One of the major changes resulting from the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was the elimination of all miscellaneous itemized deductions. This category of deductions included unreimbursed job expenses, tax preparation fees, and investment advisory fees.
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Whether the market is in a bit of turmoil or when it has been performing quite well, it’s important to revisit some of the common behavioral mistakes that can potentially derail even the most well thought out financial plans. Below are six behaviors that we should all look to avoid. Fear and Panic Perhaps the…
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By now, you’ve probably heard the news: our own behavioral biases are often the greatest threat to our financial well-being. As investors, we leap before we look. We stay when we should go. We cringe at the very risks that are expected to generate our greatest rewards. All the while, we rush into nearly every…
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A 401k plan can be a wonderful benefit to offer employees as well as a great way for a business owner to reduce taxes. Unfortunately, many plans are too complicated, too costly, and offer little to no advice, education or help to plan participants. As a result, these plans have been a failure in helping…
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Offering a 401K plan can be a great benefit for both the owner of a business and its employees. But a 401K requires time, money and some human resource acumen to set up and maintain
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The 12 month period ending 6/30/2017 marked the first time in about five years that non-US stocks performed better than US stocks on a trailing 12 month basis. Regardless of recent performance, investing in companies based overseas is a crucial component of a diversified portfolio. Below are some of the reasons we invest abroad: Investing overseas…
DetailsA little while back I began jotting down some of the rules that I try and live by when it comes to personal finance. Eventually, I turned it into what you see below, something I’m calling a personal finance vision statement. My plan is to update this over time as I continue to learn more about money, investing and life. For now, here is version one.
DetailsWhile there is no official definition, a bear market has traditionally been defined as a 20% decline in a broad stock market index. Since the end of World War II, we have had 13 bear markets, with an average decline of about 30%. Needless to say, bear markets can be horrifying. We not only have…
DetailsLet’s face it, much of the traditional financial services industry has failed to serve investors properly. A sales-driven culture and an active-management investment model has left investors frustrated and wondering if there is a better way.
DetailsAn investment portfolio with a mix of stocks and bonds will produce three types of investment return: interest, dividends and capital gains. Added together, they make up what is known as “total return”. Inside an IRA or other qualified account, the relative mix of investment return does not matter. A 5% return is a 5% return, regardless of whether it comes from interest, dividends or capital gains. In a taxable investment account, however, the story is much different.
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