by Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®
In this post I’d like to give a little history and background on the advice industry. It may not grab you right off as being the most compelling reading, but please stick with it. I have some valuable points to develop. In Part II I go into some of the changes in ou...
by Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®
The IRS tax code sets forth rules and regulations under which US taxpayers remit monies to the federal government. Our taxes, along with borrowing, supply the US government with its operating funds. The tax code also encourages certain behaviors, and discourages other...
Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®
In what should I be invested?
We make no recommendations before completing our due diligence. Only after we have a clear picture of your risk tolerance, income needs, tax situation, time horizon, and cash flow position do we make any investment recommendation.
There’s no...
by Jonathan G. Cameron, CFP®
To me an annuity in an IRA is usually a dead giveaway that the client worked with a salesperson and not a financial planner.
Annuities, like any other tool, are not inherently bad. They work best when they do the job they were designed to do – and that job is income di...
By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®
A lot has happened in our regulatory world since I posted the original blog piece, The Advice Industry. The DOL rule is void. The SEC is now working on final new rules for standards of client care.
The government regulates this industry – investments, advice, and i...
by Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®
I know many people reading this blog post have never engaged a professional financial planner before, and may be a bit anxious about what to expect. So let me tell you all about working with a financial planner at CameronDowning.
The First Meeting is Always Complimen...
by Jonathan G. Cameron, CFP®
Although there are many similarities these are two very different kinds of insurance. Disability insurance coverage protects wages lost due to an illness or accident. In contrast, long term care insurance is designed to help cover costs of health care services. Typicall...
By Jonathan G. Cameron, CFP®
What is a Roth IRA?
One of the most popular ways to save for retirement is in a Roth Individual Retirement Account, or a Roth IRA. Roth IRAs first came out in 1997 after being championed by former Senator William V. Roth of Delaware. Tax-wise, a Roth IRA is basically ...
by Jonathan G. Cameron, CFP®
A Roth conversion means taking your Traditional IRA, or some portion of it, and turning it into a Roth IRA. Whatever dollars are converted become taxable to you right then and there.
Who should consider a Roth conversion?
In a previous post we went into the Roth I...
by Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®
In this post I’m tackling a tax topic: The difference between ordinary income taxation and capital gains taxation. What’s the difference and why is it important to know? One word: taxes.
The IRS taxes your income, as you know, but it also taxes profits. If you buy a ...
by Glenn Downing, MBA, CFP®
In a previous entry I discussed the difference in taxation of capital gains property vs. ordinary income property. That piece discussed what happens on your form 1040. This piece looks ahead to your eventual mortality. What happens when you die and bequeath these ass...
By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®
With this blog post I’d like to share some thoughts about investment risk tolerance.
Generally, we think about risk as a bad thing – something we want to avoid. “I won’t drive faster and risk a speeding ticket”, and, “No, baby, that dress doesn’t make you look fat,” ...