, growing family, no doubt your to-do list is pretty long on any given day. Beyond today, you are probably working on another kind of to-do list for the long term. Where [...]
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Earnings for All Seasons August 26, 2019 What is it and why is it important? While nature offers four seasons, Wall Street offers only one – four times a year. It’s called “earnings season,” and it can move the markets. So, what is earnings season, and why is it important? Earnings season is the month of the year that follows each calendar [...]
Saving Your Elderly Parents from Financial Fraud August 26, 2019 Talk about precautions with the seniors in your family. Elders are financially defrauded in this country on a daily basis. Only a few of these crimes are made public. In fact, the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) estimates that only 1 in 44 cases of elder financial abuse are reported. NAPSA also reports that [...]
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Your Financial Co-Pilot August 12, 2019 If anything happens to you, your family has someone to consult. If you weren’t around, what would happen to your investments? In many families, one person handles investment decisions, and spouses or children have little comprehension of what happens each week, month, or year with a portfolio. In an emergency, this lack of knowledge can [...]
Do Your Investments Match Your Risk Tolerance? May 28, 2019 When was the last time you looked at the content of your portfolio? From time to time, it is a good idea to review how your portfolio assets are allocated – how they are divided among asset classes. At the inception of your investment strategy, your target asset allocations reflect your tolerance for risk. Over [...]
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The Cost of Procrastination May 13, 2019 Don’t let procrastination keep you from pursuing your financial goals. Some of us share a common experience. You’re driving along when a police cruiser pulls up behind you with its lights flashing. You pull over, the officer gets out, and your heart drops. “Are you aware the registration on your car has expired?” You’d been [...]