Like many families now, my family doesn’t have cable TV; we have streaming services, which means my kids almost never see commercials. However, each week, when we visit my parents’ house, my kids are exposed to commercials. And not just any commercials, the commercials on the kids’ channels, which are specifically designed to appeal to … Continue reading “Commercials, desire, and an important step often overlooked”

We like to think that we can approach our financial decisions objectively, using logic and spreadsheets and come to a “neat” solution that will satisfy all of our financial goals. We like to believe there’s a “right answer” to our financial questions that any reasonable person might uncover. However, the reality is that even the … Continue reading “Should Emotions Play a Part in Shaping Financial Decisions?”

Similar to a 401(k) or 403(b), the 457 account allows you to contribute pre-tax income and defer taxes. This year, participants can contribute the lesser of $19,500 or 100% of their includible compensation. Those who are 50+ may even be able to make a catch-up contribution of $6,500 to their governmental 457 account and thus … Continue reading “457 Plans for Physicians: How you can lower your taxes and increase your retirement savings”

This was largely passed as an alternative to an additional stimulus package. The only people eligible for this change are individuals earning less than $104,000 annually or $4,000 bi-weekly. It defers the 6.2% tax on your income going towards Social Security. But this tax isn’t being forgiven, it’s only being deferred. In January 2021 until … Continue reading “Payroll Tax Reduction”

Time flies when you’re a parent. Just when you’ve wrapped your head around the demands and responsibilities of raising a child, you turn around and your little bundle of joy is ready to head out into the world. This empty nest transition can be very emotional. And in some cases, like children who stay on … Continue reading “How to Make Your Empty Nest Time a Prime Time in Your Life”

Ken French says that, while home bias is still the norm, investors have significantly increased their allocation to foreign markets over the last 30 years. He explains that investors might overweight their home market for economic reasons, perhaps to hedge consumption risk or to offset tax disadvantages they suffer in some foreign markets. Home bias … Continue reading “Fama and French on Home Bias”