Financial planning blog

Timely and free financial planning advice

October 14, 2021

Q3 Investment Commentary, China, and Estate Planning

Hang in there! The third quarter of 2021 saw equity markets rise and then fall. Looking ahead to the rest of 2021, as usual, we do not make any predictions. However, the fourth quarter is historically the strongest seasonal period for stocks. Since 1970, the median fourth quarter return for the MSCI World Index is...

October 6, 2021

Inflation, 911, and Van Gogh

Last week, we saw many reports say that inflation is back. As you know, we rely on independent investment researchers. The right way to invest, we believe, is to diversify by investment strategy. That is to say, we use different research teams who may not always agree with each other. Now more of them are...

Graduate in cap and gown celebrating achievement

September 29, 2021

College Hacks for Parents and Grandparents

Grandparents are in a unique position to help their grandchildren when they have their own financial plans in place. So, the first tip...

Retirement planning readiness for seniors

September 13, 2021

The Withdrawal Policy Statement

Withdrawal policy helps you be ready for retirement by ensuring that you have the money you need to cover your expenses. It also helps you protect your loved ones by making sure they are not left with a large debt if something happens to you. There are two types of withdrawal policy: mandatory and voluntary....

College graduate celebrating a bright financial future

September 1, 2021

Parents Who are Paying for College, Some Advice

Paying for college is expensive and difficult! Here are some tips to keep in mind.

August 24, 2021

Paying Taxes Now or Later?

The President wants to raise taxes and Congress may be inclined to pass a bill that makes it so. As your personal financial planners, we get asked frequently – is it better to pay taxes now or later? – we will have to help you make decisions before we know the results. Here are some...

Chalkboard with the word "Inflation" written on it.

August 5, 2021

Inflation is a World Wide Phenomenon

Inflation is Affecting Most Countries in 2021 From August, 2021. We hear a lot of talk about inflation in the USA. But it is not just an American problem. Look at the following chart: Source: Statista In this great chart on inflation expectations around the world, you can see the USA is not in...

Investment Management Denver on a balloon

July 28, 2021

2nd Quarter Investment Update

2nd Quarter Investment Update Please click here for the complete investment commentary from our research partners at Litman Gregory. In brief, we are watching: Inflation Covid-19 Fiscal policy, especially in the USA Good expectations for equity returns—but bumpy! It is still too early to say whether and to what extent the past two months’ inflation reports are harbingers...

July 28, 2021

Roth Contribution for High Income Earners

How High Income Earners can Contribute to a Roth IRA Read more about what some people call a back-door Roth IRA contribution. NOTE: This may go away! Peter Thiel has a $5 Billion Roth IRA Recently, one of the founders of Paypal, among other successful technology companies, made the news with the size of...