(to educate, inform and amuse)
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“Buy now, pay later” is back. It is amazing how many companies have shown up lately to offer these services. A quick google search brought up names like Afterpay, Affirm, Klarna, Sezzle, Splitit, Zip, Zebit and Earnest. The list is growing and PayPal, Visa, Master Card and the major banks are all getting in on […]
Read more...The consumer price index rose to 7% in December, the highest it has been since 1982. We all see prices rising with higher heating bills, increased food prices not to mention the cost of gasoline which has close to doubled. These costs flow into the price of everything else that heats up inflation. Mortgage rates […]
Read more...This year several clients are looking to buy real estate and have asked us whether they should buy in this housing market or postpone. Mortgage rates are at record-lows and shortage of inventory in relation to buyer demand are driving up prices. The combination of a strengthening economy, millennials nearing their peak homebuying years, low […]
Read more...We love the last month of the year; it’s dark outside and inside we can feel the warmth of family and lit candles. We have friends and family gatherings to look forward too, holiday shopping and preparations for festivities, travel to parties; all of this is combined with end-of year meetings in the office, budgets […]
Read more...In conversation with clients we sometimes hear worries about how their children would deal with the legacy left to them. There is an old saying about dissipating inherited wealth: The first generation earns the wealth, the second generation builds it, and the third generation spends it. This is specifically the case in families of business […]
Read more...Part of estate planning is to have a Power of Attorney; in case you become incapacitated then someone else can arrange your financial affairs for you. Sometimes we hear stories how financial institutions will not honor the Power-of-Attorney your estate lawyer created. As financial planners working with clients who are trying to arrange their parents’ […]
Read more...One of the many outcomes of the COVID epidemic is that more people are thinking about their estate planning. Wills have become a focus, either reviewing or creating new ones. An important part of a will that gets little attention is the Executor, the person who follows your wishes and makes sure that your goals […]
Read more...November is usually the month that we pay attention to year-end tax planning. We recommend that you calculate your total income this year and see what you can do to reduce it. With all the political wrangling going on in DC, it’s hard to know whether there will be tax savings changes before December 31st. […]
Read more...Your health insurance isn’t a “one-and-done” deal. You need to revisit your coverage at least once a year and ask yourself, has something changed in my medical needs, doctors, network or prescriptions. October is open enrollment month not just for Medicare but also for workplace health insurance and benefits across the country. Medicare open enrollment […]
Read more...You hear it all over the news: get 9.6% risk‐free interest by buying I‐Bonds. Clients ask us whether they should invest in them. Let’s look a bit closer at what an I‐Bond is and the pros and cons of buying them now. Here is a summary: An I Bond is a US Savings bond that […]
Read more...Some of the current economic challenges are higher salaries, higher savings, and higher rent. This might result in you using more of your available credit on your credit cards, store cards or a Home Equity line. This is also bringing more first-time home buyers to the housing market. While housing supplies are tight, many have […]
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