Financial Planning
Have You Made Any of These Financial Mistakes?
As people move through different stages of life, there are new financial opportunities — and potential pitfalls — around every corner. Have you made any of these mistakes?
Your 50s and 60s
1. Raiding your home equity or retirement funds.
It goes without saying that doing so will prolong your debt and/or reduce your nest egg.
2. Not quantifying […]
Enhancing Value of Your Charitable Contributions
You might recall that when the tax legislation was being debated, there was plenty of chatter around the risk that Congress would completely remove the deduction for charitable gifts. This Republican-backed proposition never made it into the final Tax Cuts + Jobs Act, but the tax changes could end up having a similar impact on […]
Reducing SALT Pain
Annually, thousands of professionals use their own artistry and originality to find the best ways to decrease your federal taxes. You know you’re living in new times when state lawmakers are added to the mix.
The reason they’re putting in so much effort is something popularly called the SALT provisions of the new Tax Cuts + […]
As a Business Owner, What Should I Know About Using Temporary Workers?
If you’re planning to ramp up your temporary staff this summer, here are a few things to know.
Generally, temporary work is any work that is not intended to be permanent or long term. Temporary work can be full- or part-time. Use of temporary workers (sometimes referred to as temps) may provide you with some flexibility […]
Can I Undo My Roth IRA Conversion in 2018?
The answer is: It depends.
When you convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, you include the value of your traditional IRA, reduced by any nondeductible contributions you’ve made, in your income for federal tax purposes in the year of the conversion. For conversions prior to 2018, if you subsequently decided to “recharacterize” or undo […]
Investing to Save Time Boosts Happiness Returns
The more money you make, the more valuable you perceive your time to be — and the more time-strapped you may feel, according to University of British Columbia psychology professor Elizabeth Dunn.1 So wouldn’t it stand to reason that if you use some of your hard-earned money to buy yourself more time — for example, by […]
Social Security Service?
Today, trying to apply for Social Security benefits, or getting direct answers on what your best strategy might be, is annoying at best. Recently, Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, highlighted the difficulty in front of the U.S. House Ways & Means Committee. At the start […]
The Benefits of Luck
Why are certain people wealthier or more effective than others? The default explanation has often been the wealthier seem to have some combination of work ethic, intelligence, or some other combination of talents compared to the less-wealthy. Eventually, the cream rises to the surface.
The problem with this explanation is that the statistical variation in […]
Currencies and Trade
Most analysts believe that recent trade developments, while certainly of concern, will not progress to a full-scale trade war. The theory goes that cooler heads will eventually prevail. But, if a trade war did develop, most believe it would be a major negative event for the worldwide markets. Are there ways to handicap the probability […]
New Technology
Which are the most significant technological improvements from the last calendar year? Every year, MIT Technology Review provides its answers to this question
This year’s list contains 3D metallic printing — printing metal components cheaply and quickly, and cutting edge urban layout utilizing digital technologies. Additionally: electronic earbuds with an integrated language chip that can […]
