Search Results for: finance
A Conversation About Money
I can’t stand Andy Rooney. You know, the old guy with the ridiculously bushy eyebrows who ends every 60 Minutes show with a three-minute babble on a topic, usually as fascinating as designer toilet paper. I mean, three reporters have just given us 57 minutes…
APRIL 2011: What You Need To Know About - Tired of Volatility? Need Income? Try Commercial Real Estate
Most individual investors have access to a limited number of solutions to meet their financial goals. It is unfortunate, but high net worth and institutional clients have many more options from which to choose. In fact, the largest endowments and financial institutions benefit from diversification…
August 2010 - HE SAYS / SHE SAYS: If Someone Gave You An Extra $1,000 A Month (And You Couldn't Pay Bills Or Save It) What Would You Spend It On?
HE SAYS: I tend to be very conservative when it comes to spending money. I wouldn’t say that I’m a cheapskate, but I always try to get the best value for my dollar. This month’s topic presents an intriguing challenge for me: what to do with…
August 2010 - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The New Health Care Plan
Officially, it’s known as the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)” as amended by The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Or, as most of us call it, “ObamaCare.” I used to object to the latter title, but we’ve all been calling the Economic…
C2 GETS HITCHED - Marriage: The Great Money Merger
I am not a marriage counselor, nor do I play one on TV. I am, in fact, a financial “counselor,” frequently called to advise divorcing couples on the financial ramifications of their separation: settlement options, tax implications of division, financial picture post divorce, etc. From…
Can You Benefit from this Growing Trend?
With mortgage interest rates at or near historic lows, you may be wondering if it’s time to refinance your home. But declining property values and stricter mortgage lending standards may make it harder for you to capitalize on low mortgage rates, because you may no…
DEC 2012:WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TAX PLANNING
The Presidential election is over. Thank God! Now it’s time to stop whining and start planning. In the words of Winston Churchill, “Keep calm and carry on.” With that in mind, here is what you need to know about year-end tax planning. Overview Let’s take a moment…
Defining Your Legacy
When you are still firing on all cylinders, there may be no need to cut back on your retirement activities. Just because you have reached 75 and entered what the AARP labels the “older retirement years,” you don’t have to stop traveling, trying to perfect…
Distressed Real Property Your Options
Southern Beaufort County is among the hardest hit regions in the national real estate price crash. Property values here increased more than the national average in the preceding decade, and the area is dependent on discretionary purchasing of second homes, retiree relocation, and a continuously…
February 2012: What You Need To Know About - Getting Your Taxes Done Right
If you answered (e), you are Maggie Washo or an admirer of hers. The correct answer, however, is ©, because we CPA’s are more valued by society than any other professional (just my theory)and because the tax laws and audit standards are a constantly…
FINANCE: DISCIPLINED INVESTING HELPS KEEP EMOTOINS IN CHECK
Knowing that financial markets are constantly changing, it’s often hard to gauge when the best time would be to jump in. Trying to time your investments in this way can cause you undue stress and cost you financially when you try to invest by…
FINANCE: DUMP YOUR MUTUAL FUNDS
For the majority of individual investors, actively managed mutual funds seem like a great idea. You get the benefit of investing while letting someone else make the decisions. After all, they’re supposed to be experts in their field. This may sound like a good idea,…
Finance: Saving Enough for your 90's
Thanks to a range of factors — including medical advances, healthier eating habits and better fitness—Americans are living longer lives. Life expectancy in the U.S. recently hit a record 78.7 years,1 and the number of Americans living past age 90 has nearly tripled during the…
FINANCE: SAVINGS ON TAXES
In the early 1980’s, the top income tax bracket was a whopping 50 percent. As onerous as that may sound, “tax shelters” were readily available to reduce the actual tax bite. These “shelters” were investments that typically generated huge non-cash losses that would reduce taxable…
Financial Investment Opportunities For 2011
