5 Steps to Pay off Credit Card Debt
As financial advisors, we typically focus on building and managing wealth. However, it’s also important to point out impediments to building wealth and financial security, like consumer debt. While low…
Blog
Determining the Taxable Amount of your Social Security Benefits
Did you notice the Social Security tax you paid on your return this year? While not all of the benefits are taxable, up to 85% can be. You can see this on the front…
When Should I Take Social Security?
Deciding when to take Social Security benefits is unique because of the way the benefits may be taxed. There is a formula that the IRS requires Social Security recipients to…
Social Security at 62, 66, or 70? How do you decide?
Our recent post on Social Security noted that about one-third of all people claim benefits at age 62. In an age where the future of Social Security is uncertain and…
Five Topics to Discuss Before Saying I Do
There are a number of different questions engaged couples need to ask themselves before tying the knot, and most of them can be answered in less time than it takes…
Your Social Security Benefits
Social Security is one of the largest assets for most retirees, but very few understand its basic rules. About a third of all people claim social security at age 62,…
Obamacare and your Tax Return
The Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare or ACA) will have a limited, if any, impact for most taxpayers. However, there are several items to be aware of when completing your…
North Carolina Tax Changes – 2014
As you finalize your 2013 federal and state income tax returns you should be aware of the significant changes to North Carolina state taxes in 2014. In July 2013, the…
Emerging Markets Outperformance?
In our recent mailing about the CAPE formula, we discussed how we use this valuation measure in our investment outlook strategy. The graph below (Graph 1) demonstrates that when an…
Federal Reserve Taper Decision
The Federal Reserve (“Fed”) recently announced in its January 2014 meeting that it will continue to reduce (aka taper) its bond buying from $75 billion to $65 billion per month…
Download our 5 Questions to Ask Your Financial Advisor eBook
We break down some of the most important questions we are asked on a regular basis.