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A Scary Statistic: Savings Rate in the U.S.
I recently wrote an article titled “Top 4 ways to Improve Your Retirement Score.” It was timely because budget was one of the most common topics that our clients preferred to discuss in both December and January.
Gas Prices Now and Then
Absent in the news is how gas prices have slowly come down since the summer of 2022. The biggest culprit is the lack of demand coming out of China due to their Covid lockdown policies.
Your Cheat Sheet to Google's Stock Vesting Schedule
Google employees often find that they are met with generous compensation packages. Google Stock Units (or GSUs) are often a large part of your compensation package, which is great, but let’s unpack how these work and how they are taxed.
Predictions Sure to Be Wrong and How to Reduce the Impacts
Here are some of the most discussed predictions for 2023, none of which have yet to become reality.
Secure Act 2.0: What You Need to Know
President Biden signed the omnibus bill into law on December 23rd, 2022. The massive $1.7 trillion spending package funds the government until September, avoiding a government shutdown.
Updates to Washington State's New Capital Gains Tax
If you’ve been keeping up with the recent changes in Washington’s taxes, you know that in 2021, the WA State Legislature passed a 7% capital gains tax on the sale or exchange of long-term assets to include stocks, bonds, and other types of assets and investments.
How to Navigate a Tech Layoff
Losing a job can be a difficult and stressful experience, especially for tech workers who may have specialized skills and a competitive job market. However, there are steps that tech workers can take to mitigate the negative impact of a layoff and position themselves for future success.
Why Everyone Needs an Umbrella Policy
Your financial plan should not only focus on accumulating assets, but also on protecting current and future wealth. Umbrella coverage is insurance on your current and future financial plan by protecting your net worth.
3 Estate Planning Documents Everyone Should Have
Do you have these 3 necessary documents in your estate plan? Learn how to account for each area in your estate plan and ensure your loved ones are taken care of with these tips and considerations.
3-Step Financial Planning Strategy for Tech Professionals
No matter who you are or which tech company you work for, everything about your financial situation will be unique based on you, your goals, and even your family. In other words, "one-size-fits-all" advice just won't work for tech professionals – especially when Amazon, Google, and other tech giants have unique compensation plans compared to other industries.
Top 4 Ways to Improve your Retirement Score
There are many forms of THE question. What’s my retirement number? Can I retire based on what I’m doing? How much money to do I need in the bank? How long do I have to work? Retirement is not the end-all, be-all for financial planning, but these are the types of questions we hear from clients who are new to the practice of financial planning.
The Moment We No Longer Talk Inflation
The market will have already rallied by the time inflation is tamed because of the market’s forward-looking nature. On the minds of investors will be a possible recession or the next big thing. There’s always something on the horizon.
Bear Market Rally or Bottom?
October and November were great performance months so far in 2022. Is it sustainable or more of a relief rally? No one knows but based on data, it looks like a possible trend.
Individual Bonds vs. Bond Funds
Bond funds and single bonds ultimately invest in the same thing but due to the nature of credit risks, maturities, and yields, the way investors own bonds can have different outcomes.
Will This Year Make Us Better Investors?
We can’t assume market movements are tied to the narrative of the moment. There’s a lot of noise trying to find answers to the volatility. Let’s reflect on 2022.
Update to the Update on Series I Bonds
Dropping from a 9.62% interest rate, Series I Bonds have been reset to 6.89%. Bondholders are getting a lower rate because inflation growth is slowing.
Retirement Spending in Perspective
This year has been tough for most retirees who aren’t earning wages to invest more. Diversification hasn’t worked because both stocks and bonds sold off. Exacerbated by easy money policies over the past decade, savers had to stretch their risk budgets to earn meaningful yield.
Managing Concentrated Stock Positions
Lots of companies offer stock options, stock awards, or match 401k contributions with stock. Employees will build these positions over time and may not realize how much of their worth is tied to a single company.
Maximizing Microsoft’s Charitable Giving Program through a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF)
Microsoft has led the tech industry by consistently improving the benefits that it offers employees. One such benefit is the Microsoft Giving Campaign. This provides a one-to-one match up to $15,000 per year, to a non-profit 501(c)(3) of your choice. This means that an employee can donate $15k to a charity that they care about, and Microsoft will match the full donation, dollar for dollar.
Market Update: Waiting for the “All Clear”
October ended with a slew of pretty bad news. On the flip side, the market went up. Read more to learn what to expect for November’s market outlook.
How Today’s Bond Pain can be Viewed as Future Gain
Interest rate risk is the component that bondholders are experiencing now. The Fed is currently raising rates to slow spending, therefore, reducing inflation to more acceptable levels.