Conventional investment wisdom has always stated that investors seeking income should look to bonds – treasuries, high grade corporates – or possibly CDs to meet their needs. Events of the past two years have turned this convention on its head. Yields on CDs…
Focus on Finance
> Is Your Money making you Mad? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know times are tight and it’s time to keep an eye on your finances. Locally, there are several professionals who have weathered previous storms and are equipped to help you…
Get Ready for the 'What-ifs'
The future holds many uncertainties, and your retirement is no exception: “At What age should I retire?” “How long will I live in retirement?” “When should I start taking Social Security?” “How will rising medical costs affect me?” That’s why planning is so critical, and…
High Income, High Taxes - Invest in Oil and Gas Partnerships
Many individuals are looking for ways to reduce their tax liabilities and generate income from their investments. Sounds easy enough, but how can you accomplish both goals with one investment? One of the only strategies available to make an investment and receive substantial tax benefits…
Importance of Resort and Second-Home Ownership
Hilton Head Island and the Lowcountry are affected by resort and second-home ownership in many ways. When most people think about this type of ownership, they imagine owning a villa or ocean-oriented home in one of the oceanfront communities such as Sea Pines, Forest Beach,…
Investing Mistakes - 5 Investing Mistakes You DON'T Have to Make
It’s easy to have confidence in investments made during bull markets: share prices climb, and any losses from poor decisions are usually recovered fast. But times of increasing market volatility tend to magnify mistakes, and many investors may lose confidence in their decision-making. Let’s take…
Is it the Right Time to Buy a Home on Hilton Head? We know it is, and we are here for you!
If you are reading this article right now and would love to buy a home or family vacation home, or even downsize or upgrade, on Hilton Head Island, you’re not alone. But how do you know if it is the right time to invest your…
JANUARY 2011: What You Need To Know About - Getting Your Finances In Order
I’m one of those people who actually make New Year’s Resolutions, compiling a short list each January of things I want to achieve in the coming year. These resolutions range from the usual physical fitness and financial stuff to “I want to be a better me”…
JUNE 2011: What You Need To Know About - Equipment Leasing Funds: Don't OVERLOOK this Investment Option
Investors and investment advisors have always touted diversification through investments within the traditional asset classes such as stocks, bonds and cash. Most will use investment products like mutual funds or third party managed accounts to gain professional expertise in choosing the individual investments made within…
JUNE 2012: What You Need To Know About - Refinancing
Seems like every other piece of junk mail I get is a hyped up offer to refinance my current mortgage. “Refinance Now!” “Rates are at an historic low!” “Don’t miss out on this once and a lifetime opportunity!” As one who firmly believes that if…
Love & Money
Financial planning is certainly about money, but more importantly, it is about people and their relationship with money. Though this may sound corny or trite, my experience in this profession has taught me that all the good advice in the world is irrelevant if the…
MARCH 2001: What You Need To Know About - Equity Index Annuities
Snooze alert! Okay. I know this isn’t the most exciting subject, but you should know about this investment, because sooner or later, some financial person is going to pitch an Equity Index Annuity (EIA) to you and it’s going to sound really, really compelling—not Nigerian…
March 2012: What You Need To Know About - Senior Secured Loans in Private Companies: Now Accessible to the Individual Investor
After the financial crash of 2008-09, investors have been faced with many reasons to stay out of the public markets. The incredible level of greed that caused such a collapse and the resulting damage to investors’ portfolios may push more and more capital into fixed…
MAY 2011: What You Need To Know About - Rental Real Estate Taxation
People gripe all the time about the complexity of the U.S. income tax system. Other than March Madness, it seems to be our favorite topic of conversation. But, despite the fantasies of the fair or flat taxers, our income tax system will always be extremely…
May 2012: What You Need To Know About - Shadow Banking
There are entities operating in the financial system as though they are banks without being regulated as banks. These entities are large institutions comprised of private capital and are engaged in what is called “shadow banking.” They may be hedge funds, private equity firms or…
