Blog
When Tax Deferral Backfires
For decades, we investors have been encouraged to defer the taxes we pay: By investment companies, by our employers, by financial advisors, and even by the government that’s supposed to
Your Money & the Markets in July
Economic data from the past month revealed some positive trends, with upbeat employment numbers for June being the biggest headline. In addition, weekly shopping center data have now broken out
Your Money & the Markets in June
Recent economic news was mixed, with strong U.S. auto sales and decent employment growth, but also with negative first-quarter GDP growth. The European Central Bank made headlines by lowering its
A Survival Guide for Retiring Boomers
Most people approaching retirement understand that life is about to change a whole lot: More freedom, more time, less day-to-day structure. But what many new retirees don’t grasp is that
Financial Aid for College
Key to understanding financial aid eligibility is learning how financial aid formulas work. They’re rather complex and vary from school to school, but they basically use answers to questions about
Charitable Giving, the Smart Way
I’ve always felt that donor-advised funds (DAFs) were a smart way for families to manage their charitable donations. After the recent death of my father, I’ve gained firsthand perspective on
Tune Out the Noise
There’s a reason that investors tend to only hear about “looming” market doom or “imminent” market growth. While many news outlets have incentive to draw viewer attention with wildly bullish
How Not to Screw Up Your RSU’s
You’re feeling pretty confident these days. First, you’re doing awesome work at a great company, and second, your restricted stock units (RSUs) have vested. Now for the big question: When
Your Money & the Markets in April
So far, it’s been a chilly spring for the economy. Growth in most U.S. metrics has been slow for three months or longer. Some of that stagnation is weather-related, but
Find the Right IRA in Three Easy Steps
Even if you’re already convinced that saving in an IRA is a sensible thing to do, there’s still a little bit of research to conduct. There are two main types
Your Money & the Markets in March
Monthly Market Commentary The jobs report for February and initial unemployment claims were much better than expected, as weather effects began to diminish. That very same jobs report also dashed
Five Estate-Planning Tasks That You Shouldn’t Put Off
Keeping tabs on the estate-planning rules during the past few years has been a little like watching Olympic-level table tennis: The action moves quickly, and it’s difficult to keep up.