Quick Answer Pay yourself first (PYF) means to redirect a portion of the income you receive to retirement savings, emergency savings, or some other type of savings as soon as you receive it, and before you pay any other bills. In other words, the first bill you pay each month should be to yourself. This… [Continue]
Quick Answer #1 – What is a Qualified Charitable Distribution?
August 26, 2016 By
Quick Answer A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) allows individuals to donate to charity through a distribution from an IRA account. The amount donated counts towards your required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year, and no income taxes are due on the distribution. General Rules Only individuals are allowed to use a QCD. Per person limit… [Continue]
It Is Not All About Money
August 16, 2016 By
In this article I talk about things beyond money and get a bit touchy feely. Put Money into Perspective As a financial planner, I focus heavily on making sure my clients are saving a sufficient amount of their gross income towards retirement whether retirement is 10 years away or 40 years away. In addition, I want… [Continue]
For Sale – My Childhood Home
July 28, 2016 By
Note: This article was originally written on October 21, 2014. The home finally sold in March 2016 and the family that purchased it have several young kids. When my mom and dad both became ill in 2011 within months of each other, I was not prepared to deal with the sudden change in life’s circumstances.… [Continue]
An Introduction to How I Work With Clients
May 25, 2016 By
I chose to be a holistic financial planner who charges on a fee-only basis. The holistic part means I work with my clients on all aspects of their financial situation including retirement planning, portfolio analysis and investment planning including specific strategies and recommendations, insurance planning, estate planning, budgeting and cash flow, tax planning, college planning, and goal setting among others. I help to integrate all of these different areas together into a comprehensive plan. [Learn more]
You Still Have Time to Fund a 2015 IRA
April 5, 2016 By
Wishing you’d done more to reduce your tax burden in 2015? Many people don’t realize that there’s still time to fund an IRA for last year. The deadline for contributions to IRAs is April 18, this year’s filing deadline. For tax year 2015, most people under 50-years old may contribute the larger of either their… [Continue]
Your Dreams Give You Direction and Purpose
February 22, 2016 By
Throughout my life, I have always had big dreams running through my mind. Most were not grandiose dreams that had no possibility of coming true. However, they were dreams that at the time I conceived of them, seemed impossible to achieve. Nevertheless, I would set goals around these dreams and imagine them coming true. I… [Continue]
Scammers Claiming to be the IRS on the Rise
December 17, 2015 By
The IRS continues to remind taxpayers and tax professionals that an aggressive and sophisticated telephone scam targeting taxpayers has been making the rounds throughout the country. Callers claim to be IRS employees and sound quite convincing because they use fake names and bogus IRS ID badge numbers and usually alter the caller ID to make… [Continue]
Connect