This is only a good idea if your financial advisor is covered under the fiduciary duty and is fee-only.
Everyone needs some fun in their life, and sometimes fun costs a little money. This 2004 article shares six guidelines for dealing with purchases that might be considered frivolous.
This throwback to Libby’s first article at Marotta teaches us how to be prepared for life’s expenses and plan ahead for all future goals.
This article from 2011 reminds us that if the debt ceiling is reached, the consequences will be large but not entirely harmful.
While it is always true that a recession will come eventually, shifting to bonds whenever one is predicted has serious consequences.
Form ADJ of the 760 lines 8a – 8c are where you report miscellaneous deductions.
This 2007 post teaches how to use both investment losses and investment gains to good tax advantage.
This series on each Bear Market helps remind us that there is nothing to fear.
This is a summary of the six steps required to create a well-crafted investment plan.
Charles Schwab offers both SIPC® account protection and a FDIC insurance amount for accounts custodied with them.
This 2008 article reminds us that anyone who spends more than 4% of their rebate will actually lose ground saving toward their retirement.
This 2011 article reminds us that there will never be another you in the history of the universe. Sometimes that is just the reminder we need.
This 2014 article reminds us: don’t wait until you “have more” or “make extra money” – start saving now! It is worth more.
Using the analogy of a peach orchard farmer compared to a doomsday weather watcher, David Marotta reminds us in this 2004 article that “For the speculator, speed is everything. Not so, for the investor.”
Following this guide, you should be able to easily download any account documents you want.
Financial planning can be romantic. As this 2011 article reminds us, “nothing is more romantic than planning how to realize your shared hopes and dreams for the future.”
Tax planning is very different than tax return preparation. The goal of tax preparation is to minimize your tax owed this year. The goal of tax planning is to maximize your after-tax net worth by minimizing your taxes owed over your lifetime.
Saving for long-term care, if done early enough, is not too expensive and helps to protect yourself from this potential financial shock.
This 2014 post reminds us that perhaps we should be more afraid of cash and inflation than stocks and investing.
While you may think that the account owner needs to stay the same, you can easily change the account owner.
Doubling your retirement is not a fast process. It is the slow and steady practices of daily financial diligence.
If you receive Social Security benefits, the portion of those benefits which will be taxable depends on your income. The taxable portion can be anywhere from 0% to a maximum of 85% of your benefits.
This 2016 post has been our most popular search result recently for good reason. After the 2020 COVID bear market, this article is a comforting bit of math.
There are different tables and formulas used to calculate your RMD divisor based on your particular circumstances. This is a calculator for the three most common.
This 2004 post has ten timeless rules for small businesses to maintain their financial balance.
Want to do the new year well? Here is a month-by-month guide for setting financially healthy habits.
This 2008 article is an uplifting, timeless sermon.
This 2016 article reminds us that “there is a very simple place to start the process of changing our destiny: Each day notice the things that make you happy and try experiencing more of them.”
In “A Christmas Carol,” Ebenezer Scrooge calls Christmas a “humbug” because of the foolish way people celebrate it. This 2008 article reminds us that it is sometimes wise to simplify Christmas.
The worst financial problems stem from trying to live a champagne and caviar lifestyle on a beer and chips budget.
Did you know David wrote a Christmas novel? This 2020 book by David John Marotta and Brendon Marotta makes you rethink what is happening in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is one of the best stories for talking about economics. This 2003 – 2012 series uses the classic tale to illustrate different financial personalities, principles, and philosophies.
This 2014 article changed the way we enjoy our Thanksgiving turkeys. Turkeys have always been an interesting study for economics. Because of the consistency of their demand in America, the price of a Thanksgiving turkey can be used as an indicator of inflation. This article should give you something fun to discuss this year.
As the season of holiday shopping approaches, this 2018 article reminds us, “Before you throw your money at various companies, squirrel some savings away for your future self.”
A wishlist is a force of thrift both for you to defer your consumption and for your family and friends to ensure that all the value of their gift makes it to your heart.
This 2014 article is a good reminder of how interest rates work in our country.
Schwab has recently required that everyone with older checkbooks reorder new ones. This recent guide should help you with this process.
Inflation has at least four grievous effects on our economy. This 2014 article explains them.
Staying fully invested is an important part of your financial plan. Yet still, there are at least five reasons to hold cash.
Old financial news read with 20-20 hindsight helps remind us that this is what markets do.
As advertisers have found it harder and harder to reach consumers, they are continually seeking ways to gain your attention.
This article offers an overview of what we know about 529 reimbursement timing.
In this video, David used examples from our tax planning service to demonstrate what a Roth conversion plan might look like and how systematic Roth conversions can create a higher after-tax net worth in the future.
This post reminds us that there are at least four reasons to rebalance where the benefit can be demonstrated or measured.
Roth IRAs have one weakness, but the remedy is to have opened and funded your Roth more than 5 years ago. So do it today!
It is common for investors to be surprised by movements in their portfolios. This 2019 article reminds us though that even volatile movements can be quite normal.
When you get out of the markets, you have made a huge gamble with your retirement money, and now the stakes are high.
Unfortunately, neither “yes” nor “no” is a correct answer to this question.
While you can only use $3,000 per year of capital losses to reduce your taxable income, you should bank as much capital loss as possible for other future uses.
A recovery after a significant downturn in the markets is often marked by steep growth. If you sell and flatline, you will likely miss the market’s natural recovery and thus your own personal future recovery becomes very difficult.