August 2019 Newsletter

The Best Mutual Funds, ETFs and More For the Rest of 2019

Stocks draw most of the attention and headlines, but bonds and other interest-rate sensitive investments have delivered high returns with lower risk in 2019. Let’s start with our investment in long-term treasury bonds, Wasatch-Hoisington U.S. Treasury (WHOSX). In early 2018, most investors abandoned bonds. The Federal Reserve was raising interest rates and the economy was […]

How to Navigate the Two Faces of the Economy

The outlook for the economy and markets depends on what data are assessed. The consumer and household side of the economy can’t get much better. Indeed, consumer confidence remains near all-time highs and the optimism contributes to rising retail sales growth. Retail sales are volatile from month to month, but the average over several months […]

What You Need to Know About the New Opportunity Zones

You probably heard something about the tax benefits that can be reaped from investing in the new “qualified opportunity zones.” But you probably haven’t heard all you need to know before making a decision. The tax benefits of investing in qualified opportunity zones (QOZs) were created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, enacted at […]

Tax Rules For The Bank of Mom & Dad

Children and grandchildren often want some financial help, and parents and grandparents frequently are glad to provide it. Too often, everyone involved considers the help to be a private arrangement. The IRS, however, has an interest in the transactions. When you don’t review the tax rules and structure the arrangements the right way, you might […]

7 Things You Must Know About IRAs and 401(k)s

Almost everyone has an IRA and a 401(k) account. Many people have more than one of each. Yet, important facts about these accounts aren’t well-known. You need to know this information to maximize the after-tax value of the accounts. I find that even many accountants, attorneys and financial planners don’t know these details. Knowing them […]

How to Protect You, Your Wealth and Your Family From Important ‘What Ifs’

Many people believe estate planning is mostly about money, especially taxes. A good estate plan is much more. Estate planning and retirement planning sometimes require us to consider questions that make us uncomfortable. But if we don’t consider those questions now, there’s a high probability our future well-being and that of our family will be […]