This post isn’t meant to minimize the human impact that the Coronavirus has on those affected but simply share perspective on the impact of the outbreak to the markets and a well-diversified investment portfolio. With Coronavirus fears dominating the headlines this week and pushing the markets into correction territory (defined as down 10% or more) it’s worth reviewing some... Read More
In this post, we provide actionable items that you can do to help reduce your tax bill in any season of life, as well as actions to take in the three phases of your financial life – working, at retirement, and in retirement. As humans, it’s in our DNA to crave action in moments of uncertainty. It’s the fight or flight... Read More
Checklists are a great tool for year-end tax planning so I’m writing to share two that we regularly use. Whether you’re a corporate employee, a business owner, or you are retired, it is likely that there are tax optimization opportunities to consider implementing before the end of the year. It is also likely that the optimization that is best for... Read More
A common concern we hear from many we talk with is: how do I make sure my family is taken care of if something happens to me? While not a fun topic to dwell on, being proactive is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your family—and there may even be benefits for you in doing so. As... Read More
This past weekend marked the 38th running of the epic Hood to Coast (HTC) relays. For locals in the Portland area, most of us have either run, volunteered or have friends participate in the HTC. For those not familiar, HTC is a relay race that starts in the Cascades on Mt. Hood, moves through the Willamette Valley and Portland, and... Read More
The common perception is that as you age, or more specifically as you approach retirement, you should reduce the risk in your investment portfolio. In most cases, this means reducing exposure to the stock market and increasing exposure to fixed income (i.e., bonds). The goal is to dampen the ups and downs with the understanding that the potential upside is... Read More
Anyone contemplating retiring in the next few years already has a lot on their mind—wrapping up things at work and planning the next phase of life, getting financially confident they are ready to make the leap, building a retirement income plan, and navigating the healthcare transition that comes with leaving an employer. All essential areas to address but the retirement... Read More
Just like when it comes to investing, in business, most of the time, success doesn't happen by following the latest and greatest fad pitched by the guru of the month. But instead, it comes by getting the fundamentals right and doing the things most people ignore. With that in mind, here are three critical financial strategies that most business owners... Read More
Investing – Simple and Complex On paper, investing is simple - invest in a broad basket of stocks and over time you’re likely to achieve positive returns (historically speaking). Who hasn’t seen this chart before? Source: Dimensional Fund Advisors However, in practice, investing gets a little more complex when things like time-frame, objectives and preferences get factored in. ... Read More
Understanding Entity Structure Most small businesses are started by those that are particularly skilled and/or passionate about providing a service or product. For many, providing this service or product is the fun part of running a business. From technology consultants to golf pros, it’s the running of the actual business that causes headaches. Under the headache category often falls the... Read More
