My money has value because I have values my money helps me achieve. In this season of New Year’s resolutions and old year evaluations, treat your imagination with the question: What’s the money for?
As we kept our spending frugal we gained enough margin to start businesses and employ people. And as employees find their area of genius, they help others through their productive work.
Q: I would like to see a portion of my investments make a difference in the world. Can you suggest an approach to socially responsible investing?
I realized that compounding was an awesome concept. Today those initially piddling amounts have grown to provide an enviable cash flow that allows me to live well and give to worthy causes.
One of my favorite things I’ve been able to do with money was something I did after finishing school, moving, and getting my first full-time job. I was out on my own, and I wanted to do something extra once I was independent.
New rules go into effect January 1, 2012 which change the way you need to compute the cost basis for mutual funds if you use average cost accounting. We recommend you change the method you use to something which allows better tax management.
Financial resolutions usually don’t even last until the end of January. Making a permanent change in our behavior requires both time and a steely resolve. We can only develop financial character one action at a time. Here are seven practices to take you from pauper to prince or princess if you add one each year.
When our children were young, we decided to budget for memory making. Birthdays, holiday celebrations and family vacations became our primary memory making tools. We invested in birthdays.
What is my favorite thing I’ve done with money? Feed others.
I recently established the “Moving Forward On Your Own,” charitable gift fund, which benefits widows and their families.
Q: I received a letter from a nonprofit organization to which I regularly donate suggesting I may be eligible for state tax credits. Can you please explain what this means?
“One of the young men was leaving for Afghanistan the next day.”
David John Marotta was featured on WINA 1070’s Rob Schilling Show on December 14, 2011. The topic was the high cost of regulation, leaning libertarian, and the roots of David’s leaning libertarian.
Other than Ebenezer Scrooge in Dickens’s story “A Christmas Carol,” Tiny Tim is certainly the most memorable character. Dickens used the boy in the story to soften the hearts of both Scrooge and his readers toward the worthy poor.
An article by David John Marotta on how to glean information from your IRS 1040 tax return was featured in the latest Nov/Dec 2011 issue of NAPFA Planning Perspectives.
George Marotta, also known as “Papa” to me, is quite a fount of wisdom and knowledge. In this post, I give you Papa Marotta and a little bit of wisdom I managed to get him to share on grandchildren.
I can’t control the markets, but I can focus on what is important.
Q: We plan to use appreciated stock for charitable giving and are looking into using a Schwab Charitable Fund. Do you have any feedback on this strategy?
We’ve made contributing to microfinance a part of our annual charitable giving and in lieu of gifts to one another.
The best money decision I have made is purchasing the property I use for my business. The advantages are far greater than those of owning vs. renting a home.
To interest me, a game must have a simple but thought-provoking premise that allows for deep strategy. I’d never played Farmville but decided to recently because the parent company, Zynga, is going public this Thursday, December 15, 2011.
The “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (PPACA), is misleadingly named. It has neither protected patients nor made healthcare more affordable.
With impulses reeling, it is easy to find a gift that children will appreciate but difficult to find one that they will love to have. The gifts that I loved to have and the presents that I still cherish are the vocational gifts that my parents purchased for me.
“Sleeping well at night knowing our household is 100% debt free is truly priceless.” – Manisha Thakor, personal finance expert & author.
Q: I inherited shares of five stocks from my parents, who died many years ago. I am now 70 years old and would like to gift them to my grandchildren. How do you recommend I do this?
“Sunrises in my rocking chair, sipping coffee and watching the fog unveil each day.”
True life planning begins when you realize you are unique. There will never be another you in the history of the universe. Your calling is yours alone. Understanding yourself is the first step in managing your financial affairs to support your life plan.
Fun has no price tag and cannot simply be ordered online plus $3.99 shipping and handling. It’s true that money can enable experience but it cannot replace it. There is an art to having fun and it needs to be taught.
Even though money was tight, having margin in our budget for unknown unknowns kept us from punishing a student simply because they lacked experience bidding painting jobs.
Just a few weeks ago, my wife and I were going to join a diverse group of friends for dinner. My wife said we would bring dessert but on the day of the event, there was no time for baking.
Perhaps one of the most important parts of wealth management is learning what questions are worth asking.
“We tax cars, land and corporations. It is a good thing that people don’t have to pay them!”
It isn’t crazy to suspect that the FDA does as much harm as good. And if you begin to suspect that, you are on your way to admitting that you might be more libertarian than Republican or Democrat
In the midst of this turmoil, especially after this past summer’s sharp drop, many investors wonder if they should put all of their investments into something safe and avoid the markets altogether.
Often times I wouldn’t buy for myself what my parents thought was needed. Items my parents thought were essential for me to own were purchased by them.
In the process of building wealth, saving a penny on your taxes is just as important as earning a penny in the markets.
Here are three reasons to make time for thanksgiving during this national holiday weekend.
Americans are a generous people, and the end of the year is the time of year when most people do their charitable giving.
Christmas is coming. This is the time of year to consider charitable giving. Let us assume you have decided you want to give appreciated stock instead of writing a check. Now what?
My original attraction to libertarian ideals started in political theory and theology rather than in politics. This is not surprising because I did both part of my undergraduate work and three years of my postgraduate work in philosophy and biblical studies.
Although sock drawers might be able to protect wealth from physical thieves, inflation is the dastardly villain who will raid it. As a child, I did not know of such economic forces let alone that they had an influence on my humble stash.
Unnecessary regulation annoys the good guys, and doesn’t stop the bad guys.
Q: I have put my investments in bonds until this global economic crisis settles down and the economic woes of the European Union subside. Do you have any suggestions for indicators that I should look for to get back in?
Although the house does not pay me any money on an ongoing basis, I think it will represent a very good return on my money invested should I decide to sell.
Our daily articles this month at MarottaOnMoney.com are focusing on the ideas of libertarian politics. Last week I listed the first three reasons why I lean libertarian. Here are four more reasons I lean libertarian.
David John Marotta was featured on radio 1070 WINA’s Rob Schilling show on November 8, 2011. The topic was why David leans libertarian, an appropriate topic for Election Day 2011.
One reason that many people buy things that they could have done without is “functional fixedness.” Teach children to prevent unnecessary purchases by making efforts to help them see other possible uses of owned objects.
I was flattered to learn that I received several write in votes from among those dissatisfied with the choices presented on the ballot.
Q: It’s annual enrollment time, and my employer is now offering a health insurance plan with a $3,500 deductible and otherwise similar benefits as an alternative to our conventional HMO health plan. What do you recommend I do?
This is what makes the stock market in some countries better than others. Make sure that you understand freedom investing for your portfolio.