What would you do if suddenly you had to pocket an extra $70,760 of annual income? Smile for sure. But, you’d have to first pay income taxes on that money. Then, you could spend it or invest it. But what a shame. Before 2020, that money could have remained in a tax-deferred account and, with small […]
CHOOSING SENIOR CARE You may not be in a position to care for yourself at home one day, and making the transition to some form of daily care won’t come easy. That’s why it’s good to have this discussion now. Thoughtful selection of a care facility Dean, my friend’s father whose story I’ve been sharing […]
ESTATE PLANNING Most people would like to control how their money gets used as they get old and where they would like it to go after they pass away. Those wishes form an individual’s legacy intentions. It’s good to put them down in writing. This is Estate Planning. It’s Step 2 in planning for your […]
INVESTMENT PLANNING One day, you or someone you love may need daily living assistance or monitored medical care. Are you ready for that day? What can you do now to prepare for it? “I never would have imagined it,” says Dean, who is 84 and the father of a friend of mine. “I had a […]
Every year, trustees of the Social Security trust funds issue an annual report. And every year, the media overreact and misreport to the American public what the trustees have to say. Here are a few headlines, which I feel are misleading: “The Social Security Trust Fund Goes Bust” — The Wall Street Journal, June 7, […]
Who is Equifax, and why are they in the news? Equifax is one of the leading consumer credit reporting agencies. Earlier this month, they announced a major loss of data. Hackers gaining access to Equifax data have left 143 million consumers vulnerable to identify theft and credit fraud. It’s hard to believe, but with this […]
In March, the Federal Reserve Board raised interest rates. The increase of one quarter of one percent was only the third time in a decade that rates have gone up. Many economists believe that more increases are coming. The Fed itself has mentioned the possibility of further rate increases this year. There was a time […]
My new partner, Adam Hartrum, and his wife, Bianca, join the firm The next time you come in the doors of Asset Strategies, you’ll have more smiling faces to greet you — and a greater depth of experience to care for your wealth management needs. That’s because Adam Hartrum has joined our firm. Please join […]
Another year is coming to a close. So much has happened of late — England voted to “Brexit” the European Union, the Chicago Cubs ended their 108-year World Series draught and Donald Trump was elected President of the United States. With all that’s going on it might be easy to forget about your year-end financial […]
I’ve written about municipal bonds in the past. Now is a good time to update my thoughts on this asset class. Municipal bonds and muni bond funds have historically been an effective way of generating tax-free income. In high school, you may have learned about the 1819 U.S. Supreme Court case, McCulloch v. Maryland. That […]