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Be Smart About Your Tax Windfall
(Main Content/blog)
... pay because of withholding adjustments in the wake of the new tax reform law. Second, you may be anticipating a nice fat tax refund from the IRS in a few weeks. Without a plan for what to do with this ...
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Seeking Diamonds in the Rough for 2018
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... has been coming back after years of stagnation. Exxon also plans to merge its refining and marketing businesses, potentially leading to a significant cost cut. While it's largely dependent on what fuel ...
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Why Your Advisor Should See Your Taxes
(Main Content/blog)
... must see your tax return in order to provide you with the best investment advice. It's the reason that, although I'm primarily an investment advisor and planner, I personally help with many of my clients' ...
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Should You Buy the Trump Rally?
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... versus its 1% to 2% pace of the past several years. Those expectations are based largely on the fact that Trump plans to ease regulatory pressure on business. With banks and energy companies having fewer ...
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Will Wall Street Clean Up Its Act?
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... included. The rules only cover 401(k)’s, IRAs and certain other retirement plans. Second, brokers will still be allowed to earn sales commissions. Yes, they will have to sign a contract asserting that ...
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How Will the Election Affect the Market?
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... than to obsess over how the election will affect the markets. What’s in your control? Having a financial plan. Saving enough money. Having a professionally managed investment portfolio that balances risk ...
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How to Invest in a Tough Market
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... you are honest and open about your financial situation, your goals and your tolerance for risk. For example, if you're planning to buy a home in a few months, a good advisor will tell you to keep your ...
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Improve Your Financial Health in 2016
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... the more you save, the more money you'll have available to work for you. The key is to have a well-thought-out plan and to stick with it. Your advisor can help you create a portfolio customized to your ...
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How Much Should You Save For Retirement?
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... more runway to save for it. But distribution planning is just as important for older clients too, because they'll want to make sure they don't outlive the savings they've got. I always explain to clients ...
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Don't Time the Market
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... drop. My answer is this: Don't try to time market; it doesn't work. Investors should think of their money in two categories—short-term and long-term. Short-term funds are the money you plan on using ...
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The Best Ways to Take Required Minimum Distributions
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... of a nasty surprise from the IRS Delay 401(k) withdrawals. If you're still employed after age 70½, your plan may let you hold off on taking distributions until you retire. You must not own more than ...
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A Checklist That Could Save You Thousands
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... all the deductibles under your insurance plan, then consider scheduling any surgery you might need to take place before the end of year. If you have a Flexible Spending Account through your employer, be ...
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The Real Election Winners
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... a long-term plan to meet your goals and objectives without taking on an in appropriate level of risk. My advice to clients: Don't make knee-jerk investing reactions based on elections—or on headlines ...
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Should You Invest in Alibaba?
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... it recently traded at nearly double its IPO price, it took a very strong stomach not to panic and sell the stock as it plunged. It is worth noting that Yahoo, which owns 22.4% of Alibaba, is planning ...
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High-Yield Bonds: Attractive But Increasingly Dangerous
(Main Content/blog)
... negotiates with the bankruptcy trustee, a plan is generally issued giving equity positions to the former bondholders for a percentage of the face value of the original bond. In the end, the process can ...
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An Auto-Industry Legend’s Lesson for Investors
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Lee Iacocca, who revived the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s, had a simple explanation for his success: "I hire people brighter than me and then I get out of their way." That's the way investors should ...
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Time to Lock in Gains?
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... They might see that their account balance is growing, but not pay enough attention to whether it's getting out of balance. Obviously, this is important because their retirement plans are at stake. Most ...
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Beware of Retirement Benefit Pitfalls
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Many of us look forward to the freedom of retirement with great anticipation. But to have peace of mind about retirement, it's critical to do proper tax and estate planning for your retirement benefits. ...
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Resolve to Achieve Financial Success in 2014
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... ahead with fresh plans. So what should you review as you prepare for the year to come? First and foremost, you should know how much money you have, where it’s coming from and where you’re spending ...
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How to Save Your Family 101
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... apart. As you probably know, the best way to avoid these conflicts is for the owner of that property and money to create very clear estate plan explicitly spelling out his or her wishes. The problem is ...