Although I usually blog about financial topics. Now and then I like to switch it up and get personal. That's the case here - a few observances of the absurdities in modern life. I hope you are amused!
--GJD
I Got Carded!
While on vacation recently I stopped at a store to pick up...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®
457 plans are a type of retirement account offered largely to certain governmental employees. We see them available typically to police officers and fire fighters as an avenue for supplemental retirement savings. The 457 is a place to accumulate...
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,...
By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®
As many of my readers know, I have been teaching the CFP® curriculum to those preparing for the exam for many years now. Most are experienced professionals; all must have at least a bachelor’s degree; many have advanced degrees or are practicing...
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...
By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®
As a financial planner, I work with a lot of couples planning for retirement. Retirement brings on a sea-change in thinking. Up until then most people have been in an accumulative stage of money management – saving up against the day they stop...
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...
