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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
Around this time last year, inflation started to rear its ugly head in earnest. “Transitory” inflation was gaining traction. Over the next 12 months, prices jumped big time, and the Fed responded with interest rate hikes to slow the economy. We are seeing signs of the economy cooling: layoffs and some corporate downsizing, and mixed […]
March seems like a long time ago, even though it’s only been six months. Life in Corona Times. Back in March we had just started shutdown here in the United States, the economy ground to a halt with exception of a few essentials, the stock market plummeted. We found comfort in Netflix and a stockpile […]
Like other advisors during the current market turmoil, I am working with clients on portfolio rebalancing, tax loss harvesting, Roth conversions while account balances may be diminished, and shoring up emergency funds. All of these are good things to consider. But are those the ONLY things you might be thinking about with regard to your […]
This time of year we often look back over the past 12 months, and as we close out 2019, we also close out a decade. Time goes by in the blink of an eye, and the past ten years are only different in that there has been more change than ever before. That will only be exceeded by […]