“It might be the simplest play in all of sports, and the most effective. Give the ball to Michael Jordan, and everyone else get out of the way.” These two sentences began an Associated Press article on May 28, 1989. The day prior, the Chicago Bulls had the ball in the closing seconds of a [...]
One recurring question that we have fielded from clients over the past several months has nothing to do with the stock market, Roth conversions, the upcoming election, or Social Security changes. Instead, it takes some variation of the following: “Do you have advice on what credit card I should get to replace my Costco American [...]
One of the most challenging roles of parenting is finding the proper balance between protecting children too much and not enough. In the early years, we cover electrical outlets, protect household edges with soft bumpers, and spend hours analyzing all the safety features of car seats. Parental protection then evolves to monitoring what our children [...]
President Obama unveiled the Fiscal Year 2017 Budget last Tuesday (February 9th) which included several unexpected first-time proposals in addition to many crackdowns and “loophole closures” that have become annually recurring proposals. Experts contend there is little likelihood of any substantial tax change in the final year of the President’s term. However, we could see [...]
There should be natural skepticism when a financial advisor creates a list of the best and worst questions to ask a financial advisor. It sounds a little like game show fixing of the 1950s where some contestants knew the questions before they were asked. However, experience provides a unique advantage. We have heard insightful questions and we have [...]
There are an estimated 50 million Amazon Prime members in the United States which means that a household in this country is more likely to have an Amazon Prime membership than to have a dog. It actually seems to be more challenging to find a Gen X or Millennial family who does not use Amazon [...]
Most investors like the idea of waiting for a period of calm to invest. Our brains tell us it is better to wait until there is clarity and risks have subsided before investing. And our brains have good reason to work this way. For our ancestors, waiting until things calmed down was necessary for survival. [...]
An important issue that often arises for working professionals seeking to save for retirement is whether to utilize a Traditional 401(k) or Roth 401(k) for retirement savings. Although this dilemma may seem utterly confusing and resultantly receive less thought than the decision of whether to accept an old co-worker’s Facebook friend request, it can have a [...]
In November 2015, the Senate passed a bipartisan budget agreement to extend the government debt ceiling and avert a default. At this hour, the agreement is headed to the White House where the President is expected to sign it [Update: President Obama did sign this bill into law in December 2015]. While the initial headlines [...]
Among the most consequential decisions that parents make is choosing the primary and secondary education venue for their children. For parents with resources, the decision often begins with the dilemma of private vs. public school. Parents are also often confronted with the financial costs of college education and helping a child choose between institutions with [...]
