Here’s a question for you, ladies. You’re out on a first date at a restaurant with someone new. You’re interested . . . not sure, but interested. It’s just a date . . . let’s see how the evening goes, you think to yourself. When it comes time...
by Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®
Everyone at some time or another needs some cash - and quickly! The question is, have you anticipated this need and saved into it? Or do you need to scramble? What follows is a list of ten helpful suggestions.
Here are 10 places to...
By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®
What follows is one of my all-time favorite quotations, from Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland. The background is that Alice has come to a fork in the road and wonders out loud which way to turn. The Cheshire Cat materializes, and the...
By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®
My industry – financial planning and investment management – unwittingly puts a lot of pressure on people to retire. We all have retirement accounts and look forward to the day when we no longer set the alarm clock. Planning for...
By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®
I can now pay for a Tesla with Bitcoin. And the Mayor of Miami wants to pay City employees in Bitcoin and allow tax payments in the same cryptocurrency. Honestly, until I can go into Bloomingdale's and buy a shirt with Bitcoin, it doesn't much...
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by Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®
With mortgage rates so low, we’ve been looking at mortgage refinancing for a few of our clients lately, to see if it might be in their best interests. Here’s what we know:
- For those with strong credit, 30-year rates are just below 3%,...
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...
