My wife and I have a 5 year old. In fact, he just turned 5 this month. We also have a 3 year old (“3 and a half!”, he likes to say). We could not love them more. No matter how much time we spend together, soaking in these precious years, I can’t get past how fast they grow up. It amazes me how quickly they go from newborns to…
We often get questions about the various ways to save and pay for college expenses. Many people are aware of the benefits and availability of 529 plans (either pre-paid tuition plans or college savings plans). However, did you know you can also use Roth IRA funds for educational expenses?? In fact, for purposes of Qualified Higher Education Expenses (QHEE), you can withdraw funds from a Roth IRA prior to the…
In the media there is a lot of talk about the Federal Reserve Board (“the Fed”) and its chairman, Ben Bernanke. The Fed is often charged with managing the country’s monetary policy. Monetary policy helps manage the amount of actual money in the financial system and helps establish interest rates for US borrowers. Currently, the Fed is taking extraordinary steps to keep interest rates low in order to help facilitate…
Clients have been listening to us discuss the record low interest rate environment and what it means for the future of their investments. Interest rate declining since the 70’s have fueled economic expansion, equity returns and bond returns alike. However, rates cannot decrease below zero, and if you have a savings account, you know we are near zero. This article highlights how clients who need to live off their investments…
Traditional investment asset allocation exposure has been built upon the securities country of domicile. So, if you were looking to gain exposure to China, you would buy securities of companies domiciled in China. However, a more interesting approach is beginning to go more mainstream, where asset allocation is now built not upon domicile, but upon how much revenue a specific company generates from a certain region or country. This means…
Have you ever thought about making a charitable donation but want to give to several different charities? Navigating the paper work for each individual charity and its restrictions on what can be donated can prove to be no small task. What if you could donate to a single fund and then have it gifted out to all of the charities you choose in a streamlined fashion at the time and…
Ever met anyone over the age of 100? Do you plan to live past 100? Most of my life I would have answered no to both of these questions, but more and more as I meet or hear of people living to a ripe old age, I figure what the heck- I guess I will shoot for 101. So, what next? I better plan for my money to last. This…
It is my pleasure to announce that Luke Collova has joined Bear Mountain Capital. Originally from Saint Paul, Minnesota, Luke moved to the Northwest in 1998. He is a graduate of the University of Puget Sound with a degree in Business Administration. He comes to Bear Mountain Capital after spending 7 years in the commercial insurance industry. In addition to managing insurance agency partner relationships across the Northwest, Luke was…
What follows is an update from Laura Hoexter and Xan Gerson of Helsell Fetterman regarding the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, signed into law on January 2nd, 2013. Helsell Fetterman is a local law firm located in Seattle, WA, whose Estate Planning and Probate group is headed by Laura. Her group maintains expertise in many areas, including estate planning, trust administration, generation skipping transfers, and family business succession planning….
It is around this time of year, starting in October, I sit with my clients to review their long-term financial plans. Planning is tedious, often frustrating, but one of the most important elements to a person’s long-term financial security. Financial security is different for everyone, some want to only plan for retirement, some want to have funds set aside for emergency or a rainy day fund. Others would like to…
