You’ve raised a glass and sung Auld Ang Syne (I hope, after the last blog you did!), and now it’s time to say goodbye to 2022. What are we leaving behind? Culture The Mirriam-Webster dictionary word of the year was Gaslighting. Defined as “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s…
Don’t get caught flat-noted this New Year’s Eve! Rehearse your Auld Lang Syne now and wow your friends. Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot and auld lang syne? [Chorus – this part repeats after every verse] For auld lang syne, my dear for auld lang…
Yes, 2022 is quickly drawing to a close, but it’s not too late to help those non-profit organizations you love. Here are three quick tips for making the most of your charitable gifts for taxes. If you are age 70 ½ or older, you can take advantage of Qualified Charitable Distributions from your traditional IRA.…
Yep, your investments are down and so are your spirits. Those looking for a silver lining may be talking about tax loss harvesting. What does that even mean? Warning, if your money is all in retirement accounts (IRAs, Roth IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, this concept doesn’t apply. Tax loss harvesting is only for accounts where capital…
Maybe inflation isn’t all bad. Social Security checks are going up 8.7%, you can buy a 1-year CD earning 4.5% interest, and (for those who aren’t spending every last time on more expensive groceries) we are seeing a big jump in retirement contribution limits for 2023. To summarize: 401(k), 403(b), 457 plans: Under age…
The IRS has done it again. Taken an already unfortunate new rule about inheriting IRAs and made it even worse. To recap, if you inherited IRA/Roth IRA/Workplace Retirement Account money from someone who died in 2020 or after, the SECURE Act states that you must take that money out of the account within 10…
Okay, were you REALLY that much happier in your life back when your investments were worth 25% more? Probably, but research says that wealth is only part of the happiness equation. In years like 2022, it might be important to remember that. Thanks to Alert Reader Sean Sullivan for passing along this article from…
Three not-fun things to do at the Thanksgiving table Talk about how you voted in the mid-term elections. Stare at the football game. The Festivus Airing of Grievances one month early. Three more fun Thanksgiving activities Thanksgiving Mad Libs! Print out for free here. Have everyone take Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies Quiz on their phone.…
To find it? Recently I read an article about the U.S. Will Registry. It’s a free website where you can upload either the will/trust documents themselves or just say where you have your estate plan stashed. And who is allowed to see it. This seems like a great idea just in case: Your will…
Our dollars are buying less, but we still want to create great family memories for the holidays. Here are some ideas for creating special times without running up credit card bills (also with higher rates than last year). Groceries/entertaining When hosting large family gatherings, ask guests to contribute sides and desserts. Speaking of side…
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