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In the Vice-Presidential debate of 2008, Sarah Palin uttered the famous line, “Say it ain’t so, Joe.” That was said to Joe Biden, but this week I was reminded of Sen. Joe Manchin, who previously would not support the latest Democrat spending bill until he saw July’s inflation numbers. Sen. Manchin suddenly couldn’t wait, so […]

Assuming you don’t have some unusual, complicated tax situation, we assume that your 2021 Income Tax Return has already been filed. For most people, income taxes are now “out of sight, out of mind” until next spring. However, some small businesses and self-employed people may still have a chance to improve their situations retroactively, simultaneously […]

Believe it or not, more than half of 2022 is in the rear-view mirror, and it is time to start planning year-end financial concerns. For many of us that includes tax considerations, including charitable contributions. Simply sending money to favorite qualified charities does not assure receiving the most favorable tax outcome. It is not much […]

When was the last time you looked at your paystub? Yes, I realize that there is no paper stub attached to your nonexistent paper paycheck, but that doesn’t mean it went away. It is probably available online, or you can ask your employer for a copy. Due to the absence of physical paystubs, most people […]

As financial planners, our goal is to assess current economic and market conditions and then design portfolios and select assets that have a good chance of being successful in whatever environment we encounter. Today we have very challenging financial markets, and we recently finished the worst half-year start in market history. Hardest to understand is […]

Life expectancy has been rising since the earliest humans walked the Earth. Only in the last 30,000 years or so did the concept of a living grandparent become a reality. People just didn’t live long enough to see their own children give birth. Overall, Americans are enjoying lengthier life spans and improved quality of life. […]

America’s much-maligned Millennial Generation (born between 1981 and 1996) have taken a lot of guff from media, parents, and comedians. Frankly, much of it was earned, as they attended expensive colleges, received some essentially worthless degrees, went heavily into debt, and moved back into their parents’ homes. Somehow, time heals most wounds, people grow up, […]

Options for claiming Social Security benefits are as numerous as individual personal financial situations. Explaining all the options is not possible in a single Blog. Today, we look at people who are still earning income, but contemplating filing for Social Security benefits as well. Simple rules of thumb can assist people in making “now or […]

For the past several months, we have watched gasoline prices rise by a few cents each week, with each recent new price eclipsing all-time records. Most of us are downright angry, but Washington, D.C. policymakers don’t seem to hear us, or don’t care. Instead, the Administration repeatedly tells us how good we are feeling, how […]