Posts Tagged: Wealth Enhancement

We’ve spent the past few months discussing the effects of the new tax law on individuals. But we really haven’t touched on the effects of the new tax law on business income. One of the more common questions I get is, “How does the 20% business deduction affect the income from my partnership or small business on my federal tax return?” The answer is simple and complex all at the same...

Over your working life, you have paid into Social Security along the way. Now it is time to start thinking about your options and how to benefit the most from what’s available to you. First off, Social Security is an actuarial calculation based on life expectancy. So, if you would let us know when you are going to pass away, we can come up with the perfect claiming strategy...

Many of us reach the end of the year and scramble to find a few more deductions for the year. Often times, we prepay our next property tax installment, do some last-minute gifting, or, if you’ve had a big medical expense year, you might squeeze in one more doctor visit. The Tax Reform that passed late last year makes some pretty substantial changes to those deductions. First of all, the standard...

For nearly my entire life, I’ve been the model of health. I rarely got sick, was free from significant injury (except a dislocated shoulder in college), and rarely missed a day of school or work. I would hear about others’ health challenges and could empathize, but couldn’t really relate. I took for granted feeling good in the morning, going out for a morning jog, and going to the gym for...

Most people have heard the saying “buy low and sell high.” Simply put; buy things when they are on sale, and sell them when they are at higher prices. While this sounds like great advice, many investors find it difficult to follow, because emotion gets in the way. In the world of investment management, rebalancing is the process of maintaining targeted asset class weights through time. Because asset classes (stocks, bonds,...

International equities are a crucial part of a diversified portfolio. However, since the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2009, the U.S. market has outperformed international markets by a wide margin, wide enough that you may have heard people question the merits of investing in foreign markets altogether. Consider the following table and observations: (more…)...

The other day, I was sitting with a client, catching up and planning out the new year when the topic of taxes came up. “Will my taxes go down due to the new tax law?” he asked. “How much time do you have?” He looked at me with a nod and said, “All the time in the world.” Ok. Here we go. I don’t know. It should for most, but there is a lot...

Why do we, as investors, fear our financial future? Sometimes it feels we live in a world of absolutes, black and white, when one might argue there’s really all kinds of gray. Often, watching the news and listening to recent current events, we can fall victim to focusing our attention on these events in a way that can lead to fear. The news sometimes makes us feel we live in a...

A few years ago, our family decided to get a puppy.  Some would say that’s a great decision, while others would not (Who doesn’t love puppies?).  We thought it would be a fun addition to our family and give our kids a chance to learn some lessons in responsibility.  And learn we have! We’ve learned that legs of our kitchen chairs can be used as chew toys, socks left on the...

Depending on your stage of life, current needs, or level of complexity, your financial advisor must be adept at playing a few key roles. Coach I’ve had some good coaches in my life. One of the things they did consistently well was provide highly directive leadership. They told us what we would be doing in practice. They told us what we would be doing in a game. They told me what I...