Over the past 25+ years of working with clients, we have been asked more times than we can remember what we think of real estate as an investment. Our first response it generally to clarify whether our client is referring to commercial or residential property. While both are obviously real estate, they are very different […]
What Should I Do With My Old 401(k) Account?
When you leave your job – be it by retiring, resigning or via a lay-off/termination – you generally have several options for what you can do with your 401(k) account. Depending on your account balance, you may be able to keep it with your old employer’s plan. If you’re changing employers, rather than retiring, you […]
Kids and Money
Many of our clients have children, and it’s not unusual for the clients to ask us for tips or guidance on educating kids about personal finance, since the subject is generally not covered in school. Yet, research has shown that by age 3, kids can grasp basic money concepts. By age 7, many of their […]
Should You Use Your IRA to Buy Real Estate?
Most investors hold traditional assets like stocks, bonds, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds in their Individual Retirement Accounts (or “IRAs”). But some investors view direct-owned real estate – properties in which an owner, or a company controlled by that owner, hold direct title – as an attractive way to save for retirement. IRAs are permitted […]
Can Congress Help Solve the Retirement Challenge?
Given the dysfunction in Congress, we were both surprised and pleased to see that last week the House of Representative passed legislation that will help Americans retire. The bill, called Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act, or SECURE Act, was approved 417-3, a rare demonstration of bipartisan cooperation. The bill cobbles together several […]
Is there a tax-efficient way to give gifts?
We’re occasionally asked by friends, clients and colleagues whether it’s possible to give gifts in a tax-efficient manner. The answer generally depends on the value of the gift, the nature of the asset, and who the recipient is. Cash Gifts Gifts of money to anyone – including a family member – will not trigger a […]
Trump and Tariffs
If you’ve been following the news, you’ve undoubtedly learned that President Trump has been attempting to negotiate a new trade agreement with China. He has adopted tariffs as his primary tactic to force China to agree to terms he believes are favorable to the United States. However, China has responded in like fashion and both […]
Unexpected and Unpleasant Surprises When Getting Divorced
Divorce is stressful on everyone involved, and the financial downside is usually anticipated by both parties. If you’re planning to divorce, you’ve probably budgeted for less income, sole responsibility for some larger expenses like a car payment, and legal fees. But, in our experience, divorcing couples are sometimes caught off-guard by some important misunderstandings or […]
What Happened to My Tax Refund?
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) changed tax withholdings for W-2 wage earners. Because the new law nearly doubled the standard deduction, employees had less withheld from their paychecks. The required withholding on bonus payments, vested restricted stock and stock options also changed, from 25% to 22%. The problem is that a significant […]
Is it Time to Bail on the Oregon 529 Plan?
In a recent blog post, we outlined how 529 education savings plans work, and why they can be such an attractive tool for saving for education expenses. If you own or contribute to an account with the Oregon College Savings Plan, you probably realize that the administration of the plan changed (again) last year from […]