There has been great controversy lately about regulatory changes impacting the financial industry. One set of new rules in particular – the Department of Labor’s extension of the fiduciary standard to all those companies and agents providing services and advice to investors on their retirement assets – has generated both action and debate. DOL became … Continued
School will be starting up again soon. Perhaps some of you are sending your kindergartner off to school for the very first time with a shiny new backpack and lunch box in hand. Or perhaps some of you are sending your youngest child off for their last year of college, the last to leave the … Continued
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” –Antoine de Saint-Exupery Change is coming for all of us- no one is immune to it. Life itself is one big transition felt through various life experiences that range in their significance and pleasantness over the course of a lifetime. The best way to prepare for … Continued
The State of California holds more than $8 billion in unclaimed funds on its books. States all over the country are running massive surpluses of orphaned accounts. These funds are the result of bank and investment accounts being left behind or dividend and interest, even tax refund checks or insurance proceeds, never cashed. As the … Continued
Utilizing Home Equity to Meet Long-Term Needs and Objectives The term downsizing typically connotes difficult decisions, often conjuring up images of harsh corporate layoffs. But downsizing also commonly describes the sensible and often rewarding —even cathartic — act of moving from a large house into a smaller and more manageable living arrangement. Of course, … Continued
“He who will not economize will have to agonize.” – Confucius (551 BC – 479 BC) For thousands of years people have been told to adhere to a budget, and today the thought seems as daunting as ever. This can be especially true for those who live in a high cost area such as San … Continued
For many people, if they know about reverse mortgages at all it is probably limited to seeing them advertised on late night TV. They are not widely used or understood, and might even seem gimmicky; but given the right circumstances, they could be worth considering. Reverse mortgages are primarily designed for older homeowners who have … Continued
High income earners take notice: you might be missing out on a lucrative savings opportunity within your Traditional 401(k). Most savvy savers assume that once they reach the statutory maximums on tax deferred contributions they have contributed all they can to their tax-advantaged retirement plan. However, in 2014, the IRS1 clarified the process by which individuals … Continued
Many families hold philanthropy as an important family value and strive to find ways to give efficiently, perhaps accomplishing additional objectives in the process. Investors, having lived with low interest rates for many years, are starting to see signs that rates may gradually rise. That begs a question: are there unique financial planning opportunities worth … Continued
Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 Signed into Law Very rarely big changes sweep the landscape of financial planning but when they do taxpayers are sometimes awarded significant benefit from the change. On December 18, 2015, the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act was signed into law. The Act does considerably more … Continued