By Glenn J. Downing, MBA, CFP®

Child:  But Daddy – that’s not fair! 

Daddy:  Well, son, life’s not fair.  Whoever said it is lied to you.  Fair is where you go to ride rides. 

Anyone who’s ever been in one of my CFP® classes has...

Ah, greenbacks, lettuce, clams, or Benjamins – no matter what we call it,  cash is still king!  There are few places in the world that will not take the American dollar as payment.  I fact, I can only think of two:  inflight on American Airlines, and Uber.   

...

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®

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...

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...