Thinking Differently About Social Security

Imagine how financial planning would be different if the sole focus was on accumulation of wealth while risks were ignored.  There would clearly be no need for insurance of any kind.  Disability insurance, umbrella insurance, and life insurance, as examples, would just be unnecessary expenses.  Individuals would borrow as much as possible to leverage their [...]

Evaluating Your Financial Advisor

When a new client was recently in the phase of interviewing our financial advisory business, he asked what one question he should ask that most prospects do not ask.  It was a great question.  I responded that most people do not ask in advance of establishing a relationship how the success or failure of the [...]

A Framework for Considering Gains and Losses

At this time of year, there is no shortage of holiday music on the radio, consumer electronic advertisements on television, and year-end tax planning suggestions in print media.  Rather than add one more article about the ten tax steps you should consider at year-end, we thought it would instead be beneficial to review the framework [...]

Thinking Differently About Required Minimum Distributions

In 1987, the IRS created rules to require the distribution of retirement plan assets and set 70½ as the age at which these distributions would be required to begin.  Although not mentioned in the legislation or tax code, this age was chosen based on a Biblical reference to old age: “The days of our years [...]

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