Your account statement might say you earned 10%, but is that really what you get to keep? Not exactly. Once taxes and inflation step onto the scene, the picture changes—sometimes drastically. For example, let’s say your tax rate is 40% and inflation is 3%. That 10% return suddenly shrinks to an after-tax, real return of…
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Last week, we talked about the Top 3 Costly Mistakes in Transitioning Your Business. Notice who didn’t make that list? Uncle Sam. Why? Because if your business can’t even attract a buyer at a strong price, taxes don’t matter yet. (If you missed that article, I’d recommend starting there first.) But let’s assume your business…
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I love starting my day with a little time in the Word, and recently I was listening to a sermon that hit me right between the eyes. The pastor asked a simple but powerful question: Where are you getting your advice? It made me pause. Every day, we let different voices shape our thoughts and…
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Wow! There is a lot in this bill and no way we are going to cover everything or deep dive into anything specific. So…after reading and reading, here is an extensive glance at some of our notes. Note: It is imperative that you consult with your tax advisor before implementing any strategies. One of the…
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Retirement accounts and trusts…Could be like oil and water. If you have a substantial retirement account like an IRA or 401(k), it’s not uncommon to want to name a trust as a beneficiary. There are a number of reasons. Maybe you have underage children. Perhaps you are concerned that your heirs would spend everything the…
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You may want to think again! It’s common for a parent, or parents, to start gifting assets to their children as they get older. The problem is that they don’t seek advice and if they do, it’s typically from the wrong people. Unfortunately, the result can be very costly to the family. It could rock…
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This might be an easier question to answer than “what is new in DC?” It feels a bit like drinking from a fire hose, so we thought it might be beneficial to zero in on some things that are important to the families we serve. #1…Which, by the way, is my favorite! The on again,…
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While looking for some entertaining statistics on how much exercise equipment is bought in January, I found out why Presidents Day sales are so good. It falls in line with all the returns made on the New Years Resolution items from January. In one way or another this rings true for all of us. I…
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Let’s face it…No one wants to talk politics these days, but facts are facts. We are approaching a presidential election, so politics need to be top of mind. As we dive in, I will give you peace of mind though. We are not going to provide any biased content and we are going to keep…
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Wait…That doesn’t sound right! Retirement years are supposed to be “the easy years,” right? There is a saying (paraphrased) that states that what messes up most in life is the picture in our head of how things are supposed to be. Retirement is a prime example of this. We assume that if we work hard,…
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