Sometimes less is more. We all know the saying, but seeing it effected in life—through art, sport, business, parenting, gardening—is the exception rather than the rule. Imagination more frequently bends towards complexity. With that in mind, we endeavor to make this quarterly review more compact and to share some thoughts near the end about simplifying […]
The announcement today that the FDIC has become the receiver for Silicon Valley Bank is a useful reminder that significant bank failures occasionally do occur and that as depositors we all should pay mind to the $250,000 ceiling on FDIC insurance. We recommend that clients keep each account below the insured ceiling at their banks […]
Just over three years ago Congress passed the most consequential retirement law in decades. Among other things, the original SECURE Act of 2019: Made retirement plans more accessible to more people. Increased the potential tax benefits of saving inside a qualified plan by raising the age when required minimum distributions (RMDs) kick in. Eased concerns […]
Gift and estate taxes apply, in certain cases, to large gifts made by a person during their lifetime or by their estate after their death. One critical purpose of financial planning is minimizing the impact of gift and estate taxes. Every year, the IRS adjusts amounts exempt from federal gift and estate taxes to consider […]
The turn of the year marks the start of many rituals. In our financial planning practice, we report to clients and their tax accountants about their investment income and expenses in the previous year. And of course, we write letters like this one summarizing the year past in financial markets and giving reflections and observations […]
It’s been a been a while, decades in fact, but it’s time again to start being more thoughtful about earning interest on deposits. With interest rates rising, you may have seen the financial press giving increased attention to investors’ options for excess cash. For example, this recent Kiplinger article offers a brief introduction to brokered […]
Though it feels like the first fall rains only just washed away the last vestiges of summer, the holiday season is upon us, and with it all the usual pre-year-end bustle. To help you prioritize, we are sending along a few important dates for your calendars. We know that combining several topics into one newsletter […]
Whether we’ve been the driver or a passenger—perhaps as a child in the back seat on a family road trip—we’re all familiar with the question “How long until we get there?” Now, following the third consecutive quarter of market declines in both stocks and bonds amidst the Federal Reserve’s campaign to hike interest rates and […]