Author Archives: Megan Russell

The presumption that there is always more fun to be had has a two-fold positive effect on my life.

If you want to open a Scwhab account to be hand-traded by Marotta, then one option for opening that account is to use Schwab.com’s online account open.

As part of the requirements, the SEC wrote passages which must be included verbatim in each relationship summary. Some of that required text are so-called conversation starter questions.

When I was really young, I did not realize that food had a season. What a privilege of our modern era!

It took me one hour to complete from start to finish. Hopefully, now that I have bumbled my way through it on my own and documented the steps, it takes you less time.

Don’t let stress about tax filing requirements keep you or your child from a powerful opportunity to provide for their future.

Hopefully, this extension helps some take advantage of this welcome relief.

Diversification means always having something to complain about. Recently, it has been energy.

For many whose Energy sector has experienced large losses, lowering your sector allocation might effectively mean holding onto the shares that you currently own without adding more.

Each of us either has a withdrawal rate or a savings rate, as we are each either contributing to or withdrawing from our invested accounts.

You always have until the tax filing deadline to make your IRA contributions regardless of when you file.

Unfortunately, as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act back in December 2017, Congress eliminated the ability to undo Roth conversions, so there isn’t a way to undo a conversion.

In this way, those with inherited IRA distributions they would like to reverse or those with distributions no longer eligible for regular 60-day rollover contributions may be able to still complete either a Roth conversion or IRA redistribution with those assets.

Because the due date for filing Federal income tax returns has been postponed to July 15, the deadline for making contributions to your IRA for 2019 is also extended to July 15, 2020.

If you have recently lost your health insurance or recently signed up for a new one, you may want to watch out for these rules.

Sometimes, you don’t get a second chance to be brave.

I knew the market was going down, but I accidentally took Bogle’s advice and didn’t peek at my own accounts.

What can you do when you are in the middle of the Roth IRA contribution phaseout range?

In 2013, we went whitewater rafting on the American River in California. Our guide’s speech inspired this powerful thought piece about disaster recovery that has a message for today.

Pagans accept Christmas presents. Self-estranged children accept inheritance. Libertarians accept tax credits.

Nothing changes during a Bear Market when it comes to where you should save and invest.

If you have an accepting employer plan, you could consider rolling the pre-tax funds into your 401(k) this year while converting your nondeductible basis cleanly to a Roth IRA.

Hopefully, this bit of tax history gives seniors and heirs a bit of comfort in taking advantage of this welcome relief.

While the appreciation allocation helps you achieve your financial goals, introducing a stability allocation into your portfolio can prevent your portfolio from running out of money.

I do not need to file Schedule H and imagine that most parent household employers also do not need to file this schedule.

Congress enabled those who are taking the standard deduction to deduct $300 of charitable giving if they do not itemize.

Among the temporary measures, Congress waived required minimum distribution (RMD) requirements for only tax year 2020.

My daughter was employed at her first job, earned her first income, and was able to fund her Roth IRA for the first time.

Convert something today. Convert because the markets are down, or maybe convert just because you likely won’t regret it in 30 years when the markets will likely be up a lot more than they are now.

Now that we are in the midst of a bear market, investment returns are down 20% or more and Schwab’s personal value chart makes it look even worse.

During a down market like this one, now is your chance both to harvest capital losses as they occur and rebalance your portfolio.

As the stock market trends upward, this dip in market prices can be perceived as stocks being discounted and is likely a great time to buy low.

When family inheriting is not an option or you are not all that close with your relatives, sometimes it can be trickier to decide where to leave your estate.

The given numbers on a 1099-R are insufficient to be able to fill out your tax return correctly. Knowledge of what was actually done is required in order to file your taxes accurately.

The fact that you are worried enough to ask might mean that now is a good chance to take stock in your investment strategy.

Who will be responsible to pay for the taxes related to the distribution? Where do you report the taxable portion on your tax return?

A stability allocation has two purposes: to meet withdrawal needs and to move the portfolio more conservative (less risky) by dampening the volatility of stock returns.

The class will be held March 19 through April 2, 2020 each Thursday from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM at Homewood Suites in the Albemarle Room.

Unfortunately, you must order cashiering envelopes directly from a Schwab agent. Here’s how you do it.

In 2019, several custodians switched to have no transaction fees for exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

For domestic tasks like babysitting there are often two options: independent contractor or household employee. Taking the time to educate yourself on the difference may be worth your while.

We adapt to the needs of our clients. However, absent other instruction, we do have a few intentions.

This person has an IRA balance, but is about to empty it with a reverse Rollover. So the question is one of timing: can they do the IRA Rollover before the nondeductible contribution so that their cream and coffee never mix?

To celebrate, David John Marotta and Courtney Fraser made guest appearances on a three different radio stations.

If you weren’t spending your money on useless treatment, you could enrich your life in other ways, retire earlier, or be richer.

One of the only articles on the Internet that clearly answers the question Can you fund your Roth with chore income? It’s just an added bonus for its readers that the answer is Yes.

We see ourselves as your primary care provider for finances and strive to become experts in every specialty that you need while accompanying you on any referral to another firm we need to make.

If you inherit a traditional IRA from a person who had a basis in the IRA because of nondeductible contributions, that basis remains with the IRA assets as they come into your ownership.

There is an incentive to lie when your methodology is bad.

We have a large distribution of clients at all portfolio sizes and, surprisingly, have all life stages near equally represented.