Washington state has a new 529 college savings plan called the "Dream Ahead College Investment Plan." It is in addition to the Guaranteed Education Tuition Plan, or GET. For families who own GET units, the announcement of the Dream Ahead college savings plan is accompanied by
I am going to write about tax advantages and retirement savings. OOOOOOOOHHHHHH, did I have you at "tax advantages?" Did I also tell you that I didn't date much in my younger years? True facts about John Chesbrough. Most people worry about retirement (will I have
Saving for retirement can feel like a chore, like mowing the lawn, or getting a haircut. For me, a haircut is a chore because each month, sitting in the barber's chair I realize that I have less to work with. Also, I never know how
It is investment management report writing season for me, so this week I am going to write about investing. Investing and asset management is only one piece of financial planning, but it is a crucial one. Many of our long-term goals rely on the power
I noticed in February. My paycheck was higher than normal. Sweet! It wasn't the result of a raise; rather, it was a reduction of taxes withheld, in anticipation of a lower tax rate due to the 2017 Taxes and Jobs Creation Act (TJCA). Many people
Tax. I know of only two types of people who use the word with any sort of glee - accountants and Scrabble players. As with many disdainful or boring subjects, we often pay as little attention to our taxes as possible. This is unfortunate. Taxes
Have you ever vaguely thought that financial planning is something you should do, but you weren't actually sure what it was? In this post, I tell a story of one facet of financial planning: setting and achieving goals. In this case, I will tell the
Investing in the stock market can be unnerving. It's not like buying a car where you can kick the tires. It seems like the only thing you get with your investing dollars is a little digital number on your brokerage statement called "quantity of shares."
I don't like debt. However, like most people, I use debt - a mortgage, a loan for solar, credit cards, student loans (2021 update - no more student loans!), a car loan (2024 update - no more car loans!). Although I dislike it, debt is
Chop, chop, peppers and onions in the pan. "Now, where is that cumin?" I mutter to myself. I shuffle bottles around the spice drawer and my thoughts aimlessly drift. "Seed or powder? What is my daughter reading over there? She is going to go to