2023-12-14 18:32
As the end of another year approaches, most altruist investors are considering their year-end charitable giving. When focusing on the goal of bestowing a meaningful gift to another person or… Read More
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Financial Planning Blog By Financial Plan, Inc® Blog
financialplaninc.com/blog
In-depth commentary on relevant financial topics, including investment options, retirement, tax planning, and estate planning, along with pertinent anecdotes from local and global financial news.
2023-11-07 19:56
Another day, another crisis of leadership in our government. Fears of a looming government shutdown might have you wondering if it’s time to “shut down” your stock investme… Read More
2023-09-19 21:12
Future assumed income tax brackets are a major consideration when making current decisions, such as the decision to convert a traditional retirement plan to a Roth plan and often, the assump… Read More
2023-05-19 21:17
By James B. Twining, CFP® and Tor Benson
The decision to make a Roth conversion can be extremely impactful, warranting thorough, professional analysis with consideration of all pertinent… Read More
2023-03-22 17:19
More new faces at Financial Plan and other happenings in this first quarter of 2023. Read the newsletter here.
The post Q1 2023 Newsletter appeared first on Financial Plan, Inc Read More
2023-03-22 16:46
On December 29th, 2022, the SECURE 2.0 ACT was signed into law. It includes a few provisions that are beneficial for taxpayers. I have outlined three of them here:
New IRA Required Minimum D… Read More
2023-01-31 16:44
With the holiday season behind us, it’s time to look forward to everyone’s other favorite season…tax season, which has experienced some changes in 2023.
Our newly updated… Read More
2023-01-30 21:05
For a bit news and a smidge of advice from FP inc., check out our newsletter for Q4 2022
The post Q4 Newsletter for 2022 appeared first on Financial Plan, Inc Read More
2022-11-16 19:40
As I watched footage of hurricane Ian wreaking havoc on the Florida coast, my four-year-old daughter asked what was going on. I gave her a brief explanation about what a hurricane is and was… Read More
2022-10-31 19:40
For over a decade, a dramatic television series called “The Walking Dead” has aired on AMC. The show follows an eclectic group of survivors as they navigate the perils of a zombi… Read More
2022-09-23 20:00
It’s been a busy summer at Financial Plan! View our quarterly newsletter for the details.
The post Q3 2022 Newsletter appeared first on Financial Plan, Inc Read More
2022-07-28 18:06
In 1980, the inflation rate peaked at 13.5%; higher than it had been in 60 years. The miserable economic conditions of 1980 caused by inflation are lodged into the collective American memory… Read More
2022-06-09 19:56
Our 2022 Q2 Newsletter is live. Check it out!
The post Q2 2022 Newsletter appeared first on Financial Plan, Inc Read More
2022-06-08 19:47
Four Simple Gifting Strategies
How do you transfer your wealth and property to the next generation before you pass on?
While the question may be unappealing to consider, gift and trust plann… Read More
2022-04-13 19:30
It’s been a busy few months. Read our latest update HERE.
The post Q1 Newsletter 2022 appeared first on Financial Plan, Inc Read More
2022-02-25 22:39
Like many of you, this week I watched in horror and shock as Russia invaded Ukraine. Years of rhetoric and posturing had made many of us numb to Putin’s antics, and an actual invasion… Read More
2022-02-12 15:59
Article updated on February 7, 2022
On January 27th, Washington State Governor, Jay Inslee, announced a delay in the implementation of the WA Cares Fund payroll tax until July 1, 2023. … Read More
2022-02-04 19:31
Updated February 2, 2022
It’s been nearly two years since the economic impacts of Covid-19 and subsequent containment protocols first began hitting the markets. Given today’s (s… Read More
2022-01-24 21:17
It has been a busy fall and winter season. See all that’s new in our latest newsletter: Fall 2021 Newsletter
The post Fall 2021 Newsletter appeared first on Financial Plan, Inc Read More
2021-09-13 20:02
Here’s how our summer is going. How’s yours?
Summer 2021 Newsletter
The post Summer 2021 Newsletter appeared first on Financial Plan, Inc Read More
2021-06-23 18:22
The latest tax news from Washington State includes a long- term care tax on W2 income. For details, please refer to our Financial Plan, Inc. blog post authored by our own Justin Gross, CFP&r&hell…Read More
2021-06-07 19:51
Our quarterly newsletter is here with a note on cryptocurrency and some FP Inc family news!
