You’ve probably heard the saying that “cash is king,” and whether you own a business or not, it is a truth that applies. Most discussions of business and personal “financial planning” involve tomorrow’s goals, but those goals may not be realized without attention to cash flow today. Management of available cash flow is a key…
Read MoreIs a new home financing system ahead? In the text of a speech delivered August 6, President Obama said: “I believe that while our housing system must have a limited government role, private lending should be the backbone of the housing market.” This statement came as part of call for winding down Fannie Mae and…
Read MoreToo often, employees think of their Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) as if they were simply deposit accounts. In reality, HSAs have much greater financial potential – and it shouldn’t be ignored, especially with health care costs rising so dramatically. With an HSA, you don’t have to “use it or lose it”. An HSA lets you…
Read MoreUncommon, or uncommonly wise? Occasionally, a couple or a family will elect to put their home into a revocable living trust, a charitable remainder trust (CRT) or a qualified personal residence trust (QPRT). There are advantages and disadvantages to doing this. People make this move for a variety of reasons. They may want to save…
Read MoreU.S. military action in Syria appears imminent. Assuming it happens, what happens to the financial markets? Investor reaction on August 27 (the day U.S. intervention was mentioned as a possibility) was not exactly surprising. Gold entered a bull market again, oil prices reached a six-month peak (surpassing $109 a barrel), the Dow fell 170 points…
Read MoreI recently wrote a column for CBS Moneywatch titled “6 Ways to Cut Your Income Taxes After a Windfall“. Here is a preview of the six strategies discussed in that column… 1. Create a pension. 2. Create a captive insurance company. 3. Use a charitable limited liability company. 4. Use a charitable lead…
Read MoreOn Capitol Hill and elsewhere, voices are calling for a major shift in public pension plan management – a shift toward privatization. Underfunding of public pensions is all too common. The bankruptcies of Detroit, Stockton and San Bernardino have certainly cast light on the pension funding gaps in those cities, but the problem is widespread:…
Read MoreA Qualified Domestic Relations Order — commonly called a QDRO (pronounced “quad-row”) is a court order most commonly used when a couple divorces that provides an ex-spouse with some ownership (usually 50%) of the other spouse’s retirement plan. For example, if the husband has $400,000 in his 401(k) account, the QDRO would call for the…
Read MoreYou’re about to purchase a pricy good or service and you don’t have your checkbook or enough cash on hand to do it. Should you pull out a debit card, or a credit card? Given the choice, you’d probably pick a debit card – right? After all, aren’t they preferable to credit cards? Usually, yes…
Read MoreFinancial planning for retirement is a popular topic, but if you fail to address these two misconceptions, then it can backfire. We’ve all heard about the “new retirement”, the mix of work and play that many of us assume we will have in our lives one day. We do not expect “retirement” to be all…
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