Back in 1946, a nuclear physicist working at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Stanislaw Ulam, was convalescing from an illness.  Unable to binge Netflix (as I do when recovering under bed rest) he instead amused himself by playing solitaire.  Ever the mathematician, Ulam began wondering about the statistical probability of a successful solitaire game.  As … Continue reading How I Stopped Worrying About Uncertainty and Learned To Trust the Numbers →

A few years ago, a new client asked me to review a “universal” life insurance policy that she bought in the early 1990’s. The insurance company had recently increased her annual premiums by a whopping 32% and the policy would soon lapse unless she opened up her wallet. Suffice it to say, she was equally … Continue reading Universal Life Insurance in a Low Rate Environment →

To download a printable version of this article: 201810 OPCM – Trim Taxes, Increase Cash Flow, or Save Time The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into legislation last December, and this upcoming 2018 tax filing  will be our introduction to how the changes affect us personally.   As Q3 comes to a close, we … Continue reading 11 Tips to Trim Taxes, Increase Cash Flow, or Save Time →

The best gift I ever received from my parents growing up was my very own checking account when I was 12 years old. This may sound a bit dull at first, but the gift was much more than the physical checkbook and debit card I was so excited to use back then. That was the … Continue reading Financial Wellness for Kids! →

For middle to high income earners, there are IRS limitations on the tax benefits allowed for both Roth IRA and traditional IRA ownership. For an individual with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeding $135,000 (single filers) and $199,000 (married joint filers), the ability to contribute to a Roth IRA is completely phased out. 1 To … Continue reading Backdoor Roth IRAs →

As if December wasn’t already one of the busiest times of the year.  In between planning menus, shopping for presents, getting groceries, lighting candles, coordinating travel arrangements, and taking care of the regular year-end checklist of charitable gifting and tax-loss harvesting, we had to add to our list a call to our accountant for help … Continue reading Tax Reform And Us →

The majority of the time, an IRA owner will list individual(s) as their intended beneficiaries on the IRA beneficiary designation form. Aside from being the most common option, there is good reason for the IRA owner to elect this method a good portion of the time. By choosing the IRA beneficiary outright, the IRA  owner provides the beneficiaries with the option of tax-deferred growth in the form of “stretch” … Continue reading Designating The Living Trust As IRA Beneficiary →

The short answer is “no.” Similar questions that elicit the same answer include: Do your children and/or grandchildren need to go to college? Do you really have to watch what you eat? Do you have to wear your seatbelt? What is left out from all these answers is the extending caveat: “But your odds of … Continue reading Do I Have To Have A Financial Plan? →

“Summertime and the livin’ is easy”1, which makes it an ideal time for financial reflection and second-half of the year retirement income planning. Most successful endeavors start (and continue) with a plan, and summer time can give us some unhurried days to check that the goals we are pursuing still have meaning, and if so, … Continue reading Summertime and Retirement Income Planning →

It’s not always easy to plan for large expenses. Paying for college expenses is certainly one of them. Unfortunately, college tuition and fees have risen quicker than the average rate of inflation. Between 2006-2007 and 2016-2017 (over a 10 year period) a public 4 year college’s in-state tuition and fees increased on average by about … Continue reading How To Save For College Expenses →