The post Spring Newsletter 2021 appeared first on Financial Plan, Inc Read More
2021-06-02 17:28
Our Spring blog series includes excerpts and basic financial lessons from the book In A Most Delightful Way, by our founder and CEO, James Twining, CFP®. The book aims to explore and sim… Read More
2021-05-24 16:38
Our Spring blog series includes excerpts and basic financial lessons from the book In A Most Delightful Way, by our founder and CEO, James Twining, CFP®. The book aims to explore and sim… Read More
2021-05-18 04:53
Our Spring blog series includes excerpts and basic financial lessons from the book In A Most Delightful Way, by our founder and CEO, James Twining, CFP®. The book aims to explore and sim… Read More
2021-05-10 20:05
Our Spring blog series includes excerpts and simple financial lessons from the book In A Most Delightful Way, by our founder and CEO, James Twining, CFP®. The book aims to explore and si… Read More
2021-05-07 15:59
On May 13, 2019 Washington State Governor, Jay Inslee, signed into law the nation’s first public-operated, long-term care insurance program, dubbed the&nb&hell…Read More
2021-05-03 16:42
Our Spring blog series includes excerpts and basic financial lessons from the book In A Most Delightful Way, by our founder and CEO, James Twining, CFP®. The book aims to explore and sim… Read More
2021-04-26 21:07
Our Spring blog series includes excerpts and basic financial lessons from the book In A Most Delightful Way, by our founder and CEO, James Twining, CFP®. The book aims to explore and sim… Read More
2021-04-19 18:50
Our Spring blog series includes excerpts and basic financial lessons from the book In A Most Delightful Way, by our founder and CEO, James Twining, CFP®. The book aims to explore and sim… Read More
2021-04-12 20:41
Our Spring blog series includes excerpts and simple financial lessons from the book In A Most Delightful Way, by our founder and CEO, James Twining, CFP®. The book aims to explore and si… Read More
2021-03-22 17:13
There is a lot going on in the world of finance. See our latest newsletter here: Winter 2021 Newsletter
The post Winter 2021 Newsletter appeared first on Financial Plan, Inc Read More
2021-02-05 20:04
Our much-anticipated Numbers Unlimited spreadsheet is updated and ready to be used for 2021 tax and retirement planning.
All the numbers you never knew you needed to know can be found right… Read More
2021-02-01 19:56
By now, most of us have heard plenty about the frenzy going on around GameStop (ticker GME), a brick-and-mortar video game retailer. For quick background, GameStop is not in a good financial… Read More
2021-01-15 17:08
If 2020 taught personal investors anything, it’s that managing your own investment portfolio is a dangerous game.
The typical DIY-investor relies upon news cycles, hunches, and emotion… Read More
2021-01-08 18:50
Charting a course in uncertain times
2020 was a roller coaster of a year with markets starting strong only to be disrupted by COVID-19, resulting in the fastest drop to a bear market in hist… Read More
2020-12-09 21:04
Our quarterly update for Fall 2020
Fall 2020 Newsletter
The post Fall 2020 Newsletter appeared first on Financial Plan, Inc Read More
2020-12-07 21:35
Every so often, something occurs that changes the way we invest, and we think it best to keep our clients informed regarding these changes. This year, one such change occurred:
The Securitie… Read More
2020-12-04 18:59
Read the summer update from FP Inc…And OH what a summer it has been!
SUMMER 2020 NEWSLETTER
The post Summer Newsletter 2020 appeared first on Financial Plan, Inc Read More
2020-09-18 20:51
At Financial Plan, we are analytical to a fault when evaluating investments. We continually ask the question: “Are we populating our accounts with optimal securities, or are ther… Read More
2020-08-10 18:29
You’ve seen the declaration splashed across headlines, “This time is different!” Public perception surrounding the first half of this year and predicting the next has been… Read More
2020-07-16 20:56
Heard any bad financial news lately? Of course you have! But what if I told you the U.S. stock market recently enjoyed its best 50-day rally on record, ever?
If you missed the positive finan… Read More
2020-03-30 23:16
Late last week, the federal government passed an 883-page, $2.2T bill dubbed the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security). Included in this big money is a $500 billion lendi… Read More
2020-03-04 19:31
Over the past week, the global markets have seen a rapid drop in value due to fears about the spread and impact of Novel Coronavirus, 2019-nCoV. The coronavirus is a rapidly spreading, acute… Read More
2020-02-24 21:52
As the coronavirus continues its trek around the world, speculation about the virus’s impact on the global stock market has been equally rampant.
Those asking whether they should get m… Read More
2020-01-31 17:28
Our proprietary “Numbers Unlimited” provides a snapshot of the numbers you may need to reference throughout the year for your tax, retirement, and overall financial planning. We… Read More
2020-01-22 21:59
The leadership team at Financial Plan, Inc. is growing!
