Articles

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.