It’s interesting to think about what an impact Julius Caesar had on the calendar and from that, our lives. I remember when I started at Smith Partners Wealth Management (then Jonathan Smith & Co.) in 2005. The great Legg Mason Value Trust mutual fund manager Bill Miller was in the middle of his 15th consecutive
It’s More Than Money
The SECURE Act
President Trump signed The SECURE Act of 2019 (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement of 2019), into law on December 20, 2019. While it has a far-reaching scope (see the chart below from Michael Kitces’ in-depth summary,) in this post, I’ll focus on a few provisions likely to affect most workers, retirees, and 401k
Budgeting (Part 2): How Much Should I Be Saving?
(This is part two in a series, if you didn’t read my last blog post, then I would recommend starting there.) The most common financial goal I know of is financial independence. People want the freedom to travel, spend time with family and friends, work part-time, or start a business. However, America as a whole
The Quarter in Charts – Q3 2019
I come from a long line of people who can’t keep track of their things. When I was a kid, it was my soccer cleats or my homework. My dad (you might know him as Jonathan) would try to help. He would ask if I looked in the den or on the back porch. When
Budgeting (Part 1): Rules and Tools
You can find part 2 of Budgeting HERE When I was ten, we would visit our family friends in Michigan called “the five boys”, for obvious reasons. Being a ten-year-old looking for fun, their pig farm was perfect. We would arrive and clamber out of the car yearning for the green light from our parents.
Aging Isn’t For Sissie (Part 2) – So Many Choices, So Little Time
In my previous blog post, I gave several examples of families caring for the elders in their lives. Today I want to look at a few of the many options available. I’ll cover traditional options like Senior Living and Continuing Care Retirement Communities along with lesser-known options like “Golden Girls” Shared Living, and even something new called
Aging Isn’t For Sissies
Thanksgiving 1986, we traveled to Sewanee, TN to see Jonathan’s family: parents, sisters, cousins, and a host of golden retrievers. Jonathan’s mom, Charlotte, always got an A+ on Thanksgiving. Her home was inviting, her turkey was perfect, she had mastered all the sides as well – always with what seemed like such ease. But that
The Quarter in Charts – Q2 2019
On the heels of a rough end to 2018, we’ve seen the largest increase in the S&P 500 to start the year since 1997. The chart below from Charlie Bilello details the other top 10 first 127 trading days of the year since 1928. And before your eyes drift to the red, remember that you’re
Would You Rather Drive a New Car or Travel the World For a Year?
I’ve said this before, but one of my favorite hiking games is “would you rather.” So, I want you to imagine that we are hiking on a foggy day in the Blue Ridge Mountains and I ask you, “Would you rather buy a brand new car or travel the world for a year?” It’s a
Should I Invest a Lump Sum Today, Tomorrow, or Over Time?
This year we’ve been working through an unusually high number of lump sum investing scenarios with clients. No one has won the lottery or discovered a long-lost rich uncle who left them an inheritance. Rather, what we’ve encountered falls into two categories: a) an influx of cash (sale of a business, receipt of deferred compensation,