Tag: Rick Brooks and Blankinship & Foster
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 […]
Take Some Time to Take Care of Yourself
We’ve all been dealing with COVID-19 for several months now, and as cases begin to mount again, I’ve been thinking a lot about an interesting conversation I had with my oncologist. First, I have to say those are two words you never want to use together: “my oncologist.” Just about two years ago, I was […]
Six Mistakes People Make with Annuities
Ask some financial advisors what they think about annuities, and their first thought is likely to be “Commissions.” They won’t say that, of course, but the reality is that annuity sales generate huge revenues for brokers and insurance agents. So it’s no surprise that they sell a lot of them. But are they good for […]
A Tale of Two Decisions
The stock market drop in February and March was the fastest drop of that magnitude on record. The recovery since late March has been equally breathtaking. In fact, many people we speak with are surprised that the broad stock market has completely recovered its losses for the year. During turbulent markets like these, investors face […]
Investing in the “New Normal”: Now what?
As I write this article, it appears that the current outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has peaked in most U.S. states. State and local lock-down orders are being eased, but it’s an open question as to what will pass for a new normal while the pandemic continues. Even as some states begin to open up, […]
