Taxes in Retirement – Case Studies
Key Takeaways: When you’ve spent your adult life working and saving, retirement is a big change. One item that will both change and remain the same is taxes. Your income sources will be different, each with their own intricacies in the tax code, but at the end of the day, you will still likely be […]
Taxes in Retirement – Case Studies
Key Takeaways: Your sources of income will change, but you will still owe taxes in retirement. In general, your principal (or “cost basis”) will be returned to you tax-free. A diversified portfolio protects in down markets and provides flexibility when planning for taxes. When you’ve spent your adult life working and saving, retirement […]
Tax Law Changes Loom at the End of 2025
We are only a few weeks from the Presidential election and, as of today, there is no clear leader across the various polls. In addition, control of the House and Senate is also not yet clear. The result of all these races will have a massive impact on how tax law is handled, particularly as […]
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Educating Heirs on Student Debt
One of my favorite television shows is Shark Tank, which shows aspiring entrepreneurs pitching their business plans to seasoned investors, the “sharks,” in hopes of an investment. The sharks use their own money to invest, so they ask tough questions to help evaluate the business’s potential. Have they demonstrated sales? How much does it cost […]
Getting Creative with College Funding
In our previous discussions about college planning, we’ve discussed where and how much to save while acknowledging that these questions require several assumptions. Is it sensible to make saving for college a major financial goal when there’s no guarantee the child will attend? That’s a tough question for families and for this reason, we favor educating […]
Retirement Saving Myths and Misconceptions
We are fortunate to have a very educated and knowledgeable client base, but we are consistently surprised by the myths and misconceptions clients and prospects bring to the conversation. Below I have listed my Top 7 Myths and Misconceptions About Retirement Savings; it is by no means a complete list but highlights the most common […]
The Forgotten Costs of Car Ownership
Key Takeaways: As we continue to discuss cash flow topics in our Ballast Atheneum, we considered it relevant to discuss car related payments. Among the more common things we find that tends to break a budget are the often-forgotten costs of car ownership. It’s easy to remember the monthly loan or lease payments, insurance premiums, […]
Cash Flow – The “B” Word
For many individuals, families, and even companies, the infamous “B” word causes undo stress, and anxiety, and at times, can even lead to arguments. As we look at our financial goals, many lists reference this “B” word as something they hope to achieve or implement. Today we will discuss the core of cash flow planning… BUDGETING! Budgeting […]
Second Mortgage Planning Strategies
Home Equity Loan vs. Home Equity Line of Credit For many households in America, the equity built in their home is one of their largest assets on their balance sheets. Historically, this asset has provided growth in value, as well as an opportunity to obtain a secured loan from a bank for short-term or long-term […]
Planning for RMDs
The vast majority of people save the bulk of their retirement funds in qualified retirement accounts (401ks, 403bs, etc.) and IRAs. Through regular saving and long-term growth of the investments inside these accounts, a typical account holder hopes to develop some type of an income stream during their retirement years. According to the US Census […]
The Importance of Tax Diversification
When most people think of diversification, they primarily focus on a proper mix of portfolio assets. As we have noted in the past, we target an asset mix of non-correlating assets for our clients. This could include stock, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, REITs, etc. However, one area of diversification that is often ignored is […]
