I recently realized that my schedule, pace, and life structure wasn’t pointing me towards what matters most. I had become hurried, restless, distracted, and more impatient with my kids (hard to admit but true). The magnetic pull of our culture is strong. It screams “more / bigger is better”, “you can do and have everything”,…
Read More
What should you do if you get a phone call from someone who knows your name, and maybe some other identifying information, and informs you that there appears to be some fraudulent transactions or issues with your bank or credit card or tax return? “Your account may have been compromised. Did you authorize a $5000…
Read More
Good things come to those who wait. At least that is what we are hoping for with the delay in FAFSA filing this year! The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is undergoing modifications to make the financial aid form easier to complete and more generous to families in need. Each year families with…
Read More
Morningstar publishes an annual “Mind the Gap” study to show the difference between the returns delivered by all funds and ETFs versus the returns actually realized to investors’ accounts. So, for the 10 years ending Dec. 31, 2022, all funds put together (large cap funds, small cap funds, international funds, etc.) had an average return…
Read More
Do you own residential or commercial real estate for investment purposes? If so, you may want to consider doing a cost segregation study to lower your taxes. It is a way for investors to more quickly deduct the depreciation of a property against their taxable income. By doing this, you can reduce your annual federal…
Read More
If you have any fine art or collectibles (furniture, jewelry, etc), it’s a good idea to get them appraised. This way, you can insure them at the correct value. These items often have a special place in our hearts. You may have saved your hard earned money to purchase them. Or, you may have inherited…
Read More
The crisis about the federal debt ceiling back in June was temporarily averted when lawmakers agreed to suspend the ceiling and ensure that the US didn’t default on our debt. However, there still may be a government shutdown looming later this fall, since the agreement reached included freezing some funding and capping spending. A fallout…
Read More
The idea of a legacy is intriguing. Many of us feel a call to help provide for future generations or to leave our mark in the world in some lasting way. We strive to be good stewards of our blessings now so that we may not be a burden to others in the future and…
Read More
We are about a month away from the TD Ameritrade/Schwab merger. For clients with accounts at TD Ameritrade, you can go ahead and confirm/create your Schwab Alliance login credentials. By doing this now, you’ll automatically have access to your Schwab accounts on Day 1 of the transition. To setup your Schwab login follow the below…
Read More