I had a birthday during the week of the recent presidential election, so as an indulgence, I started writing this post to express my personal view on the election results. It was a bit of a whirlwind, with all but a handful of races decided within a day or two. Full disclosure: I voted for […]
Whatever you think about the discussion around economics and politics, it’s useful to have a framework for sorting things out. We’re expecting to hear more jargon on taxes and tax policy as the November election approaches. Below is a quick primer on some of the tax-related issues. TAXESWe all complain about them. But what is […]
This time of year, we all shift gears in many ways, marking the end of Summer with Labor Day weekend. We move from vacations back to work. Those of you with kids at home have also begun the process of getting everyone ready for a new school year. That first week of school is an […]
I write a lot about women, and their roles – desired or expected – in economic life. I’m a big believer in each of us being able to use our gifts and talents to offer the best of ourselves to the world. Often, that offering is cut short, channeled into something smaller, or rejected entirely. […]
I love to plan. I’m sure it has something to do with control, but to me it feels more like a combination of power and pleasure: looking at an array of choices, choosing what suits best, then making it happen. Recently I had an epic planning failure. OUTBOUND I sat on a plane for four […]
It’s that time of year, when you’ve received most of your tax forms for putting together your 2023 tax return. Yes, you can pass that pile along to your accountant, but aren’t you curious about what you’re really paying in taxes? At a minimum, so you can complain with accuracy? THE THREE MAIN COMPONENTS OF […]
Advisors absolutely do not have a crystal ball, so this post isn’t going to tell you what hot stock to buy or whether Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will stay together. But there are a handful of themes that will play out over the course of the year, and those are important to understand. In […]
After two years of waiting, Washington has a new tax. Last week, the state Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of the new 7% tax on capital gains. At issue was whether it was an income tax or an excise tax. HOW THE NEW TAX APPLIES Before you panic, note that the new tax probably doesn’t […]
As we start the New Year, it’s hard not to feel like we are living in some kind of Groundhog’s Day hamster wheel, starting this year with so many elements of the last one. War in Europe, virus warnings, threats to democracy and the challenges of new technologies. We have experienced some major setbacks in […]
If your house is like mine, you have been swept up in the swirl of added activities surrounding the holidays. Yet there are a few other things I would encourage you to add to your year-end list, even if that list is already as long as your arm. Some are directly financial, and others indirect. […]