Don't Move Employer Stock into Your IRA!*

*That is, don’t do it without reading this first. 

If you have employer stock in your company retirement plan, there are some special tax benefits that you’ll lose if you put that stock into an IRA.

Generally, when you leave your employer you’ll roll your...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

This piece is the third in a Social Security trilogy.  The first is Social Security Benefits, and the second is Taxation of Social Security. 

A common question I’m asked in a financial planning engagement is this:  Glenn, should I plan on receiving Social Security?  ...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

I thought I’d put together a short list of the most important ages in financial planning.  The ages on the list changed a bit in 2020, so a review is in order.  Look up your age and see what’s happening for you!

Age 21 – UTMA account becomes the child’s 

An account ...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

Some of the biggest fortunes made in the United States have been made in real estate.  Think about it:  you use someone else’s money (via a mortgage) to make a purchase.  It is a passive investment in that you collect the rents, pay the bills, and keep what’s left ove...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

I get a lot of questions on this topic, particularly for people thinking of real estate investing as sort of a retirement pastime.  So I thought I’d go into a little bit.  Here in Part I I’ll address cash flow issues, and how to determine if a particular property will...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

This is a really personal list.  It is complied from years of observing the human condition and reading good novels.  It is intended to be humorous, yet I’m fully aware that it might hit some raw nerves.  So for the intrepid souls out there, read on . . .

Counting do...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

This blog post builds upon a previous one:  No, Darling, because we can’t afford that.  I’m sharing some thoughts about teaching children to be financially responsible. 

What Was the First Trip?

My second trip?  What was the first?  My first trip to Europe I was 13,...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

A friend recently suggested that I write a piece about children and money.  At first I thought myself unqualified, as I have no formal education in this area.  But then I got to thinking that, as a father and now grandfather, that I might have something useful to cont...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

This is a big topic and a big part of financial planning for retirement.  The statistic is that by age 75, 75% of us will have needed some long-term care.  So the question is, how can I prepare for this risk financially? 

A principle of risk management is to insure ...

By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

What is the best tax bargain out there? 

Is it the 529 college savings plan?  Let’s see.  That is funding with after tax dollars, but the funds grow without taxation and come out without taxation when used for qualified higher education expenses.  That’s a double ta...

by Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

As I noted in Part I, an annuity is a complex financial animal.  It can be used as a tool to accumulate funds on a tax-advantaged basis.  It can also be used efficiently to distribute funds in later years, which is my focus here in Part II.   

A Stream of Payments I ...

Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

An annuity is a complex financial animal.  It can be used as a tool to accumulate funds on a tax-advantaged basis.  It can also be used efficiently to distribute funds in later years.  Here in Part I I’m focusing on the accumulation phase.  In Part II I’ll cover distribu...