Schwab has recently required that everyone with older checkbooks reorder new ones. This recent guide should help you with this process.
Inflation has at least four grievous effects on our economy. This 2014 article explains them.
Staying fully invested is an important part of your financial plan. Yet still, there are at least five reasons to hold cash.
Old financial news read with 20-20 hindsight helps remind us that this is what markets do.
As advertisers have found it harder and harder to reach consumers, they are continually seeking ways to gain your attention.
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.
This post reminds us that there are at least four reasons to rebalance where the benefit can be demonstrated or measured.
When you get out of the markets, you have made a huge gamble with your retirement money, and now the stakes are high.
Unfortunately, neither “yes” nor “no” is a correct answer to this question.
A recovery after a significant downturn in the markets is often marked by steep growth. If you sell and flatline, you will likely miss the market’s natural recovery and thus your own personal future recovery becomes very difficult.
You learn a lot by the discipline of reading old news.
Whenever the IRS challenges you, the burden of producing evidence that your claims are true rests entirely with you.
Some states do not tax their residents on income from a mutual fund that was earned on U.S. government obligations.
Roth conversions pay off. Repeat it to yourself now. Repeat it to yourself at tax time. Roth conversions pay off.
Luckily, reporting and using your tax credits on your state tax return is very straightforward.
Don’t let stress about tax filing requirements keep you or your child from a powerful opportunity to provide for their future.
The strangest fluke of the tax return is that the actual calculation of how much base tax you owe does not have a form; it has this worksheet.
The 25 lines are so simplified, they end up being difficult to follow what exactly they do. So, for those of you who are curious, here’s what they do.
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 class will be held virtually on Zoom each Thursday from noon to 1:00 PM EST between March 10 and March 31, 2022.
This 2020 article is for tax preparers of the world. If you did a backdoor Roth this year, send it to yours.
Be sure to remember to tell your tax preparer that you did a QCD.
Why do people do Roth conversions? Should I? This timeless article and video answers all your questions.
This 2020 article reminds us that if you ever sad about the size of your IRA balance, it might be a good time to convert to Roth.
Many people think that Roth IRA contributions can only be from earned income. Those people are only half right.
Many financial writers get the answer to this question wrong.
The tax code is confusing. Are inherited IRAs taxed at estate rates? As income? At all? This article answers.
A 2007 article that stands the test of time. This is the year you should keep your financial resolutions. Getting help from an objective advisor can provide both a powerful catalyst for action and real peace of mind.
Hopefully, some of these ideas inspire you to reuse various treasures you didn’t know you had.
Long-Term Care insurance is too risky and too expensive. If you can self-insure, you will likely be better off.
I have enjoyed rereading the journal of my maternal grandfather, Donald Mortlock. He started writing it on his 75th birthday.
There are five ways that both you and the government could make charitable giving more significant.
The selection of what products we purchase or avoid for clients is based solely on what we believe gives our clients the best chance to meet their goals.
This five-part series on “How to Get Out of Debt” will try to address the concerns of those who have debt problems.
Although emotions do mature with age, many of the things that upset toddlers upset adults too, we just hide it better.
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.
Punishing people for inflation is neither fair nor good economic policy.
Knowledge and emotion can play off each other in ways that cause investing mistakes.
Investors greatly underestimate the danger of inflation.
This 2015 article reminds us how unspoken expectations can cause relational strife but a written contract can protect the relationship.
One method of crowd sourcing expectations about inflation is to look at the current differences between the maturity rates of a 5-Year Treasury Bond and a 5-Year Treasury Inflation-Indexed Bond.
When interviewing a new financial advisor, we believe there are at least ten important questions to ask. Then, just to be safe, we answered 32 frequently asked questions and welcome more.
The addition of stable investments can help dampen the risk and increase the chances of meeting your spending goals.
This 2016 article reminds us that, “Unless you are certain that are going to die young, there is no good reason to risk starting Social Security at age 62.”
Avoiding PMI, if possible, is better for your long-term finances. Here are three strategies to avoid PMI.
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.
“If you have been asked to serve as a board member or trustee for a non-profit organization, feeling honored is a natural response but a terrible reason for saying yes to the job. Your role as committee member, board member, or trustee will likely designate you as a fiduciary, a role with specific legal responsibilities.”
Our first article posted online is a wonder to behold. This 1998 beauty is written by George Marotta, founder of Marotta Money Management. In the article, he reminds us that, “Anyone of us could design a better system, but 500 congress people cannot resist the pressure groups who want to twist the code to benefit their particular constituencies.” Decades old, this post still rings true today.
For most families, the largest purchase they make will be their house. This 2011 post reminds us that the house you and your family live in is not an investment, but real estate can be.
This straightforward article about how to value your charitable gifts of appreciated stock may help you in preparing your tax return this year.