Author Archives: David John Marotta

Examining past Bear Markets can help provide some context when we experience the next one.

Assumptions about these adjustments to your net worth should be made carefully and conservatively.

It is better to leave stock to a family member in your estate plan than to gift them the stock while you are alive.

Annual required minimum distributions must be satisfied before any additional amounts are converted to a Roth IRA.

Here are seven sage investing lessons from the J. Paul Getty era.

Carefully computing and adding your Social Security early retirement safe withdrawal rate can safely boost your early retirement standard of living without jeopardizing your future finances.

ObamaCare was always going to be a bad law and now, five years in, that should be clear to everybody.

The lessons of each bear market are visible with the wisdom of 20/20 hindsight.

We highly recommend a Donor Advised Fund for generous investors.

For a calm investor, a crash will just mean that the stocks you would have bought anyway are temporarily on sale.

A crash is defined as an index dropping at least 50% from some previous high. Since 1950, there has been exactly 1 stock market crash in the S&P 500 Price Index.

The shortest answer is yes, you can. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

David John Marotta was interviewed on radio 1070 WINA discussing which retirement accounts you should fund for the best tax outcomes.

When the market drops, resist the impulse to “do something.”

You can only contribute to your Roth IRA if you have what the IRS calls “earned” income. This makes it all the more important to contribute to your Roth IRA every year you can.

I’m on the borderline for being able to contribute to a Roth IRA. How do I determine how much I can contribute?

Regardless of the reason, if you have put too much money in your Roth IRA, the solution is the same.

I have earned income but my wife does not. Can I contribute to my wife’s Roth IRA?

Staying the course when an index investment is down is very uncomfortable in the short-term but usually the best course of action in the long run.

Even over the income threshold, you may still be able to add funds to your Roth IRA with what is called a backdoor Roth.

Differing legislation makes one of the two preferable.

Those costly mistakes are a fifth of a million dollars in most cases.

You’ve opened your HSA and funded it for several years. When should you stop funding it?

David John Marotta was interviewed on radio 1070 WINA’s Schilling Show discussing market volatility.

The job of a financial advisor is to do what you would do if you had the time and expertise.

If you prefer to keep your down payment money invested in the markets for longer, there are two alternatives.

Six ideas to make sure you aren’t falling victim to commission-based products and services.

Here are some rules for handling your digital security.

The calculations for this are a little strange. Here is the formula and two examples of how it works to help you.

Which account you should fund depends on your circumstances, but here are some general guidelines you can follow to make your decision.

They are based on different indexes and have different expense ratios.

Umbrella insurance covers you for liability that goes above and beyond your auto and homeowners insurance.

David John Marotta was recently interviewed on radio 1070 WINA’s Schilling Show discussing Nevada’s universal school choice.

Every time the S&P 500 hits new highs everyone wonders if these new highs will stick.

Virginia taxpayers can give generously and offset the cost of those gifts through tax credits and the avoidance of capital gains taxes.

How often did it pay to heed the star rating? Most of the time, with a few exceptions. Is there a better method to use?

Most tax professionals don’t think of such tax planning opportunities, because they have to focus on complying with tax accounting regulations.

You shouldn’t invest in what you don’t understand.

Sometimes, there isn’t enough to do it all. Even then, fund your Roth.

Contrarian indicators have paid off historically.

The average married couple has dreams of multiple children, annual vacations, and homeownership, but planning for these expenses can be challenging.

The connection between the price of oil and the price of oil companies is loose.

Despite the headlines, the global equity markets posted gains last quarter and for the year.

Planning for your financial future is largely a question of dealing with the constant tension between living for today and saving for some future event.

You might think that you can’t qualify, but many well-paid families are eligible.

Is it a crash or just a correction? On average, the drop from peak to trough takes 85 days and the markets have recovered after another 107 days.

For those who do not want to be investors, a fast-track repayment may be best. But for those willing to save and invest, there is a better option.

Is there something I need to do today or tomorrow?

The majority of advisors make the mistake of having significant or moderate use of actively managed funds.

Careful tax planning can avoid much of the capital gains tax.