Articles

If you ever wondered how the stock market works, this 2006 article is for you. It is both the personal story of David Marotta’s maternal grandfather, Donald Mortlock, and an explanation of how the market of the stock market is made.

These notices are best viewed as reminders that your account is being managed with care and compliance in mind.

This 2006 article shares the personal story of David Marotta’s maternal grandmother who lived to age 99 1/2.

Projected escrow shortfall letters are very common, and typically happen once per year.

“Parental Reminder #42” reminds us that goodness is something bigger than we can articulate but, even though we cannot express it fully, it is very important.

For most people, here is how to think through the 5-year rules of Roth distributions.

In this video, David used examples from our tax planning service to demonstrate what a Roth conversion plan might look like and how systematic Roth conversions can create a higher after-tax net worth in the future.

Our gone-fishing portfolios stay the same for 2025.

It is always a good time to be reminded that an immediate fixed annuity is not an investment; it is an insurance product. This 2015 article by David John Marotta is a methodical unraveling of annuities and a description of the far superior alternatives.

This gone-fishing portfolio is our default portfolio which can be used at any custodian.

We recommend this gone-fishing portfolio for investors with brand loyalty to Vanguard.

Using the analogy of a peach orchard farmer compared to a doomsday weather watcher, David Marotta reminds us in this 2004 article that “For the speculator, speed is everything. Not so, for the investor.”

Without rebalancing, the all-stock Marotta 2024 Gone-Fishing Portfolio had a 1-year return of 11.21% and the all-stock Marotta Vanguard 2024 Gone-Fishing Portfolio had a 1-year return of 10.72%.

An overwhelming number of failed marriages cite financial troubles as a major factor in their breakup. See if this 2006 article can help make finances a place of union rather than separation.

Tax planning is very different than tax return preparation. The goal of tax preparation is to minimize your tax owed this year. The goal of tax planning is to maximize your after-tax net worth by minimizing your taxes owed over your lifetime.