Rick Brooks
Rick Brooks's Latest Posts
Insuring Your New eBike
During the Pandemic, I’ve seen more and more people out riding electric bicycles (“eBikes”) than ever before. In downtown San Diego, they’ve become pretty common, as they do make the hills a lot easier to navigate. So, I was intrigued recently when we were discussing property and casualty insurance market with our resident specialist and […]
What is Sustainable Investing?
One of the more interesting trends in the investment industry is a shift by investors towards a greater use of sustainable investment strategies. This isn’t a new thing, but it is a trend that has been accelerating in recent years as global warming has become more of a concern. So it begs the question, just […]
Don’t Let Taxes Alone Drive Your Investment Decisions
Taxes are a factor that has to be considered when making investment decisions, but they are not the only factor. As we’ve often said: don’t let the tax tail wag the investment dog. Planning investment decisions around existing tax rates is relatively straight forward. You can estimate your income and your capital gains for the […]
The Three Secrets to a Satisfying Retirement
As we work towards retirement, the financial services and marketing industries bombard us with images of happy people traveling, playing golf and walking on the beach; a permanent vacation. The reality is a bit more mundane: the average retiree spends most of their time (after sleeping) watching television. For those preparing for retirement (and even […]
Medicare Advantage has a (VERY) dark side
If you’ve been stuck at home watching TV for the past 12 months, you’ve almost certainly seen at least one ad in which Joe Namath, the former NFL star, is promising all kinds of perks if you sign up for Medicare Advantage instead of ‘regular’ Medicare. It sounds like a great deal, and in some […]
Inflation – Here to Stay?
The single greatest question facing investors at the moment is what will happen to inflation. This was highlighted with the grounding of a large freighter which recently blocked the Suez Canal, cutting off shipping between Asia, Europe and the U.S. East coast. Inflation affects interest rates and interest rates affect just about everything else. So […]
Revocable Living Trust – Essential California Estate Planning
A potential client recently asked me if trusts were really necessary. All of their assets were titled in joint name, so why go through the hassle and expense of creating a trust? Let’s start with Probate. Probate fees start at four percent of the first $100,000 and reach $9,000 on the first million. Having your […]
Hedging Your Investment Bets
The Wall Street consensus is that 2021 should be a pretty good year. With the vaccine rollout under way, the expectation is that consumers will begin to feel more comfortable doing things they’ve put off over the past few months. Travel, entertainment, dining out and other activities should see a boom as consumers return. When […]
Financial Planning: A Case Study
If you think financial planning is only for the rich, think again. People from all walks of life can benefit greatly from planning their finances. A recent situation I was involved in demonstrates how a long-term approach is critical, and how you need to be careful where you are getting your financial advice. Some family […]
