Last week we posted a list of the items you will likely need to collect for your taxes. As promised at the end of the post, here are the answers to some common questions about tax filing for college students as well as some information about record retention and what to consider when planning for [...]
Over the course of the year, I have written on many financial topics covering a wide range of technical issues. As I write probably for the last time in 2012, I want to go back to the basic rule of financial planning – the budget. Unlike the Government, households are expected to, and should, [...]
Due to President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that was passed earlier this year, taxpayers need to understand the changes that are set to start for 2013 tax year. The biggest new topic, outside of the Bush tax provisions that may expire if Congress doesn’t act, is the 3.8% Medicare surtax. This surtax [...]
“Government is not the generator of economic growth; working people are.” – Phil Gramm, former Congressman and Senator from Texas Over the last couple of years, quarterly corporate earnings on average have come in above expectations and provided a boost to the equity markets. The average earning beats have been driven primarily by productivity gains [...]
As I sat down yesterday to write this blog, I took a moment to reflect on the significance of the date – 9/11. It has forever impacted each of our lives; especially those who lost loved ones. A senseless act of hatred by a few cowards created heartache and sadness for an entire country. While [...]
If you have ever thought about or considered leaving assets to your children, grandchildren or anyone else in the event that something would happen to you, there are a few important points to understand. Everyone has heard of estate taxes, income taxes, death taxes, etc. which can all impact the value that you think you [...]
The cult of equity is dying. Like a once bright green aspen turning to subtle shades of yellow then red in the Colorado fall, investors’ impressions of “stocks for the long run” or any run have mellowed as well. –Bill Gross, Managing Director of the World’s Largest Bond Firm, PIMCO I mentioned the “new normal” [...]
“I rarely think the market is right. I believe non-dividend stocks aren’t much more than baseball cards. They are worth what you can convince someone to pay for it.” –Mark Cuban The “new normal” is a term coined by some in the investment community to describe the current economic environment that combines high sovereign debts [...]
There are many types of insurance, but the basic concept is the same — to protect against the unexpected or to ensure the protection of some of our hard-earned assets. This is essentially the reason why we purchase insurance coverage. With the current drought situation that we have, you may not be familiar or have [...]
This past weekend, the 112th U.S. Open was played on the Lake Course at Olympic Club in San Francisco, California. The United States Golf Association (USGA) considers the U.S. Open as the toughest test in golf. Over the four-day tournament, crowds and viewers watched golf’s best struggle against a course that ultimately won out as [...]
