The Blog

The internet can be a confusing, anxiety-inducing space. The national news is downright scary (and tragic), and places that used to be the province of baby pictures and goofy status updates are becoming increasingly divided over cultural questions and differences. But on top of it all, finding good information about how to rightly handle your finances in light of the … Read More

Plans, plans, plans. We’re all about those plans. These days, we’re working with a fair number of our Oakland clients to get ahead of all of the changes to the tax code. Yes, there’s a larger standard deduction next year, and that might make sense for you. But I’ll tell you what DOESN’T make sense: not taking action now when … Read More

Firstly, I gotta say — we’re past the midpoint of October, and, well … the calendar is speeding up. Sure, looking back from an historical perspective might still enable us to find some deductions. But by the time the end of the year hits, it’ll be too late to fix problems like missing the new 20% QBI reduction, lost MERP … Read More

We just wrapped up all the extension returns for TY2017, and can finally place our gaze SQUARELY at what’s ahead. Which is a funny thing to say, because, well … for too many of our clients, we are continuously looking backwards — simply because they haven’t worked with us before the year is over, and we aren’t able to make … Read More

You pay your bills on time. You try to save as much as you can. You even follow the advice you read in the books and hear on the radio about how to keep your finances in check. But you’re still not getting ahead. Well, sometimes, it’s the unchallenged, mental assumptions about how we’re handling our money that rise up … Read More

As a general rule, most debt isn’t helpful to you. In fact, I could probably state that more clearly: debt can be a massive load on your financial future. And, of course, that is especially true of student loans. Now, much can be written about the explosion of student loan debt over the last decade (and has), but today I … Read More

I might be wrong, but I get the sense that many of my friends and clients in Oakland are getting wiser about the dangers of our digital age. Because they are, indeed, quite real. There is a famous clip of an interview with NYT-bestselling author, and cultural commentator Simon Sinek that made the rounds about a year ago on the … Read More

Our hearts are with the Carolinas, and with the cleanup process that is just beginning over there. With all of the the flooding that is hampering efforts to get in and even evaluate the damage, we know this will be a long road to recovery. The slow onset of these hurricanes is a mixed bag, isn’t it? We prepare for … Read More

With Hurricane Florence barrelling towards the southeastern United States, I’m reminded (again) about how the unexpected can put a big dent into a well-planned life. And as a planner by nature, these kinds of slow-approaching problems (like hurricanes), are the sort of thing against which I’m always on guard on behalf of my Oakland clients, family, and friends. There’s a … Read More

So, Labor Day is behind us, which means that the FALL is here. Football, cooler temps, pumpkins and more are in our future. And school. School is back in session in Oakland — which for some parents is something to celebrate, and others something to mourn. Or a little of both! And for the college-aged students among us, new worlds … Read More