Things that won't change in 2010.
Published January 5, 2010 5988 Views
The first decade of the 21st century is now behind us. To say that is was a bumpy ride would be an understatement. Overall the S&P 500 lost just less than 25% of its value over the 10 year period. Yesterday George blogged about the events that shaped the decade and as important as it is to know what...
Will They Ever Come to a Decision on Estate Tax?
Published January 4, 2010 6252 Views
It was eight years ago when a law was enacted to briefly repeal the estate tax for individuals passing away in 2010 and then bring it back in harsher terms for those passing after 2010. Many of us thought that the current Congress would undo the impending repeal and permanently or temporarily keep...
The Year & Decade Past
Published January 4, 2010 6170 Views
To start our new year and new decade let's take a look at where financial markets have been over the last 10 years:
2000: the top news story was the US presidential election which ended in a photo finish and was decided by the Supreme Court. The Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 ended with a loss of 9% f...
Are We Experts in You?
Published December 31, 2009 6821 Views
We've been getting a lot of feedback about the new T.V. spots and the most common is surprise over how we managed to "find so many actors" among our clients.
None of the clients featured in the spots are professional actors, and none were given a script to read; the reason everyone seems so natur...
Pay Yourself First
Published December 31, 2009 6342 Views
No matter how hard you try to avoid it, sometimes it seems like your day-to-day living expenses just eat away at your entire paycheck. Putting money away for the future may be the last thing on your mind. Even so, you need to remember that taking care of your longer-term financial goals is just as i...
A larger tax break if you have children in College
Published December 30, 2009 6799 Views
My daughter's home from college for the holidays but unfortunately the Vassar bursar's office doesn't extend the same break to me when it comes to paying tuition!
However, the American Opportunity Credit (which was introduced as part of the stimulus package) has replaced the previously-offered Hope...
Municipal Bonds May Be Good For Your Portfolio
Published December 30, 2009 6192 Views
If your investment portfolio consists of only equities, you may want to diversify. Stocks and other equity securities are an important part of your investment mix, but you may also want to consider some fixed income investments like municipal bonds. These will not only provide you with federal- and,...
Coca-Cola in the Congo: Looking ahead in the post-recession global economy
Published December 29, 2009 6244 Views
It is probably fair to say we've moved beyond the bear market. With the benefit of hindsight, it is common sense to ask: would we have done anything differently? For my part, it's difficult to say with any conviction that I would have. I bought stocks for clients that I thought were strong but prove...
A Not-So-Trivial Pursuit for Families this Holiday Season
Published December 29, 2009 6621 Views
It's that time of year again where families get together to enjoy each other's company, exchange gifts and eat too much. But often times after the last cookie is gone and the gifts are all unwrapped we find ourselves searching for the next conversation piece.
Here is one suggestion: Consider taking...
Senate-passed health reform bill: Who's paying for the cost?
Published December 28, 2009 6100 Views
It seems to me that the average taxpayer will be paying a sizable increase in federal taxes to prevent higher cost for health insurance. The Senate's passage on Christmas eve of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act sets the stage for the next difficult hurdle in passage of comprehensive h...