Rick Brooks
Rick Brooks's Latest Posts
Auto Insurance and Delivery Driving
Delivery driving, whether for pizza shops or gig platforms, involves unique insurance risks that most personal auto policies do not cover. Personal use auto insurance typically will not cover business use of a car for things like delivering pizzas. Commercial auto insurance is required for anyone using their vehicle for business purposes, including food delivery. […]
Nine Important Retirement Milestones (Starting at Age 50)
I’m continuing the topic of properly preparing for retirement this month. Most people don’t really start thinking about retirement at age 50, but there are a few things you should be doing to set yourself up early for a comfortable and secure retirement. Age 50: Catch-Up Contributions Begin At age 50, you can start making […]
10 Essential Steps for a Smooth Transition to Retirement
A good friend of mine was recently forced into early retirement by changes at the Federal agency where he worked. Retirement is a major life milestone that requires thoughtful planning and preparation, so I wanted to write about how to properly prepare for such an important change. To ensure a smooth transition, it’s essential to […]
When to Make a Homeowners Insurance Claim: A Comprehensive Guide
Filing a homeowners insurance claim is a critical decision that requires careful consideration. While insurance is designed to protect you financially in times of need, not every incident warrants a claim. Understanding when to file can save you money, preserve your claims history, and ensure you’re making the most of your coverage. Assessing the Situation […]
Taking Over Your Parents’ Finances
I can state from first-hand experience that taking over your parents’ finances can be a challenging and sensitive process. As parents age, they may need help managing their money and bills. This can be especially true if cognitive impairment is occurring. But this transition often comes with complex issues that adult children must navigate carefully. […]
Retiring in San Diego – What about Taxes?
Retirement for most people is a significant milestone. Some can’t bring themselves to stop working, but for others it represents a significant change in both income and lifestyle. Living in a high-cost area like San Diego can bring unique challenges, particularly regarding taxes. It’s essential for retirees — or those on the cusp of retirement […]
Six Common Mistakes Trustees Make
Planning for the distribution of your estate is complex. There are so many variables to consider, like family dynamics, changing values and ever-changing tax rules. It can be easy to simply ignore the planning, but that just leaves your heirs to clean up a huge mess and often causes strife trying to figure out what […]
How Presidential Policy Choices will Affect Inflation
The average inflation (annual change in prices) has been about three percent since the end of World War II. There have been occasional spikes, but we got used to very low inflation since the Great Financial Crisis of 2008, averaging about 1.5 percent from 2008 to 2020. COVID changed that. With the economy shutting down […]
Your Car is Watching You
By Rick Brooks Have you read the terms and conditions of the applications installed on your car? Or your phone, for that matter, but let’s focus on your car for now. A couple of weeks ago, Kashmir Hill at the “New York Times” reported that users of General Motors OnStar services (including myBuick, myGMC, myChevrolet […]
