UPDATED: Note the updates to the PPP Section Disclaimer: We’ve pooled together some resources to give you a comprehensive look at the new developments in tax, lending, and employment law changes since the onset of the Coronavirus. However, do not consider any of this to be tax, legal, or financial advice. We would be happy
Category: Financial Planning
Do I Belong Here? – All-Time Market Highs and The Good Place
“On December 31st, the S&P 500 Closed at 3227.57, Within 0.35% of its All-Time High…” I would bet that reading the above headline tells you something. Maybe “Finally, I made it” or “How long can we keep this up?” or maybe even “There’s nowhere to go but down.” When my wife suggested that we start
Quarter In Charts – Q4 2019
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
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
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
What’s A Little Money Between Family?
We often ask clients about their best and worst money choices. It is probably not surprising to learn that “lending money to family” can show up in either column. Below, we’ll touch on the essential aspects of loaning money to family so that if you decide to go down that route (either as borrower or