It’s hard to believe there are just two full weeks left in 2012. The year end tends to be a busy time for us financial types and with the uncertainty surrounding future tax rates, this year will be busier than most. The first article below covers some of the high points of year-end tax planning – when it’s necessary, when it’s not and choices that are available to some taxpayers that allow them to accelerate or defer their tax burdens. In the financial planning tip, we take a look at ways to save on energy costs and incentives that exist for consumers to increase energy efficiency. Finally, in the question of the month, we provide some insight into determining how much long term disability coverage one might need. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please let us know. Enjoy the holidays, and we wish you a prosperous … Continue reading
It has been a busy few months at home. Ellison was born on August 2nd. She’s doing great and Mom and Dad are adjusting! One impact of having a newborn in the house was not having time to send out a newsletter since mid-summer, but things have settled down and we’re back on track with the newsletter schedule. In this month’s issue, we continue with our recent healthcare focus, and take a look at how you might save the next time your doctor recommends imaging for you. Our Financial Planning Tip of the Month should be of interest to parents and grandparents given that it covers college savings and 529 plans. Finally, in the Client Question of the Month we cover what’s known as phishing, and how to protect yourself and your financial information. Best regards, Micah Porter, CFA, CFP® The Changing World of Healthcare and Medical Imaging Micah Porter, … Continue reading
This month’s newsletter begins with an article on a topic that I deal with regularly – regulation. While proposed changes won’t impact our relationship with our clients, we believe they would be a negative for the investment public as a whole and the first article below lays out why that is the case. The good news is changes have been sidelined for now due to intense grass-roots pressure, but the issue will very likely be revisited by Congress at some future point. The second article below continues examining healthcare costs in retirement. This month’s column examines costs associated with Part D (prescription drugs) and discusses how one can estimate cost in this area. In the final column we adress the client question of the month – what criteria we use in deciding when to sell a fund. Lastly, my very pregnant wife insisted that I let you know – as some of you … Continue reading
One of the biggest concerns for those near retirement is healthcare costs. While Medicare is reasonably comprehensive, understanding what it covers and how much it costs is critical in trying to formulate a retirement budget. The initial article below is the first in what will be a series of articles on the various Medicare programs, and these particular articles will be cross-posted on the Forbes blog as well. Our financial planning tip covers Social Security, another key government program for retirees, and it details how to sign up for online Social Security statements. Finally, in our client question of the month, we examine a few steps you can take to protect against financial fraud. As always, if you have questions or article ideas, don’t hesitate to contact us and please feel free to forward the newsletter on to friends and family if you believe it would be helpful. Best regards, … Continue reading
Recently, I was asked to begin writing for Forbes.com. I thought an interesting topic for my first article would be a focus on how a financial plan can help at different stages in one’s life. That first column is below, and as I add additional columns, I’ll likely include them on the Minerva website as well. For the tip of the month, we take another look at health insurance and specifically experiences I’ve had recently in negotiating medical bills. Finally, the question of the month explains why you might see a temporary drop in the value of your account when securities are purchased. As always, feel free to forward our newsletter on to friends or family if you think it would be useful to them and don’t hesitate to send questions or feedback about the content. Best regards, Micah Porter, CFA, CFP® Early Career, Starting A Family Or Retirement: A … Continue reading
Although it doesn’t feel like it, the calendar shows that it’s late February, and that means that most of us will be filing our tax returns in the next several weeks. We’ve mailed out all the documentation our clients need from us for taxes, and if clients haven’t received 1099s from TD Ameritrade yet, they should in very short order. If you’ve got any questions about what documents you need for taxes, the article in last February’s newsletter (here) should be helpful. For this newsletter, I thought it would be useful to check in with what’s going on in the economy and the markets. The short answer is that things are looking better, but there are still real risks – primarily international – to the recovery. On the plus side, additional mortgage refinancings should begin to provide a tailwind in the coming months. As outlined in the financial planning tip … Continue reading
I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving. I had intended on sending this out prior to the holiday, but as events in Europe unfolded I thought it would be more helpful to wait until things reached a turning point and provide our views on the situation. The lead article below in this month’s newsletter does just that, and in it I summarize where things stand, where they are likely to go from here and the likely impact on the global economy. The tip of the month deals with something many clients enjoy – travel – and how one can find real value in credit card rewards programs that can be redeemed for travel. Finally, in the question of the month we examine the pitfalls of trying to squeeze higher returns out of what should be safe portions of your portfolio like the emergency fund and short term cash. As always, … Continue reading
The weather has turned pleasant here in Atlanta in the last week or so, and that has coincided with the beginning of what may be a systematic approach to European debt problems. Still, as with most political issues, the ultimate outcome is uncertain. While that uncertainty continues to exist, expect to see further market volatility. With that as preamble, I thought it would be useful to revisit the question in the first article below of what would trigger the unwinding of defensive positions in portfolios. One key to understanding our thought process is that we try to quantify likely market returns as opposed to relying on vague ideas of what the market might do. In the financial planning tip of the month, we delve into two pending legislative issues that will likely impact most investors. For both issues, industry associations we believe represent consumers well are on one side of … Continue reading
The first few weeks of August have brought a return to market volatility. We’ve sent out several notes on our thinking over the last few weeks, and in the initial article below, we bring you up to speed on our latest thinking regarding the underlying causes of the volatility as well as what it implies for future portfolio changes. One silver lining to the recent economic slowdown is the lower interest rates we are seeing across the board. This includes mortgage rates, and in the Tip of the Month, we provide some suggestions to those who might be considering refinancing. Finally, whenever sharp economic difficulties arise, interest in gold peaks and this time is no exception. In the Question of the Month below, we examine why investing in gold can be a challenging proposition. As always, feel free to forward this newsletter on to friends and family that might find … Continue reading
November 2012 Newsletter
It has been an eventful year, both here at home as well as in the wider world. With the election just concluded, Congress now faces the consequential task of addressing the expiration of the Bush tax cuts as well as automatic spending cuts. In the first article below, we take a look at the details of what the press is breathlessly hyping as the “fiscal cliff”, as well as what the associated changes in the tax code might mean for you. The question of the month stems from a recent call from a client who had received notice of a sharp increase in a long term care premium. Unfortunately, this is becoming more common as carriers seek to avoid losses on long term care, and in the column below, we provide a process to follow to determine your best option in addressing a premium increase. Finally, with Thanksgiving just a … Continue reading →