Some Surprising Good News On December 29, 2022, The SECURE ACT 2 become law and changed many items that can affect retirees, pre-retirees, and all American’s financial picture in fact. There is a lot of good news with these changes, and some of them are a little surprising to us, given the country’s terrible financial […]
As 2022 draws to a close, now is the time to start considering what financial moves you will want to make before the end of the year and the start of 2023. This aspect of financial planning is sometimes known as ‘year-end’ planning, and it is a common undertaking when considering your long-term finances. During […]
Cryptocurrency has been experiencing surges of usage and popularity in mainstream digital media in the United States. However, the digital currency exchange is being curbed by the negative reactions of national banks across the globe. Part of the appeal of cryptocurrency usage is its independence from traditional finance infrastructure. As Bitcoin is decentralized (ie. no one nation […]
Note: I cannot guarantee the accuracy of any of any of these quotes or articles or projections—these are just recent subjects and events and questions and rumors that have piqued my interest, and got me to musing and wondering…. *️⃣ Will the Fed “capitulate” and stop raising rates in a few months because they have […]
Retirement planning was as difficult as ever in 2022. The S&P 500 was down more than 23 percent by October, since the start of the year and inflation was at 8.3 percent in August. For comparison, the annual inflation rate before the pandemic was 1.4 percent. It has become harder to make do in the […]
(Passing digital assets to heirs can be unnecessarily complicated and time consuming unless you do some of the legwork upfront) Not long ago, digital assets played virtually no role in estate planning. Today, however, leaving an electronic mess can be one of the most costly mistakes in the process. Failing to account for digital assets […]
Good financial stewardship involves paying off debt and saving for the future, the latter of which is especially important considering the average retirement age in the United States is 65 and 63 for men and women, respectively. Considering life expectancy is rising, this leaves many Americans with several decades of no income outside of Social […]
1. I-Bonds are paying 9.625%! As of 5/1/22, the yield on the treasury’s i-Bonds has moved up to 9.625% – a level we have not seen in a long time. These bonds can be purchased at www.treasurydirect.gov and offer guaranteed principal if held for 5 years, in addition to the attractive high yield. If you […]
In this increasingly online world, people do not look at their digital assets in the same way they do their physical assets. However, everything from domain names to social media accounts can be considered assets. As you undertake the process of estate planning, you should be sure to include your digital assets. Making a list of […]
Identity theft, which involves stealing another individual’s personal information, has become an increasingly pervasive problem in recent years due in part to advances in technology. There are now more ways than ever for scammers to acquire someone’s credit card, passport, or other documents containing personal information. Identity fraud occurs when the scammer uses this information […]