As the year comes to a close and work starts to reach a lull there is often some down time in December, and this is especially likely given limited travel plans this season. It also happens to be an ideal time to tend to painless (but time-sensitive) financial topics that many of us have been putting off. Here are 4 top items you should consider before year end.

Recently, I remembered the first time I hosted Thanksgiving. While most things went well, an unexpected complication occurred…The pop-up timer misfired. This part of the meal arrived half-baked, but was ultimately saved after receiving expert advice. So, what does this have to do with financial planning? There are actually some strong parallels.

Months after lockdowns ended, we still don’t know which small businesses will survive in the long-run. Why? Government stimulus. Sadly, there were many small businesses that did not survive the initial lockdown. However, my belief was (and remains) that this initial test would not be indicative of which would be able to survive once this was all over. When (and how many) customers would return was (and remains) the real test.

2020 has been a tumultuous year for all aspects of our lives, yet as we enter Q4 there remains a substantial amount of “unfinished business” as it relates to the economy. Too often, issues come to a head, and when they aren’t dealt with people tend to forget about them until severe (and preventable) consequences reappear. This is among the reasons that markets tend to go up like an escalator, but down like an elevator. Read more about 3 big economic trends to follow in fall 2020.

I’m frequently asked, “what percent of your portfolio is allowable in terms of current or former employer stock?” While that’s a good question to ask, I think it’s easier to think about it this way: If you were going to construct a portfolio from scratch, would you own this much of this one company? For most people, the answer is probably not. Further review can be helpful to mitigate concentration risk, and to avoid unintended tax consequences.

Tax mistakes are the accidental ‘donation’ that nobody wants to make to the government, yet many people who can afford to do so don’t take full advantage of one of the easiest, most reliable ways to reduce their current year tax bill. What’s that? It’s fully contributing to your 401(k) account, and like all low hanging fruit it has an expiration date.

Salespeople have a unique challenge when it comes to managing their finances. Commission. It’s no surprise that the compensation structure for sales can be feast or famine, and that’s exactly why with a solid financial plan in place, you’ll be laser focused on what motivates salespeople most; the upside you’ll reap from crushing your sales numbers.

Saving on a continuous basis is financially responsible from a spending standpoint, but when it comes to generating wealth, it’s only half the battle. That’s why when you’re investing for growth, it’s especially important to avoid these 3 common mistakes, and instead implement a well-articulated investment strategy.

Believe it or not, homebuying during Covid is actually happening. know this because I recently helped an out of state friend find a new home. As you can imagine, the amount of inventory right now is relatively limited. In some cases, buyers (and even their brokers) are buying homes in which they’ve never set foot.

During a time of great uncertainty, it’s common to look to prior life experiences for guidance on how we move forward from our current challenges. In this brief video, I discuss why it’s important to remember that it’s not 2009, and how we need to consider how our own lives have changed since then to take the right approach.

Making it to IPO is the hard-earned, highly sought marker of success that employees of high-growth startups hope for, which is why it can be a time of both great excitement and stress. It also brings great responsibility, as each employee must decide when (and at what price) to sell their stock. Here’s what you should keep in mind as monetize your employer stock.

For many people, recent day-to-day life has affirmed that we want to be closely involved in what matters most to us (80%), and that we’re better off delegating the rest to someone we trust (20%). Here’s how you can simplify your life during a difficult time.

If you’re in the tech community, you’re well aware of recent job losses, or personally affected. Startups are growth-dependent, and here’s what you should be thinking about as we navigate a recession.

One of the most striking things that I’ve noticed recently is how the stock market has performed in the face of some very, very ugly economic news. After stocks dropped sharply in February and March they’ve regained much of their losses, yet more than 30 million jobs have been lost. Keep reading to learn what this means for you.

This past week I was in Las Vegas for vacation, and in passing I overheard some sage advice from an NCAA coach. In a time of stress, it’s important to keep things in perspective, moderate your emotions, and most importantly take constructive action. We could all use an uplifting story right now, and I hope you enjoy this one.

Just as farmers harvest and rotate their crops each season, it’s important that you do the same with your investments. You wouldn’t want to plant only one crop at any given time, nor would you attempt to grow the same crop during all four seasons. Learn how you can prepare your portfolio to produce as conditions change.

During the last week there have been daily headlines covering how investment markets experienced considerable turbulence due to Coronavirus. With that in mind, I’d like to share two important things that you need to do now, regardless of whether this market decline proves to be a short-term event, or perhaps something larger.

Whether you’re looking for a new job by choice or caught in layoffs due to corporate restructuring, a job transition surfaces a number of personal finance questions and challenges. Here are 9 key financial considerations, and why it’s an ideal time to address them during transition.

One of the most common investment concerns I hear from people is that they feel more comfortable investing in real estate than in stocks and bonds. It’s a common sentiment, namely because it’s easier to understand what drives housing costs – location, square footage, finishes, etc., whereas understanding the drivers of financial markets can be considerably trickier. While those are totally reasonable feelings, the reality is that the rationale behind them is based on a number of very common real estate misperceptions. Read on to separate fact from fiction in these common real estate myths.

Almost universally, people cringe at the thought of a large tax bill. In this article we’ll focus on a common mistake that people make with restricted stock which is easily avoided (and can be reversed, even for prior years): paying taxes on the value of the stock you’ve received twice.