Need a Loan? Atlantic Community Bank will help you get it
Here’s the deal. You want to buy a car. Detroit rejoices! Your local car dealer rejoices. Your family rejoices. You’ve had your eye on that new Prius. But then you check your RSS feeds on the Web, turn on the television or open the newspaper only…
November 2010: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT - To Buy Or Rent: A New Paradigm
A shell-shocked Alan Greenspan testified to Congress in the fall of 2009 that a conceptual framework for the economy that had guided him for 40 years had serious flaws and that he was “very distressed by that fact.” It’s times like these that require us to…
October 2010: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT - Investing For Income
The stock market is a big, bad scary place these days, and many of us just want to stick our heads, figuratively, under the covers by stashing our money into FDIC-insured money market funds and/or bank CD’s. Trouble is, of course, that the interest paid…
Preparing For Your Financial Future - Provided by Kevin M. Savier, Registered State Farm Agent. Written by State Farm VP Management Corporation
When most of us think of investing, we immediately think of investing for retirement. While that is an important aspect to be considered, there are other pieces of the puzzle that are also important. Establishing a budget, investing early and regularly, and saving for post-secondary…
September 2010: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT - Annuities
Maybe you’ve seen it on YouTube: Suzy Orman is on MSNBC saying absolutely, definitely, no way should anyone buy a variable annuity; and then a woman calls in and explains that the basic death benefit in her deceased husband’s variable annuity netted her a bonus…
SEPTEMBER 2011: What You Need To Know About - South Carolina Incomes Taxes, Part 2
Who knew? After two years of writing articles on big subjects like Investing, Insurance, Federal Taxes, etc., I focused my last missive on the limited subject of South Carolina income taxes and got the greatest response yet from CH2 readers. Okay… I can take a…
Smart Financial - 5 Steps For A SMART Financial Start in 2012
If you pay attention to the news, you’ve seen governments around the world struggling to balance their budget and stay afloat. Ironically, the basics of balancing the income and expenses of a country are not that different from what you do with your own finances…
Stock Market? What Stock Market?
Have you gone into “stock shock?” Are you trying to figure out what to do with your money, other than deposit it in the Bank of Sealy Posturepedic (under your mattress)? James Lockhart, president of Harbor Light Wealth Management, and Robert Star, the firm’s managing…
Take Control Of Your IRA: Become Truly Self-Directed
You have worked hard your entire life, saved money and contributed to your retirement accounts. Now you are retired and are drawing on the income and possibly principal from your investments. You want to take charge of your investments but only have access to stocks…
Tax Provisions - Proposed Jobs Legislation's Tax Provisions Could Aid Small Business
The Fiscal Cliff and You
The drama behind the Fiscal Cliff turned out to mimic a reality show or soap opera more than politics. There were legitimate and material issues facing virtually every American taxpayer. It made for long and frequent articles, monologues on the evening talk shows, rhetoric and…
The Mortgage Mess: How We Got Here
So we find ourselves in a gut wrenching real estate market where home values have decreased by 30 percent or more and vacant lots by much more. Homeowners are being forced to negotiate short sales, being foreclosed on, or strategically defaulting on their loans to…
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT - Long-Term Care
I purposely left the word “insurance” out of the title to this article, because, insured or not, there is a good chance you are going to need long-term care. So, how are you going to manage it? Here’s what you need to know. DEFINITIONS The U.S. Senate…
What you need to know about Roth IRA Conversions
TRUST ME! I know this month’s topic seems a bit narrow and technical, but it is actually the hottest tax and personal financial planning issue of 2010. Expect, starting January 1, to be inundated with newspaper articles, mailings and even direct phone calls urging you…
What You Need To Know About...Real Estate Tax Advantages
Is real estate a good investment right now? Damned if I know. What I do know is that the tax laws related to real estate investment and ownership, particularly the ownership and sale of a personal residence, are a smorgasbord of goodies for taxpayers. Here’s…
