By: Paul Horn, CFP®, CPWA®, Senior Financial Planner In the first part of this series, we reviewed deferred compensation plans. This week we are looking at stock options. Stock Options There are 3 basic forms of stock options that we will review today. We will look at them from most to least common: Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) are the most common form of stock...
By: Paul Horn, CFP®, CPWA®, Senior Financial Planner You’ve likely daydreamed about the future. A future where you spend the weekend relaxing in front of the lake, and your grandkids run while you open a bottle of fine wine. Reducing preoccupations and enjoying the small details in life come from hard work and dedication. Undeniably, money buys necessities and luxuries in life. Though somewhat...
You may donate money to charitable organizations throughout the year, for no other reason than your heart-felt desire to support causes that you care about. But if philanthropy is important to you, keep in mind that the associated tax breaks could potentially increase your ability to give. You might consider a more strategic approach to charitable giving, possibly as part of your year-end tax...
By: Henry VanBuskirk, CFP®, Wealth Manager When you google “Biggest Enemy of Retirement” you will get around 20 million results with answers such as (1) inflation, (2) lower interest rates, (3) higher interest rates, (4) procrastination, (5) taxes, (6) overspending, (7) whatever politician a talking head doesn’t like that day and (8) you. The answers to your questions, “I’ve saved...
A trust is a fiduciary arrangement that allows a third party or trustee to execute fiduciary functions on behalf of the beneficiaries. Under the traditional trust model, a trust names one trustee (or co-trustees) to oversee the investment management, coordinate trust distributions and perform all administrative responsibilities of the trust. In this model, nearly all decisions surrounding the...
The Biden administration has announced another extension for repayment of federal student loans to an unspecified date in 2023 due to legal challenges that have blocked implementation of the student loan debt relief program. The previous payment moratorium was set to expire on December 31, 2022. Under the new extension, student loan payments will resume 60 days after the student loan debt relief...
As we wrap up 2022, it’s important to take a closer look at any year-end investment decisions that could result in substantial tax savings. In terms of investment planning, investing in capital assets may increase your ability to time the recognition of some of your income and may help you to take advantage of tax rates that are lower than the ordinary income tax rates. You have the flexibility...
This short video discusses ambiguity aversion, just one of the many biases and habits that lead to poor investing decisions. Why do we typically choose known outcomes over the unknown, even if the unknown has significantly more upside? BFSG Shorts: Ambiguity Aversion Disclosure: BFSG does not make any representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or...
Christmas came early this year for the markets. The idea that falling inflation could mean that the end to the rate hiking cycle is not far off gave both stocks and bonds a boost. Here are 3 things you need to know: The October consumer price index (CPI) showed prices rose 7.7% from a year ago and 0.4% from the prior month, according to the Labor Department, both below expectations. Prices of...
The holiday season is a time when people are especially vulnerable to scams. This is because they are busy and often have their guard down. Criminals take advantage of this by circulating fake e-gift cards, posing as charities, targeting specific demographics, and so on. We will discuss Google's five most popular scams being circulated this holiday season. 1) E-gift card scams. With the holiday...
“Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.” – Charles MacKay What is Herding Bias? In behavioral finance, herding bias refers to investors' tendency to follow and copy what other investors are doing. When markets are volatile, it could lead to behavior that is not fully rational such as...
By: Paul Horn, CFP®, CPWA®, Senior Financial Planner I am under the firm belief that as long as the IRS exists, we have job security. Trying to understand and interpret the IRS feels akin to reading hieroglyphics with no formal training. Often the IRS will create a new rule, but it generally takes time for them to interpret and clarify the ruling. We have seen this occur with rules around how...
By: Paul Horn, CFP®, CPWA®, Senior Financial Planner As parents we always want to see our kids succeed and do better than we did. This means many times we want to invest in their future for various things. Most of the time parents want to save for education, but there could be other reasons to save. For example, helping them buy their first home, seed money to start their business venture, or...
By: Henry VanBuskirk, CFP®, Wealth Manager Investing is a broad concept that has a wide array of definitions that differ depending on whom you ask. If you ask a recent college graduate, parents in their early 40s with two young children, and an elderly retired couple to define what investing means to them, you will probably get three wildly different answers. They all have different...
Muhammad Ali, "I don't always know what I'm talking about, but I know I'm right." This quote from the greatest of all time, Muhammad Ali, sums up our next behavioral bias, “Confirmation Bias”. In other words, we start with a view of a particular topic and then search for information that upholds that view. From real-world examples in sports and the news, to how this bias may impact your...
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