In talking with a client this week, the subject of property and casualty insurance came up and I mentioned umbrella policies. She had not heard the term before. This is an important type of insurance to have in place as you age and your earnings and net worth increases. Let’s cover the highlights below but […]

Don’t look now – the 2023 tax filing due date (without extension) is only a month away. As the date approaches, you may have questions on certain tax-related matters (there a lot of things to keep track of!) As a result, I thought I’d cover a question I received from a client this past week […]

At least once a month, I have a client ask me about a cyber security related question (setting up two-factor authentication, best practices regarding wi-fi use, password issues, etc). It’s a great topic to discuss and sadly, it is also one that is becoming increasingly important with each passing minute. Our custodian, Charles Schwab, does […]

I’ve been hearing from a few clients this week asking when they will receive their 1099s from Schwab (the custodian we work with at Windermere). With tax season in full swing, I thought these reminders may be helpful for a wider audience What is a 1099? A 1099 is a tax form that reports non-employment […]

I talked with two clients last week about their home equity lines of credit (HELOCs). These can be very helpful forms for available debt to have in place so I thought it was worth discussing in more detail What is a home equity line? A home equity line of credit (or a HELOC as it […]

If you are a loyal reader of this weekly column, you are keenly aware of just how much there is to know and remember when it comes to your financial journey. The minute you think you’re caught up, you learn of another task you need to address! On this week’s list of things you need […]

During a year-end planning meeting, my tax advisor brought up the idea of adding a PIN to my IRS record to protect myself against the increasing risk of tax return fraud. This PIN prevents unauthorized individuals from filing a tax return under your social security number (which would allow them to possibly access any amounts […]

Pension plans, a type of employer-sponsored retirement plan that provides ongoing income after retirement, used to be very common. However today, about 15% of private sector employees and 75% of government employees have pensions, with the remainder of workers having 401k/403b plans instead. Pensions are defined benefit plans, meaning that as a participant, you are […]

A new year has arrived! The turning of the calendar tends to spark the question “wait, is there something I’m supposed to do now?” There is certainly no shortage of messaging around the new year and things you should be doing (set resolutions, improve your health, write out new goals, and countless others every where […]

A client reached out this week to inquire about her performance (rate of return) since we started working together. As I drew her attention to that section of her quarterly reports, I also explained a couple of things to keep in mind when calculating and evaluating performance returns. These are important concepts for all investors […]