What you need to know about… Estate Planning and Taxation
Let’s start with the basics: YOU ARE GOING TO DIE. Sorry, I didn’t mean to be the one to break the bad news, but someone has to do it. Apparently, many people have not gotten the word, because only 40 percent of all Americans have…
What you need to know about… Investments
Let me first be clear about what I mean by investments. “Investing,” as opposed to “saving” means putting your hard-earned money at risk, and this is not something you should consider doing until you have put away enough savings, as in cash and cash equivalents,…
What you need to know about… Retirement Planning
Retirement planning, financially-speaking, is a lifetime process. You need to start your plan during your first working years, tweak it constantly along the way and begin to finalize it perhaps a decade before you cash your last paycheck. Following are some pointers to help you…
What You Need To Know About…Mortgages (Part I)
I hesitated to tackle this subject because, as we’ve all learned in a very painful way, the world’s economies almost imploded over the complications from residential mortgages. Who am I, a simple, humble small-town financial planner, to try to explain a topic that befuddled the…
What you need to know about…South Carolina Income Taxes
When the subject of “taxes” comes up, the discussion is almost exclusively focused on federal taxes and the Internal Revenue Code. While these taxes are certainly the 900-pound gorilla in the room, state income taxes, at least in South Carolina, are more than just an…
What you need to know about…Year-End Tax Planning 2011
Year-end tax planning is as basic a financial exercise as balancing a checkbook or checking your credit score from time to time. Yet, my guess is, a ridiculously small number of taxpayers actually perform this vital function. If you are part of that vast majority…
What You Need to Know: The Financial Basics
The question I’ve been posing to friends all month is what basic financial advice to give to a 22-year-old who is fresh out of college and facing the stark reality of separation from the First Bank of Mom and Dad. Here are their consensus thoughts: No…
What you need to know… about being a “Personal Representative”
All the talk lately of “death panels” and “Pulling the plug on Grandma,” begs the obvious question: What do you do if you get the call that “Grandma” died and you’re the one in charge of her estate? If you are married or you’re a trusted…
Your Friendly Neighborhood Financial Advisors - MORGAN KEEGAN
Competitive doubles tennis, whether in jovial games between close acquaintances or hard-contested tilts among bitter rivals, requires team members have a good amount of trust—just as financial planning and management demands confidence between client and advisor. At the Hilton Head office of Morgan Keegan & Company,…
I can’t stand Andy Rooney. You know, the old guy with the ridiculously bushy eyebrows who ends every 60 Minutes show with a three-minute babble on a topic, usually as fascinating as designer toilet paper. I mean, three reporters have just given us 57 minutes…
APRIL 2011: What You Need To Know About - Tired of Volatility? Need Income? Try Commercial Real Estate
Most individual investors have access to a limited number of solutions to meet their financial goals. It is unfortunate, but high net worth and institutional clients have many more options from which to choose. In fact, the largest endowments and financial institutions benefit from diversification…
August 2010 - HE SAYS / SHE SAYS: If Someone Gave You An Extra $1,000 A Month (And You Couldn't Pay Bills Or Save It) What Would You Spend It On?
HE SAYS: I tend to be very conservative when it comes to spending money. I wouldn’t say that I’m a cheapskate, but I always try to get the best value for my dollar. This month’s topic presents an intriguing challenge for me: what to do with…
August 2010 - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The New Health Care Plan
Officially, it’s known as the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)” as amended by The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Or, as most of us call it, “ObamaCare.” I used to object to the latter title, but we’ve all been calling the Economic…
C2 GETS HITCHED - Marriage: The Great Money Merger
I am not a marriage counselor, nor do I play one on TV. I am, in fact, a financial “counselor,” frequently called to advise divorcing couples on the financial ramifications of their separation: settlement options, tax implications of division, financial picture post divorce, etc. From…
Can You Benefit from this Growing Trend?
