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Saving money is the quickest and easiest way to make more money. Just don’t run headlong into the refi process without doing your due diligence and bracing yourself for a bumpy ride. Remember that refinancing lasts for a long time, but it comes at a hefty price that can be paid upfront or over time. […]

As we wind down 2021, as with every year in the Financial Planning business, we assess year-end financial needs and procedures to minimize taxes and to prevent penalties. One of our unique challenges for 2021 is the reinstatement of Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), which were eliminated last year due to the pandemic. Aside from being […]

Despite frequent and boisterous claims from the Biden Administration regarding being “transitory,” inflation continues to worsen. Last week, we were treated to new monthly and annual inflation numbers; both exceeded even the highest estimates from so-called experts. Congress and the Administration continually stoke the inflationary fire with bad policy, excessive spending, and excuses. What should […]

Every occupation and profession, including politics, has its own vocabulary, but math is the same around the world, right? Not so fast—remember Washington, D.C.? In Washington Speak, “It’s different up here.” It certainly is. We know that in Washington, D.C., words mean things; they just mean different things inside the Beltway. A vocabulary of Washington […]

Inflation is here, and depending on where you choose to get your news, it is either here to stay, or merely transitory. As a student of economics and a “seasoned citizen” who has lived through a lot of inflation (the 1970s), I believe that inflation itself is not the problem. Most inflation results from bad […]

American investors of all ages have been “treated” to some market events they would rather forget. This week was the anniversary of October 19, 1987, when the S&P500 lost over 22% in one day. Mostly remembered now as “Black Monday,” it remains an annual source of apprehension as October comes around. For somewhat younger investors, […]

Medicare is an extremely popular National Health Insurance program for seniors and some disabled Americans. Advocates abound across the fruited and political plains. In one form or another, the national health insurance program is here to stay. Government Social Systems tend to become underfunded over time, and Medicare’s insolvency is not far off. In the […]

Mortgage rates remain near all-time lows, real estate prices are escalating, and the stock market has been on fire for the past few years. Inevitably, an age-old question has resurfaced, “Should I borrow against the equity in my home to invest in the market?” Seems like a no-brainer, with cash-out refinancing and Home Equity Lines […]

Inflation is saturating national news these days, which should come as no surprise to anyone. Blatant examples of rising prices are everywhere, exemplified by gasoline, where prices are announced on the marquee before you even reach the pump. Driving past the same station day after day, you have likely noticed the price change from under […]