Throwback

You learn a lot by the discipline of reading old news.

Whenever the IRS challenges you, the burden of producing evidence that your claims are true rests entirely with you.

Form ADJ of the 760 lines 8a – 8c are where you report miscellaneous deductions.

Some states do not tax their residents on income from a mutual fund that was earned on U.S. government obligations.

Roth conversions pay off. Repeat it to yourself now. Repeat it to yourself at tax time. Roth conversions pay off.

Luckily, reporting and using your tax credits on your state tax return is very straightforward.

Don’t let stress about tax filing requirements keep you or your child from a powerful opportunity to provide for their future.

The strangest fluke of the tax return is that the actual calculation of how much base tax you owe does not have a form; it has this worksheet.

The 25 lines are so simplified, they end up being difficult to follow what exactly they do. So, for those of you who are curious, here’s what they do.

The given numbers on a 1099-R are insufficient to be able to fill out your tax return correctly. Knowledge of what was actually done is required in order to file your taxes accurately.

Following this guide, you should be able to easily download any account documents you want.

The class will be held virtually on Zoom each Thursday from noon to 1:00 PM EST between March 10 and March 31, 2022.

This 2020 article is for tax preparers of the world. If you did a backdoor Roth this year, send it to yours.

Be sure to remember to tell your tax preparer that you did a QCD.

Why do people do Roth conversions? Should I? This timeless article and video answers all your questions.

This 2020 article reminds us that if you ever sad about the size of your IRA balance, it might be a good time to convert to Roth.

Many people think that Roth IRA contributions can only be from earned income. Those people are only half right.

Many financial writers get the answer to this question wrong.

The tax code is confusing. Are inherited IRAs taxed at estate rates? As income? At all? This article answers.

A 2007 article that stands the test of time. This is the year you should keep your financial resolutions. Getting help from an objective advisor can provide both a powerful catalyst for action and real peace of mind.

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.

Hopefully, some of these ideas inspire you to reuse various treasures you didn’t know you had.

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.

As this 2003 post remind us, “The worst financial problems stem from trying to live a champagne and caviar lifestyle on a beer and chips budget” and it has a few common sense rules to uncommon cents savings.

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.”

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.

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.

Many adult children are returning to live at home somewhat involuntarily. What can parents do to help? This 2011 article offers some wisdom.

This 2014 article reminds us: don’t wait until you “have more” or “make extra money” – start saving now! It is worth more.

Unfortunately, there is no correct answer to this question, but here is what we do know.

Long-Term Care insurance is too risky and too expensive. If you can self-insure, you will likely be better off.

I have enjoyed rereading the journal of my maternal grandfather, Donald Mortlock. He started writing it on his 75th birthday.

There are five ways that both you and the government could make charitable giving more significant.

The selection of what products we purchase or avoid for clients is based solely on what we believe gives our clients the best chance to meet their goals.

Here are several tips on how to live richly on your own.

This five-part series on “How to Get Out of Debt” will try to address the concerns of those who have debt problems.

Although emotions do mature with age, many of the things that upset toddlers upset adults too, we just hide it better.

For domestic tasks like babysitting there are often two options: independent contractor or household employee. Taking the time to educate yourself on the difference may be worth your while.

In general, you can use 529 funds to pay for your student’s off-campus housing costs. However, housing is one of many expenses that are subject to a reimbursement limit.

Punishing people for inflation is neither fair nor good economic policy.

Knowledge and emotion can play off each other in ways that cause investing mistakes.

Investors greatly underestimate the danger of inflation.

This 2015 article reminds us how unspoken expectations can cause relational strife but a written contract can protect the relationship.

One method of crowd sourcing expectations about inflation is to look at the current differences between the maturity rates of a 5-Year Treasury Bond and a 5-Year Treasury Inflation-Indexed Bond.

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.

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.

The addition of stable investments can help dampen the risk and increase the chances of meeting your spending goals.

This 2016 article reminds us that, “Unless you are certain that are going to die young, there is no good reason to risk starting Social Security at age 62.”

Avoiding PMI, if possible, is better for your long-term finances. Here are three strategies to avoid PMI.

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.