With mortgage interest rates at or near historic lows, you may be wondering if it’s time to refinance your home. But declining property values and stricter mortgage lending standards may make it harder for you to capitalize on low mortgage rates, because you may no…
DEC 2012:WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TAX PLANNING
The Presidential election is over. Thank God! Now it’s time to stop whining and start planning. In the words of Winston Churchill, “Keep calm and carry on.” With that in mind, here is what you need to know about year-end tax planning. Overview Let’s take a moment…
Defining Your Legacy
When you are still firing on all cylinders, there may be no need to cut back on your retirement activities. Just because you have reached 75 and entered what the AARP labels the “older retirement years,” you don’t have to stop traveling, trying to perfect…
Distressed Real Property Your Options
Southern Beaufort County is among the hardest hit regions in the national real estate price crash. Property values here increased more than the national average in the preceding decade, and the area is dependent on discretionary purchasing of second homes, retiree relocation, and a continuously…
February 2012: What You Need To Know About - Getting Your Taxes Done Right
If you answered (e), you are Maggie Washo or an admirer of hers. The correct answer, however, is ©, because we CPA’s are more valued by society than any other professional (just my theory)and because the tax laws and audit standards are a constantly…
FINANCE: DISCIPLINED INVESTING HELPS KEEP EMOTOINS IN CHECK
Knowing that financial markets are constantly changing, it’s often hard to gauge when the best time would be to jump in. Trying to time your investments in this way can cause you undue stress and cost you financially when you try to invest by…
FINANCE: DUMP YOUR MUTUAL FUNDS
For the majority of individual investors, actively managed mutual funds seem like a great idea. You get the benefit of investing while letting someone else make the decisions. After all, they’re supposed to be experts in their field. This may sound like a good idea,…
Finance: Saving Enough for your 90's
Thanks to a range of factors — including medical advances, healthier eating habits and better fitness—Americans are living longer lives. Life expectancy in the U.S. recently hit a record 78.7 years,1 and the number of Americans living past age 90 has nearly tripled during the…
FINANCE: SAVINGS ON TAXES
In the early 1980’s, the top income tax bracket was a whopping 50 percent. As onerous as that may sound, “tax shelters” were readily available to reduce the actual tax bite. These “shelters” were investments that typically generated huge non-cash losses that would reduce taxable…
Financial Investment Opportunities For 2011
Conventional investment wisdom has always stated that investors seeking income should look to bonds – treasuries, high grade corporates – or possibly CDs to meet their needs. Events of the past two years have turned this convention on its head. Yields on CDs…
Focus on Finance
> Is Your Money making you Mad? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know times are tight and it’s time to keep an eye on your finances. Locally, there are several professionals who have weathered previous storms and are equipped to help you…
Get Ready for the 'What-ifs'
The future holds many uncertainties, and your retirement is no exception: “At What age should I retire?” “How long will I live in retirement?” “When should I start taking Social Security?” “How will rising medical costs affect me?” That’s why planning is so critical, and…
High Income, High Taxes - Invest in Oil and Gas Partnerships
Many individuals are looking for ways to reduce their tax liabilities and generate income from their investments. Sounds easy enough, but how can you accomplish both goals with one investment? One of the only strategies available to make an investment and receive substantial tax benefits…
Importance of Resort and Second-Home Ownership
Hilton Head Island and the Lowcountry are affected by resort and second-home ownership in many ways. When most people think about this type of ownership, they imagine owning a villa or ocean-oriented home in one of the oceanfront communities such as Sea Pines, Forest Beach,…
Investing Mistakes - 5 Investing Mistakes You DON'T Have to Make
It’s easy to have confidence in investments made during bull markets: share prices climb, and any losses from poor decisions are usually recovered fast. But times of increasing market volatility tend to magnify mistakes, and many investors may lose confidence in their decision-making. Let’s take…
Is it the Right Time to Buy a Home on Hilton Head? We know it is, and we are here for you!
