Author Archives: Megan Russell

Teresa Ghilarducci is just wrong here. There is no qualification that can make Ghilarducci more right.

It is relatively easy for fee-only fiduciaries to answer the question “How much do you charge?” The only fee they collect is the fee that the client directly pays them.

A reader asks, “As her descendant and agent following the rules as written, it is my understanding that I could gift myself $14,000 each year. But can I really?”

Incentives matter. If you are going to get a financial advisor, you need to select a fee-only advisor because you need to find an advisor you can trust.

At Marotta Wealth Management, we believe that a team collaborating on your behalf provides you with better service.

Predicting future inflation is difficult at best.

Sometimes, you should do what is right even though it is not what others want.

We believe that the basic principles of financial planning are the same no matter how many zeros you add.

If this is the approach you want for your financial planning, give us a call to get started today!

If you run a retirement plan at your company, you are responsible to perform periodic reviews to ensure that the plan is the best it can be for participants

Given how few financial advisors have been through the education, certification, and experience require to obtain the CFP® mark, it is no wonder that so few so-called financial planners are actually providing comprehensive financial planning advice.

We offer comprehensive wealth management services.

We require each Investment Committee member to have, at a minimum, the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) or Chartered Financial Analyst ® (CFA) designation.

Although this 1040 looks smaller, it is not an upgrade for anyone except for the IRS.

Marotta Wealth Management (originally Marotta Asset Management) was founded in 2000 by David John Marotta.

There is unique tax planning involved though when an age 70 1/2 IRA owner was younger than the beneficiary.

When interviewing a new financial advisor, we believe there are at least ten important questions to ask. Then, just to be safe, we answered 32 frequently asked questions and welcome more.

Among its many changes, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created a new tax concept when it comes to managing the capital gains.

The capital gains tax is economically senseless. This 2014 post has fourteen of the loopholes the government’s gain tax unintentionally incentivizes.

We have four tenets of quality defining our customer service here at Marotta.

On June 5, 2018, David John Marotta and Megan Russell appeared on Radio 1070 WINA’s Schilling Show to remember June 5, 2013 and discuss our modern surveillance state.

This 2015 article reminds us of the benefits of umbrella insurance. We recommend $2 to $5 million of umbrella coverage for typical families with assets over $300,000.

An investment manager who is “at times a soft socialist” like Voss will be more likely to engage in active management, market timing, and gambling on individual stocks.

We are very pleased to announce that Courtney Fraser is our newest Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) at Marotta Wealth Management!

On this day in 2013, Snowden revealed the U.S. government was actively pursuing the constant surveillance of everyone’s digital life.

At best, it is a crutch holding you up. At worst, it is a ball and chain holding you down.

We were surprised by our survey of the registered firms in the Charlottesville area.

According to Internal Revenue Code, in order for an account to be a 529 account, the custodian must meet six requirements.

It is commonplace for special interest groups to use lobbyists to gain control of their own industry’s regulation. This failure where interests group seizes control of a governmental power is called “regulatory capture.”

It might continue to boom. It might continue to bust.

We, the shareholders, do not like being treated this way.

Sadly, the IRS is very clear about this; contributions must be cash.

Be brave. Fund your Roth. Convert your IRA. Pay your tax bill. Your future self will thank you.

Even though we recommend Vanguard as a custodian for our readers who are just starting out with investing, they are not our first choice when it comes to Donor Advised Funds.

A 2014 post called “7 Strange Questions That Help You Find Your Life Purpose” has seven good questions for life planning. Here’s the radio edit version of that post.

On April 10, 2018, David John Marotta appeared on Radio 1070 WINA’s Schilling Show to discuss the question: What is worth using the government’s threat of violence?

Depending on your particular case and Social Security agent, you may get your surcharge waived, lowered, or upheld.

Luckily for Roth lovers like us, you don’t have to choose between Roth conversions or Roth contributions.

I began my DIY journey learning about science, so it feels best to start you there as well.

2017 was such a good year for the stock markets that it set a record.

As the parent, it can be hard to know what to do with a cash gift for a baby.

I recently stumbled upon an interesting website called OK to Die which has resources for preparing for and dealing with either your own death or the death of another.

You can take the RMD out as early as January 1st or as late as December 31st, but when should you?

On March 13, 2018, David John Marotta appeared on Radio 1070 WINA’s Schilling Show to discuss finding a life you love. Also in this show: what David Marotta thinks about his own life calling and a discussion of healthcare and insurance in retirement.

If you choose to make a QCD, we suggest saving as much documentation as possible.

Fraud is the enemy of the free markets. It is theft through deception.

Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, you are still allowed to make nondeductible contributions and still allowed to convert IRA assets to Roth IRA.

Turns out, Charlottesville is not the only area to have their recycling services change this year. In fact, the world’s recycling is affected.

The markets may fail the Utopian Vision, but only because our Tragic world fails the Utopian Vision.

One obscure way we earn our fee is in how we bill you.