A private trust deed is simply a loan made against a real estate investor’s property. In other words, it is a private mortgage. Trust deeds and mortgages have slight differences, but for this discussion it’s fine to think of them as very similar.
Read MoreEquity markets around the world posted negative returns for the quarter. Looking at broad market indices, emerging markets outperformed developed markets, including the US.
US equities underperformed both non-US developed and emerging markets.
After declines of 10% or more, equity returns over the subsequent 12 months have been positive over 70% of the time.
The increased market volatility in the fourth quarter of 2018 underscores the importance of following an investment approach based on diversification and discipline rather than prediction and timing.
Finding the right financial advisor to partner with from a practical standpoint has been, well, a source of much frustration for many CPAs we know. So we’re putting together a sketch of how accountants who want to expand their margins, offer a higher level of service to their clients, and grow their practices through partnering with a financial advisor should go about finding the right one.
Read MoreA recent article in Bloomberg revealed some shocking data about women being underpaid relative to men – in the progressive technology sector, of all places. As per a study by Carta, “women hold 47 cents for every dollar of equity men do” (Greenfield, 2018). These results should not be taken lightly; here’s why this imbalance may matter for female executives and what they can do to change it.
Read MoreStock options are great for established companies who want to reduce their tax bill, startups who don’t have a revenue stream, and many others in between. But do they always make sense for the employee? Here are some scenarios when you should push back on a stock option offer, and the questions to ask to avoid locking yourself into an unfavorable one.
Read MoreAs the holidays is when many people make charitable donations, it’s a good opportunity to brush up on your giving IQ. Are you making the right moves to maximize value for both you and the charity? How smart a charitable giver are you?
Take this 5 question quiz to find out!
Read MoreAs open enrollment season and the calendar year comes to a close, late-stage tax planning often comes into focus. Just sticking with your current employment elections may be mistake – there are several end of year tax planning options to consider. Here are a few items on the list for you to check as the year winds down.
Read MoreExecutives who are time-constrained yet serious about reaching their financial and investing goals commonly overlook one important factor: automation. Set up your plan so that it will be automatically executed without you having to remember what decisions were made. Automate, automate, automate! Here’s why…
Read MoreLooking at broad market indices, the US outperformed non-US developed and emerging markets during the quarter.
Quarterly Topic: Total Cost of Fund Ownership. The article starting on page 16 illustrates to importance of mutual fund operating costs and that investors should consider going beyond expense ratios when evaluating options.
If you have not already completed your year-end tax planning, now is the perfect time to do so. Don’t wait until December when the holiday rush kicks in and you and your advisors have less time to devote to this very important task.
Read MorePlanning a financial life for yourself is complicated enough with competing goals such as pursuing a career, raising a family, saving for college and saving for retirement. But what about when an aging parent needs help or when an adult child moves home?
Read MoreOne of the best ways that modern retirement has changed for the better is the high amount of retirees embracing the decision to stay active. Whether you’re working full time, part time, or pursuing your own dream business or an “encore career”, it should be factored in to your Social Security strategy.
Read MoreTax planning ranks low on the list of activities people enjoy. Yet despite how astronomically large the tax bill can be in April, after tax season many people do not sit back down with their tax professionals to do in-depth planning.
Read MoreAs of this month, Financial Alternatives is rolling out a Personal Financial Management platform called eMoney for our clients. This portal will provide clients with secure access to real time values of all of their accounts across various custodians including held-away 401K accounts and liabilities such as student loans, mortgages, and credit cards.
Read MoreLooking at broad market indices, the US outperformed non-US developed and emerging markets during the second quarter.
Almost all currencies depreciated vs. the US dollar.
Last year International Developed Stocks and International Emerging Stocks outperformed US Large Stocks.
Year-to-date US Stocks are outperforming International Stocks.
For the 10 year period from 2000–2009 the S&P 500 lost -9.10%. International investments logged significant gains during this period.
With cybercrime constantly making headlines, it’s no wonder that some people have resorted to avoiding the web altogether as a way to prevent exposure to this risk.
Think again.
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