When Friends or Family Ask for Money
Posted on April 1, 2015 by bob in MoneyWise
If you have family and friends and live long enough, someone sometime is probably going to approach you for financial assistance. While no rules exist to dictate the right decision in such a case, the answers to a few questions can help you choose a course of action. The 10 questions below may not cover everything […]
Inherited IRAs: Know the Rules
Posted on February 28, 2015 by bob in MoneyWise
IRAs are a great tool for retirement. Thanks to their popularity, you might be a beneficiary of someone’s IRA. If so, you need to know some of the rules affecting inherited IRAs. (The rules for Roth IRAs are different and this article does not apply to them.) Much of what you need to know hinges […]
Be Generous AND Save: 5 Year-end Tips
Posted on November 30, 2014 by bob in MoneyWise
For many reasons this is the time of year when people commonly think of giving, sharing and generosity. One reason is the celebration of Christmas and Hanukkah with their traditions of gift giving. Another is that year-end marks the deadline for charitable gifts that are tax deductible. If you are feeling magnanimous, here are five […]
A “White Christmas” at Thanksgiving
Posted on November 1, 2014 by bob in MoneyWise
Since November is the month when we celebrate Thanksgiving, it seemed appropriate to reflect both on the bounty we enjoy and how we respond to it. As a fan of old films, I am reminded of the scene in White Christmas where Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) tells Betty Haynes (Rosemary Clooney) about his practice of […]
Plan for the Inevitable: Part 4 of 4
Posted on October 4, 2014 by bob in MoneyWise
Through the years you have likely accumulated lots of stuff which now fills your home. Some of your possessions have clear economic value, while others have sentimental value for your family. With regard to estate planning, categorizing these as “financial assets” (those with purely economic value) and “legacy assets” (those with nostalgic value, regardless of […]
Planning for the Inevitable: Part #3
Posted on August 30, 2014 by bob in MoneyWise
While finances are an important aspect of our lives, we are more than an accumulation of financial accounts and material resources. In preparing for our inevitable day of departure from this life, we can make it easier for our loved ones to manage the events following our departure by providing them with certain non-financial information. […]
Your Electronic Estate: Who Controls It?
Posted on August 1, 2014 by bob in MoneyWise
If you use online banking, social media, save photos in the cloud, have an e-mail account or Dropbox where you retain important information, you have “electronic assets.” As a result, you also probably have potential electronic entanglements. Last month we started looking at preparation for the inevitable—the day when someone else will have to manage […]
Before you go…
Posted on June 30, 2014 by bob in Financial, MoneyWise
Life is fragile. Brief. Uncertain. None of us has a guarantee that we will be here tomorrow. While facing our physical mortality may be emotionally unpleasant, it is wise to acknowledge the reality that death will inevitably come to us as it does to all men (and women), and make preparations to assist those who […]
Money & $tress Don’t Mix
Posted on May 29, 2014 by bob in MoneyWise
One of the keys to a successful and satisfying life is the quality of the decisions one makes. Unfortunately, a long series of good choices can be undone by a single destructive decision. For example, the media seems to provide daily examples of people who spent a lifetime building up a sterling reputation, only to […]
Where to Retire? 5 Critical Questions
Posted on May 1, 2014 by bob in MoneyWise
One of the great things about retirement is you are not compelled by work to live in a particular place. You get to choose on the basis of your own values and preferences. While this sounds great, it is a fact that having more choices often makes reaching a decision harder than it would be […]
