Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is one of the best stories for talking about economics. This 2003 – 2012 series uses the classic tale to illustrate different financial personalities, principles, and philosophies.
Starting in 2025, this amendment permits those between the ages of 60 and 63 (as measured on December 31) to contribute up to 150% of the catch-up amount rather than the usual 100%.
In “A Christmas Carol,” Ebenezer Scrooge calls Christmas a “humbug” because of the foolish way people celebrate it. This 2008 article reminds us that it is sometimes wise to simplify Christmas.
This article should give you something fun to discuss this year.
The IRS is clear, “If both spouses are 55 or older and not enrolled in Medicare, each spouse’s contribution limit is increased by the additional contribution. Each spouse must make the additional contribution to his or her own HSA.”
You deserve an advisor who will help you with these five and more.
Don’t let your political emotions impoverish your financial well-being.
Wealth management is in your control and there are actions you can take regardless of who wins today.
There is an artistry to a bond allocation, and while historical analysis can only be suggestive, it does tell a strong narrative.
This 2017 article reminds us, “Stock market returns have little to do with which party holds the White House.”
Election results should not change a well crafted investment strategy.
Voting early is as easy as voting in-person. You can vote whenever is convenient for you including right now.
On a smart phone, you can prevent the phone from ringing unless the person calling you is listed in your phone.
A short quote from this 2004 inspiration, “Time is so much more than money. If you have time, you can acquire more money. But money can’t buy you more time. Time is a great equalizer. You can’t go into time debt. Every day the rich and the poor alike are given twenty-four hours to spend.”
This 2015 article reminds us of the benefits of umbrella insurance. We recommend $2 to $5 million of umbrella coverage for typical families with assets over $300,000.
This 2014 article is a good reminder of how interest rates work in our country.
With a savings waterfall, you immediately know which buckets to fill when there is excess and which should remain dry if there isn’t enough for all your goals.
Sometimes the costs are actually benefits when it comes to Roth conversions.
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.
Here are three lies you must stop telling yourself in order to build a solid financial foundation.
If you are close to either side of 60, this 2020 article will outline the ideal scenario to help you make your own financial assessment.
The best way to ensure that you save and invest is to automate the process.
You swipe your debit card at the card reader and the clerk quickly asks, “Debit or Credit?” Which should you choose? This 2013 article tells us.
In honor of the Independence Day of the United States, this 2013 article reminds us to prepare for our own Independence Day.
As David Marotta writes in this 2012 post, “If I had to pick one learned skill that has served me the best in my career, it would be learning to grab my mind by the scruff of the neck and drag it back to the task at hand.” This piece reminds us that hard work can sometimes be your best doctor.
Many adult children are returning to live at home somewhat involuntarily. What can parents do to help? This 2011 article offers some wisdom.
George Marotta reminds us in this 2002 article, “Each person can best help society by developing his or her talents to the fullest. In the process, some will earn very large incomes, but that’s OK.”
When a 529 plan is set up, there are two important people associated with the account. The first is the account owner. The second is the beneficiary. Both can be changed.
Roth IRAs have one weakness, but the remedy is to have opened and funded your Roth more than 5 years ago. So do it today!
With many of us saddled in student loan debt well into our late thirties, our retirement cannot wait for us to be debt free. This 2016 rewrite of a 2007 article teaches you how to get started with savings while repaying your loans.
In 2003, David stopped to rescue a snapping turtle from 250 West. Even now, the financial planning lessons from that turtle are still sage advice.
It is common for investors to be surprised by movements in their portfolios. This 2019 article reminds us though that even volatile movements can be quite normal.
Here are several tips on how to live richly on your own.
This 2009 article reminds us, “When we are worried about our expenditures, we tend to look at the dollar amounts more than the frequency of our purchases.” However, to combat mindless spending, we should look to trim recurring expenses first.
This article offers an overview of what we know about 529 reimbursement timing.
As of 2021, here is an overview of how the states and jurisdictions handle interest on certain U.S. government obligations.
This 2015 article has five rules for safely handling your digital security which you can’t afford not to implement.
The best way to climb the mountain of college costs is gradually, but if you need to make some last minute leaps, our government has a few tax-related strategies.
Regardless of which way the balance of trade says the surplus falls, we and our trading allies benefit from the exchange.
This 2015 article details one of the most brilliant breakthroughs in all of food science and how it relates to almost every aspect of life.
Maybe if we say it enough, it will actually get done. “The correct rate for the capital gains tax is zero, zip, nada. Perhaps it is even negative!”
The holiday cliché is to complain about hyper-materialism, but according to anthropologists, gifts and gift giving help shape our identities.
This 2007 post reminds that because of inflation the value of cash trends down, encourages you to protect your portfolio against a falling dollar, and reveals an inconsistency with CPI calculations and actual inflation.
Life is volatile, risky, and on average rewarding. Diversification and rebalancing help to protect yourself from the volatility.
I have adopted this card as the primary one in my wallet for groceries and gas.
If the form is accepted, the Social Security Administration will generally not only change your current IRMAA, but they will also use your Projected MAGI for the next several years. Here’s why.
For those over age 59 1/2, you would need to withdraw all funds attributable to basis before your withdrawal would be sourced from Roth IRA earnings and the age of your Roth IRA would matter for taxation.
Later required beginning dates are generally advantageous to seniors, although the complexity surrounding RMD rules is nothing to celebrate.
The Internal Revenue Service announced an administrative transition period that extends until 2026 the new requirement that any catch-up contributions made by higher‑income participants in 401(k) and similar retirement plans must be designated as after-tax Roth contributions.
This 2008 article is an uplifting, timeless sermon.