If you are reading this article right now and would love to buy a home or family vacation home, or even downsize or upgrade, on Hilton Head Island, you’re not alone. But how do you know if it is the right time to invest your…
JANUARY 2011: What You Need To Know About - Getting Your Finances In Order
I’m one of those people who actually make New Year’s Resolutions, compiling a short list each January of things I want to achieve in the coming year. These resolutions range from the usual physical fitness and financial stuff to “I want to be a better me”…
JUNE 2011: What You Need To Know About - Equipment Leasing Funds: Don't OVERLOOK this Investment Option
Investors and investment advisors have always touted diversification through investments within the traditional asset classes such as stocks, bonds and cash. Most will use investment products like mutual funds or third party managed accounts to gain professional expertise in choosing the individual investments made within…
JUNE 2012: What You Need To Know About - Refinancing
Seems like every other piece of junk mail I get is a hyped up offer to refinance my current mortgage. “Refinance Now!” “Rates are at an historic low!” “Don’t miss out on this once and a lifetime opportunity!” As one who firmly believes that if…
Love & Money
Financial planning is certainly about money, but more importantly, it is about people and their relationship with money. Though this may sound corny or trite, my experience in this profession has taught me that all the good advice in the world is irrelevant if the…
MARCH 2001: What You Need To Know About - Equity Index Annuities
Snooze alert! Okay. I know this isn’t the most exciting subject, but you should know about this investment, because sooner or later, some financial person is going to pitch an Equity Index Annuity (EIA) to you and it’s going to sound really, really compelling—not Nigerian…
March 2012: What You Need To Know About - Senior Secured Loans in Private Companies: Now Accessible to the Individual Investor
After the financial crash of 2008-09, investors have been faced with many reasons to stay out of the public markets. The incredible level of greed that caused such a collapse and the resulting damage to investors’ portfolios may push more and more capital into fixed…
MAY 2011: What You Need To Know About - Rental Real Estate Taxation
People gripe all the time about the complexity of the U.S. income tax system. Other than March Madness, it seems to be our favorite topic of conversation. But, despite the fantasies of the fair or flat taxers, our income tax system will always be extremely…
May 2012: What You Need To Know About - Shadow Banking
There are entities operating in the financial system as though they are banks without being regulated as banks. These entities are large institutions comprised of private capital and are engaged in what is called “shadow banking.” They may be hedge funds, private equity firms or…
Need a Loan? Atlantic Community Bank will help you get it
Here’s the deal. You want to buy a car. Detroit rejoices! Your local car dealer rejoices. Your family rejoices. You’ve had your eye on that new Prius. But then you check your RSS feeds on the Web, turn on the television or open the newspaper only…
November 2010: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT - To Buy Or Rent: A New Paradigm
A shell-shocked Alan Greenspan testified to Congress in the fall of 2009 that a conceptual framework for the economy that had guided him for 40 years had serious flaws and that he was “very distressed by that fact.” It’s times like these that require us to…
October 2010: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT - Investing For Income
The stock market is a big, bad scary place these days, and many of us just want to stick our heads, figuratively, under the covers by stashing our money into FDIC-insured money market funds and/or bank CD’s. Trouble is, of course, that the interest paid…
Preparing For Your Financial Future - Provided by Kevin M. Savier, Registered State Farm Agent. Written by State Farm VP Management Corporation
When most of us think of investing, we immediately think of investing for retirement. While that is an important aspect to be considered, there are other pieces of the puzzle that are also important. Establishing a budget, investing early and regularly, and saving for post-secondary…
September 2010: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT - Annuities
Maybe you’ve seen it on YouTube: Suzy Orman is on MSNBC saying absolutely, definitely, no way should anyone buy a variable annuity; and then a woman calls in and explains that the basic death benefit in her deceased husband’s variable annuity netted her a bonus…
SEPTEMBER 2011: What You Need To Know About - South Carolina Incomes Taxes, Part 2
Who knew? After two years of writing articles on big subjects like Investing, Insurance, Federal Taxes, etc., I focused my last missive on the limited subject of South Carolina income taxes and got the greatest response yet from CH2 readers. Okay… I can take a…
Smart Financial - 5 Steps For A SMART Financial Start in 2012
If you pay attention to the news, you’ve seen governments around the world struggling to balance their budget and stay afloat. Ironically, the basics of balancing the income and expenses of a country are not that different from what you do with your own finances…
Stock Market? What Stock Market?
