Posts by Thad Gilliam, CFA, CFP®
20 Second Advisor: Get Help From Coronavirus Stimulus Bill
We hope all of you are hanging in there as COVID-19 continues to spread and families/businesses hunker down for the month of April. Congress approved the Coronavirus Stimulus Package last week to help shore up the economy. Here are the details: Couples earning under $150,000 will get $2,400 cash payment ($1,200 if you’re single and…
Read More20 Second Advisor: Why It’s Easy to Retire in GA.
Retiring takes a lot of hard work, saving, and discipline. However, if you chose to retire in Georgia, there are some great tax benefits that make the transition to retirement a little cheaper and easier. Here are the main benefits of retiring in GA: GA Retirement Income Exclusion: This allows GA taxpayers (age 65 and…
Read More20 Second Advisor: SECURE Act Means More Roth Conversions
The SECURE Act was recently enacted by Congress. There are several new rules pertaining to retirement such as new Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) ages, inherited IRA provisions, and accessing your IRA money for certain expenses. One of the planning opportunities that arises with the new law is potentially doing more Roth IRA conversions for retirees.…
Read More20 Second Advisor: Live your best life & tweak your 2020 budget
The new year is a great time to take stock of your life’s direction. Review what’s going right and what’s gone off course in your life. Sit down and REALLY think about what you value most. Maybe it’s family. Maybe it’s travel and new experiences. Maybe it’s giving back or solving a societal issue. Ask…
Read More20 Second Advisor: Investing Tip for the Next Decade: Diversify
When looking back on the past decade, most investors realized favorable returns. It’s easy to have hindsight bias and wish you had invested in the absolute best performing asset class(es). For example, you might look back and wish you had over-weighted investments in the US technology sector. However, in the earlier decade (2000-2009), US technology…
Read More20 Second Advisor: Important Update at TD Ameritrade; Two award-winning firms come together
As you may have heard in the news, Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade have reached an agreement for Schwab to acquire TD Ameritrade. Most all of the Verisail clients have their assets custodied at TD Ameritrade. After the merger, the combined company will retain the Schwab name, and will reflect the best that each legacy…
Read More20 Second Advisor: Trading Stocks Just Got A Lot Cheaper.
This week Charles Schwab announced that they will no longer charge for online trading of stocks, ETFs, and options. Prior to the announcement, Schwab was charging $4.95 per trade. Just this morning, TD Ameritrade also announced that they will cease charging customers trading commissions for online trades of stocks, ETFs, and options (see the official…
Read More20 Second Advisor: Time to Refi?
Mortgage rates have dropped in the last month to the lowest rates since 2016 (see chart below). At the same time, many homeowners have seen their home value increase over the last few years. Now could be an advantageous time to refinance your mortgage to pay down debt, renovate your house, get rid of PMI,…
Read More20 Second Advisor: “The Worst Day Of The Year” & How You Should React.
I was reading the financial news this afternoon. The headline said, “Dow Plunges 800, Worst Day of 2019.” For many investors, that headline will cause some anxiety. Ultimately, every year will have a “worst” day as well as a “best” day. Below is a list of the best and worst days since 2008. Despite all…
Read More20 Second Advisor: Investing near an all-time high in the stock market.
Investors should not be surprised by market highs; in fact, they should happen fairly regularly if stocks are gaining value over the long term. For some investors (especially those close to retirement), a market high can feel more like an indicator to “get out” rather than to celebrate rising prices. If you feel anxious when…
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