Author Archives: David John Marotta

America is officially no longer free.

“There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” As early as 1938, this phrase was touted as “economics in nine words.”

My youngest is a first-year student at the University of Virginia. My coauthor Matthew’s youngest child was born only a month ago. There is no such thing as saving too early.

Those who moved their investments to the supposed safety of Treasury bond investments were deeply disappointed.

Life Planning is an important part of the wealth management process. It’s not enough to have money; you need to know what the money is for.

Life Planning is an important part of the wealth management process. It’s not enough to have money; you need to know what the money is for.

Life Planning is an important part of the wealth management process. It’s not enough to have money; you need to know what the money is for.

Life Planning is an important part of the wealth management process. It’s not enough to have money; you need to know what the money is for.

Life Planning is an important part of the wealth management process. It’s not enough to have money; you need to know what the money is for.

Life Planning is an important part of the wealth management process. It’s not enough to have money; you need to know what the money is for.

Life Planning is an important part of the wealth management process. It’s not enough to have money; you need to know what the money is for.

Life Planning is an important part of the wealth management process. It’s not enough to have money; you need to know what the money is for.

Life Planning is an important part of the wealth management process. It’s not enough to have money; you need to know what the money is for.

David Marotta discusses 2010 in review and the outlook for 2011.

You are a good candidate for a Roth conversion in 2010 if you expect your tax bill to be higher in the future.

Few of us are disciplined enough to accomplish all our resolutions without help.

If you’re not an economist, you may vastly underestimate the negative impact of taxes on the U.S. economy.

Employers and employees alike are feeling the squeeze of swelling health care costs. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, health insurance premiums have risen at an average rate of 12 percent per year since 2000. Unable to keep up with rising premiums, employers are forced to pass on costs to employees, to trim benefits, or worse yet, to dump the coverage all together.

Bequeathing a Roth is much the same as setting up a lifetime tax-free stream of income for your heirs.

There are years and situations when a Roth conversion is not appropriate, but they are often surrounded by years when it should be considered.

David Marotta discusses how the tax burden causes an incentive to earn less money.

Misers may sleep well tonight, but they won’t eat well in 20 years.

Most families have not planned for their retirement. They may save toward their retirement, but without a plan their saving is random and haphazard. Retirement decisions today can only be made in the context of accurate math projections that span … Read More

You are guarding against deadweight loss when the recipient can exchange the gift or return it for cash.

In 1985, an MIT professor won the Nobel Prize for a simple technique that squirrels have known intuitively from birth — you have to “squirrel” away some nuts during times of plenty so you can survive during times of scarcity.

No one approaches financial planning with the goal of paying more taxes. Tax management, like all financial planning, is based on the premise that small changes made over time can achieve big goals.

Employers and employees alike are feeling the squeeze of swelling health care costs.

Both mindless eating and mindless spending rely on our subconscious need to follow scripts to pace our consumption. Community plays a huge role in regulating our financial destiny–either a path of savings that builds real wealth or a path of spending that leads to impoverishment.

David Marotta discusses what makes certain investments look attractive.

We all think we can’t be fooled by something as obvious as the the difference between height and width. But our brains are wired that way, without exception.

Retirement planning is even more crucial for women than for men.

Timing the markets this past year was nearly impossible.

Just remove the decimal place. The $8.50 lunch you charge will cost you $850 in your retirement.

Your time is worth more than sifting through the ashes of advertising looking for valuables.

Small business owners enjoy more flexibility when it comes to tax maneuvering. That’s why tax planning is especially important for small businesses. Whether your business employs one employee or one hundred employees, last-minute tax moves can save you money, if you act before the end of the year.

Themed rewards tend to be toward the low end and cash rewards are apt to be higher. Get the cash.

Even if you didn’t make a penny more next year, how can you have more dollars for next year’s holiday
season? Reduce your taxes. Between now and the end of the year there are several last-minute tax moves that may save you significant amounts of money. After January 1st, there’s little to do but pay-up.

Volatility, therefore, is a matter of perspective. Like the crack of a whip.

Because the markets changed course at least once over the past year, rebalancing tended to improve returns.

Four-years of college currently cost $60,000 at a public university. In eighteen years, it may cost more than $145,000. To stay ahead of rising tuition costs, you should plan ahead and save early. Tax-favored 529 accounts can help you provide an excellent college education for your children and grandchildren.

Public policy to increase choices for healthcare coverage.

You may have to jail a few rebels for health insurance evasion.

There are few better investment returns than an employer’s matching contribution made to your 401(k). But after you retire or leave that company’s employment, you should almost always roll your 401(k) into an IRA for better investment choices. Being smart by rolling over your 401(k) can pay dividends for decades.

After you retire or leave that company’s employment, you should almost always roll your 401(k) into an IRA for better investment choices.

We need a safety net, not a hammock.

Some doctors start the year $250,000 in debt.

Market timing is the attempt to switch a significant portion of your assets between different types of investments in an effort to maximize profits. If this is your investment strategy, good luck, because you’ll need it.

Half of the country are political Vikings who pay their taxes by raiding and pillaging the productive.

A country can’t prosper destroying perfectly good used cars.

Communicating honestly about your finances with your family and putting your estate in order passes on a legacy of foresight and financial wisdom that will help generations to come.