Warren Buffett is one of the greatest investors and philanthropists of all time. What can we learn from his charitable giving, and how can we apply it to our own giving strategies?
The main point of charitable giving is making the biggest impact. However, when we plan our giving carefully, we can save on taxes and put even more money to good use. There are many considerations, such as when, how much, and which charities and causes to support.
Losing a spouse is awful, and getting hit with a larger tax bill only makes things worse. Thinking about death is never fun, but failure to plan could mean serious tax issues for a surviving spouse. This is what’s often called the “widow’s penalty.”
Married couples enjoy many tax benefits, including higher thresholds for marginal tax brackets and higher standard deductibles. When one spouse dies, there may be some changes to income, but there likely won’t be as large of a change in living expenses.
The new year is upon us and with it comes resolutions and goals that you’d like to accomplish. However, as we can all agree, it’s just not that easy.
If you’ve ever set a goal that you failed to accomplish, you’re not alone. Science says that only 8 percent of people actually achieve their goals. According to a study by the University of Scranton, a staggering 92 percent of people make New Year’s resolutions they never fulfill.
Kansas City is full of activities for virtually anyone – especially retirees. There’s so much to do, you might even have a hard time fitting everything into your schedule!
From professional sports teams to outdoor activities to fine arts, there’s truly something for everyone. Kansas City also has a rich history worth exploring as well. We’re a little biased, but Kansas City is a great place to retire!
This post was last updated on 20 June, 2023, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.
Money touches everything in our lives, but it doesn’t need to be the focal point of everything we do. Scrutinizing your money habits is a good thing, but you don’t want to constantly worry about each tiny detail of your spending. A full understanding of your money is good, so you don’t get carried away either – just don’t go overboard.
The safety of your money is important when working with a financial planner for the first time. You worked hard to save for retirement. Protecting your assets may be why you’re hiring a financial planner in the first place.
The type of financial planning professional, compensation models, business structures, and legal protections are all important considerations. Not all firms manage investments the same - some don’t manage investments at all.
Like it seems for just about every service profession today if you want to go the DIY route and figure it out for yourself, just Google it and you’ll be on your way. I swear I think there is a YouTube video for just about every DIY project you’re attempting to do around the house, with some being easier than others.
While it’s not quite that easy when it comes to managing your finances or becoming your own financial advisor, it can still be done. As long as you have the time and willingness to learn, you certainly can go at it yourself. Many people handle their personal finances themselves and do a great job.
Now that the holidays are over, it’s back to reality. For many – hopefully, not you – it means paying off all the debts you racked up from your extremely generous giving. Let’s just hope you had already budgeted for it and you were merely using your credit card to get the free rewards.
Regardless of whether you have debt or not, sometimes, unknowns pop up in our lives where we need to get access to money. If you don’t have it sitting in a savings account – which I’m sure you do if you’re an avid reader of this blog – you have to find it somewhere.
Ever thought somebody owed you something, but you just can’t remember what? Well, guess what, maybe someone does, and it might just be waiting for you in a state where you once lived. And, it’s actually not out of the ordinary to find your name on a state's unclaimed property list.
Believe it or not, states are holding onto BILLIONS of dollars in unclaimed property. And, because of unclaimed property laws, this money has to be returned to you if you ever come looking for it. In 2015 alone, over $3 billion was returned! Crazier than that, though, almost $8 billion was collected leaving another $5 billion uncollected. Trust me, there is a lot of it out there.
