This year, we’re inviting a handful of our most trusted colleagues to share their ideas and expertise on topics of interest to our clients. For this blog, we’re happy to introduce you to Randy Koeneke. Randy is Managing Partner at Sierra Republic Insurance Solutions, a specialty property & casualty commercial insurance agency with a focus on non-profit […]
Throughout my time working in Financial Planning, I have come to realize that living without a cash flow plan is like traveling across the country without a roadmap. It can be accomplished but not without pain and wasted time. Only 40% of Americans have some kind of cash flow plan, but those who have it agree that[…..]
You have probably noticed the effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which was effective January 2018. Most notable for Californians was the $10,000 limitation on the deduction of State and Local Taxes (SALT limitation). Also included in that bill was the repeal of the “individual mandate” which requires everyone to purchase health insurance if they[…..]
You may have missed the news – buried in a much bigger spending bill and passed in the thick of the holiday season—but after months of nearly bringing it to the finish line, it’s now official: on Friday, December 20, 2019, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act was signed into law. The SECURE[…..]
The divorce process is commonly a long-drawn-out excursion filled with fear, contention, and emotion. In this article, I will lay out the basic steps of a divorce. I will go through a logical sequence and you should recognize that it is not always in this order. Many of these concepts are similar in all states, but divorce[…..]
What a year it’s been. Remember December 2018? As The New York Times reported at the time, “Stocks plunged in December [2018], posting their worst monthly loss since the financial crisis and the worst December since 1931 and the Great Depression.” It’s amazing how quickly memories fade and markets move on. Around this time last year, we[…..]
With the New Year (and new decade!) approaching, you may be thinking about resolutions for 2020. Beginning a new year can be an exciting and hopeful time and is the perfect moment to reflect and formulate new goals. These goals can range from changing bad habits to learning new skills, from refining existing skills to improving relationships[…..]
As we approach the holidays and the end of the year, many people plan to make gifts in November and December. Year-end gifts offer an opportunity to take advantage of tax deductions and encourage charitable planning for the year ahead. It is also a season of personal giving when we celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah. Whatever inspires your[…..]
Estate planning is complicated. In many cases, people simply sign a stack of documents at their attorney’s office and think the job is done. The result? A lot of mistakes, a lot of people falling into estate planning pitfalls. Here are a few that you should try to avoid. 1) Naming the wrong executor or successor[…..]
As the impeachment process gets underway in the House of Representatives, President Trump has famously tweeted that the U.S. stock market will experience a severe decline if the process goes much further. This has led many money managers and financial planners to take a hard look at history to see if there’s truth to his assertion. First[…..]
