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Primer on Individual Taxes
Tax planning to minimize tax liability and maximize after-tax returns starts with an understanding of Form 1040, the tax return filed annually by individual taxpayers. My goal in this article is to give the reader a “primer” on Form 1040 and the key considerations that will impact your tax...
The Reemergence of the Blue Chip Nifty Fifty
“A blue-chip stock is the stock of a large, well-established and financially sound company that has operated for many years. A blue-chip stock typically has a market capitalization in the billions, is generally the market leader or among the top three companies in its sector, and is more often than...
Navigating Macro Choppiness
At the 2016 Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting, Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger were asked about the impact of negative interest rates when valuing a business. Warren’s answer touched on the peculiarity of the current environment and how it impacts decision-making at Berkshire Hathaway....
Gift and Estate Planning
Whenever you transfer assets to another person, whether during your lifetime or at death, there are potential federal and state tax consequences. Good financial planning can help minimize taxes and also help you better accomplish your gifting objectives. Although most households will not face Gift...
Long-Term Thinking
The sideways market of 2015 became even more indecisive in the first quarter of 2016. The S&P 500 Index stumbled out of the gates, and was down more than 10% by early February. In the ensuing weeks, the Index made a strong turn higher, ending the first quarter up marginally. At quarter end, the...
It’s a Mixed-up Investment World!
Source: Strategas The most successful investment theme in 2015 centered on investing in high growth stocks like Alphabet (formerly Google), Amazon, Facebook and Netflix. In a slow growth economy, investors placed a premium on companies that could deliver high revenue growth. Thus far in 2016, by...
The Silver Lining
Two thousand and fifteen was a challenging year for investors. Outside of some very large companies with high growth rates (Amazon and Facebook, among a few others), the majority of stocks in the S&P 500 ended the year with negative returns.
Legacy Planning
Within the last year, my husband and I revisited our estate plan. In the end, we felt confident that we’d accomplished all the usual objectives—protecting and preserving financial assets for future generations, minimizing taxes, and so forth.
How Much Do I Need for Retirement?
Legg Mason posed the question “how much do you need for retirement?” to a group of “mass affluent” investors (aged 40 – 75 with more than $200,000 in investable assets). Those surveyed said they would need at least $2.5 million to maintain their current standard of living. According to the...
Entrepreneurial Estate Planning 
Over the years, a number of clients and friends have approached me to assist them with their estate planning needs. Because my legal license is inactive, I don’t draft estate planning documents. However, with over 30 years of experience in administering estates and trusts, I can often bring an...