Confronting our own mortality is never a pleasant task, and as a result, estate planning considerations tend to take a back seat in the financial planning process. Indeed, an estimated 55% of Americans are currently living without a will or other estate plan in place, a number that is only…
Social Security "File and Suspend" Strategy Repealed
While the dawn of a new year brought relatively few changes with respect to tax rules and policies—a few credits and deductions were made “permanent” instead of “temporary”, but little else changed—there was one recent change to a government benefit program that could have a significant impact on married couples’…
Strong Dollar Impacts U.S. Corporations
One of the downstream impacts of the Fed’s recent monetary policy tightening is a steadily appreciating dollar, as it gains ground against the currencies of nations whose banks continue to ease policy. While a strengthening dollar is not without its benefits, it typically harms multinational corporations who have significant international…
Knowing Your Fiduciary
In an article written earlier this year, we noted a recently-settled class-action lawsuit brought by the employees of Lockheed Martin against the company, alleging breaches of fiduciary duty within the firm’s 401(k) plan. That settlement was followed by a similar one this August, this one involving 190,000 employees and retirees…
Slaying the Student Loan Monster
As college tuition costs have marched ever higher over the last decade, student loan balances have risen along with them, to the point that they now represent a meaningful portion of many household balance sheets. The numbers are staggering: one in five households carry some student debt, a rate that…
Planning Across Generations
Successful financial planning is always a team effort—it requires open and honest communication and coordination between spouses, as well as with advisors. Financial issues are often sensitive subjects, and encouraging and facilitating difficult conversations is one of our most important roles as financial planners. But our experience has taught us…
