The Gap Years – Tax Planning Opportunities in Retirement
We often refer to the years between retirement and when an individual turns 70 years old as the gap years in retirement. The point from which you stop earning employment income until you turn age 70 often presents a unique…
Bonds and the Power of a Diversified Portfolio
Bonds play an important role in a portfolio for many investors. A basket of high-quality bonds will provide a steady return stream, and when added to a portfolio of stocks, they provide some stability if stock markets are declining. Though…
Marriage Equality Brings Opportunities for LGBTQ Financial Planning
June is LGBTQ Pride Month, and a lot has changed in the last 20 years. The first in a series on LGBTQ financial planning, this article focuses on documents that are essential to planning your estate. Since the 2015 ruling in…
Yield Curve as Predictor of Recession
The past months have whipsawed investors. 2018 closed with most asset classes down after a turbulent December. 2019 opened with sharp gains in most asset classes, reversing prior declines. These jarring moves have investors searching for an explanation, and one…
Individual or Corporate? Choosing a Trustee
The estate planning process can be very emotional and is filled with lots of what-ifs and worst-case scenarios. One of the more important decisions in the process, and one that often does not get enough attention, is selecting a Trustee…
1Q 2019 Quarterly Investment Letter – Every Ski Day is a New Experience
Experienced skiers know that, no matter how many times you head down the same mountain, no two runs are ever the same. The snow may transform from powdery to sticky to slushy. The weather may be overcast and windy one…
Leading Economic Indicators and the State of the Economy
If you have tuned in to financial news at some point over the last couple years, there is a good chance you have heard a few media personalities share their view of a gloomy outlook for the economy. You may…
Medicare and Your HSA
Age 65 is often referred to as a benchmark retirement date, yet there are a number of individuals who are reaching Medicare-eligible age 65 and still planning to work beyond this age. Many of these individuals have health insurance coverage…
Size Premium – How it Affects Stock Market Returns
What is “size premium”? The size premium is the extra amount of return that small companies offer versus investing in large companies. In 1992, Eugene Fama and Kenneth French designed a model that explained stock market returns. The model included…
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) on Your Tax Return
We wrote a blog last year highlighting a charitable gifting strategy that became more attractive for many families under the new tax law. That strategy, known as Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), allows you to make charitable gifts directly from your…