Have you gone into “stock shock?” Are you trying to figure out what to do with your money, other than deposit it in the Bank of Sealy Posturepedic (under your mattress)? James Lockhart, president of Harbor Light Wealth Management, and Robert Star, the firm’s managing…
Take Control Of Your IRA: Become Truly Self-Directed
You have worked hard your entire life, saved money and contributed to your retirement accounts. Now you are retired and are drawing on the income and possibly principal from your investments. You want to take charge of your investments but only have access to stocks…
Tax Provisions - Proposed Jobs Legislation's Tax Provisions Could Aid Small Business
The $447 billion American Jobs Act proposed by President Barack Obama in September has been cut down by the Senate and criticized by the National Federation of Independent Business and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for inadequate job creation provisions.
The Fiscal Cliff and You
The drama behind the Fiscal Cliff turned out to mimic a reality show or soap opera more than politics. There were legitimate and material issues facing virtually every American taxpayer. It made for long and frequent articles, monologues on the evening talk shows, rhetoric and…
The Mortgage Mess: How We Got Here
So we find ourselves in a gut wrenching real estate market where home values have decreased by 30 percent or more and vacant lots by much more. Homeowners are being forced to negotiate short sales, being foreclosed on, or strategically defaulting on their loans to…
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT - Long-Term Care
I purposely left the word “insurance” out of the title to this article, because, insured or not, there is a good chance you are going to need long-term care. So, how are you going to manage it? Here’s what you need to know. DEFINITIONS The U.S. Senate…
What you need to know about Roth IRA Conversions
TRUST ME! I know this month’s topic seems a bit narrow and technical, but it is actually the hottest tax and personal financial planning issue of 2010. Expect, starting January 1, to be inundated with newspaper articles, mailings and even direct phone calls urging you…
What You Need To Know About...Real Estate Tax Advantages
Is real estate a good investment right now? Damned if I know. What I do know is that the tax laws related to real estate investment and ownership, particularly the ownership and sale of a personal residence, are a smorgasbord of goodies for taxpayers. Here’s…
What you need to know about… Estate Planning and Taxation
Let’s start with the basics: YOU ARE GOING TO DIE. Sorry, I didn’t mean to be the one to break the bad news, but someone has to do it. Apparently, many people have not gotten the word, because only 40 percent of all Americans have…
What you need to know about… Investments
Let me first be clear about what I mean by investments. “Investing,” as opposed to “saving” means putting your hard-earned money at risk, and this is not something you should consider doing until you have put away enough savings, as in cash and cash equivalents,…
What you need to know about… Retirement Planning
Retirement planning, financially-speaking, is a lifetime process. You need to start your plan during your first working years, tweak it constantly along the way and begin to finalize it perhaps a decade before you cash your last paycheck. Following are some pointers to help you…
What You Need To Know About…Mortgages (Part I)
I hesitated to tackle this subject because, as we’ve all learned in a very painful way, the world’s economies almost imploded over the complications from residential mortgages. Who am I, a simple, humble small-town financial planner, to try to explain a topic that befuddled the…
What you need to know about…South Carolina Income Taxes
When the subject of “taxes” comes up, the discussion is almost exclusively focused on federal taxes and the Internal Revenue Code. While these taxes are certainly the 900-pound gorilla in the room, state income taxes, at least in South Carolina, are more than just an…
What you need to know about…Year-End Tax Planning 2011
Year-end tax planning is as basic a financial exercise as balancing a checkbook or checking your credit score from time to time. Yet, my guess is, a ridiculously small number of taxpayers actually perform this vital function. If you are part of that vast majority…
What You Need to Know: The Financial Basics
The question I’ve been posing to friends all month is what basic financial advice to give to a 22-year-old who is fresh out of college and facing the stark reality of separation from the First Bank of Mom and Dad. Here are their consensus thoughts: No…
What you need to know… about being a “Personal Representative”
All the talk lately of “death panels” and “Pulling the plug on Grandma,” begs the obvious question: What do you do if you get the call that “Grandma” died and you’re the one in charge of her estate? If you are married or you’re a trusted…
Your Friendly Neighborhood Financial Advisors - MORGAN KEEGAN
Competitive doubles tennis, whether in jovial games between close acquaintances or hard-contested tilts among bitter rivals, requires team members have a good amount of trust—just as financial planning and management demands confidence between client and advisor. At the Hilton Head office of Morgan Keegan & Company,…
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