After serving on the Operations Team, then four years as an Associate Advisor with FP Inc, we are proud to announce that Gabriel (Gabe… Read More
2020-01-22 21:27
The final weeks of 2019 brought a relatively large piece of retirement legislation into law known as the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement” or SECURE Act. Th… Read More
2020-01-22 20:56
As the year comes to a close, we take a look to the future and all the promise of 2020. We are grateful for each of you, our valued clients. Fall 2019 Newsletter web
The post Fall 2019… Read More
2019-11-01 17:27
How to Recession-Proof Your Stocks (and Financial Plan)
No doubt you’ve been hearing it a lot lately: “A recession is coming!” How do we know? Online search volume for the… Read More
2019-09-09 20:40
If you have been paying attention, you know how much we believe in equity markets. Our clients who have a long enough time horizon and the risk tolerance to endure bear markets are invested… Read More
2019-09-09 19:56
Hot off the press! See what’s new at Financial Plan this quarter.
Summer 2019 Newsletter
The post Summer 2019 Newsletter appeared first on Financial Plan, Inc Read More
2019-08-29 15:44
Shoring up our financial defenses before we can’t remember where we put da fences
I am a pretty laid-back person, but one thing that makes me go from zero to ‘losing it’ in… Read More
2019-05-29 20:28
Check out what’s new with us this Spring and help welcome our newest employee!
Spring 2019 Newsletter
The post Spring 2019 Newsletter appeared first on Financial Plan, Inc Read More
2019-04-17 16:41
If you’ve been paying attention to investment news, you might be aware of the recent consternation that the “yield curve” in financial bond markets has “inverted.&rdq&hell…Read More
2019-03-27 20:48
Recently, I ran across this article from Dimensional Fund Advisors. It contains insight into the difference between a price-weighted index like the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), and a… Read More
2019-03-08 22:48
The term “expected return” is in wide use among financial planners. To the layman it carries misleading connotations: most assume that it carries with it a high degree of confide… Read More
2019-03-08 21:07
All the latest and greatest from FP Inc. is here in our Winter 2019 Newsletter.
The post Winter 2019 Newsletter appeared first on Financial Plan, Inc Read More
2019-02-22 21:17
With tax season in full effect, many people are feeling the impact of Tax Reform 2018 for the first time. Therefore, we thought it helpful to review a previously posted summary of the change… Read More
2019-01-23 18:15
Our proprietary “Numbers Unlimited” provides a snapshot of the numbers you may need to reference throughout the year for your tax, retirement, and overall financial planning. We… Read More
2018-12-05 20:18
What is ticker risk? Don’t bother searching the internet as this is simply a term we occasionally use to describe the inherent risks that come with giving too much credence to the curr… Read More
2018-12-05 19:59
The Financial Plan newsletter for Fall 2018 is now available here: Fall 2018 Newsletter
The post Fall 2018 Newsletter appeared first on Financial Plan, Inc Read More
2018-11-26 21:51
Picture this: you take a trip somewhere great and have an absolutely wonderful experience. You love everything about this place: the area, the climate, the people and just the overall &lsquo&hell…Read More
2018-10-15 21:42
With all the buzz surrounding the recent increase in U.S. tariffs, a discussion regarding the nature of tariffs is timely. We often hear commentators opine that higher tariffs are certain to… Read More
2018-10-01 20:22
Expectations are powerful things. They involuntarily override our logic and amplify our emotional response to events based on how those events measure up to our expectations. When it comes t… Read More
2018-09-27 18:54
Great information on expectation vs reality from DFA: The Happiness Equation
The post The Happiness Equation appeared first on Financial Plan, Inc Read More
2018-09-04 18:13
Read the latest news and updates from Financial Plan Inc in our Summer 2018 Newsletter.
The post Summer 2018 Newsletter appeared first on Financial Plan, Inc Read More
2018-08-30 16:43
Will Rogers once quipped: “It is not the return on my investment that I am concerned about; it’s the return of my investment.”
In all seriousness though, calculating a rate… Read More
2018-08-03 17:04
You’ve read my last piece on the new tax codes and why a Roth might be a good option, decided a Roth is right for you, and now you want to know how to contribute to your Roth. Here are… Read More
2018-06-29 19:18
Keep your retirement plan on track by determining if a ROTH is right for you.
If you have been following tax reform, you know the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) lowered the marginal t… Read More
2018-06-14 15:56
Behavioral Finance: Exploring our Biases
That which I would not, that do I do!
Whether you are investing your assets or putting together an overall financial plan, you are continuously faced… Read More
2018-05-15 17:19
As emotional beings, we are susceptible to illusions and phobias. Never mind that the snake under the bed turned out to be a sock, or that the monster in the closet was a hat and overcoat. A… Read More
2018-05-08 16:49
Read the latest updates and insights from Financial Plan advisers in our quarterly newsletter, The Plan.
Spring 2018 Newsletter
The post Spring Newsletter 2018 appeared first on Financial Pl… Read More
2018-04-19 17:08
Why is the stock market volatile? It’s a question that many of us have pondered at one time or another, especially when we are in the midst of a seemingly large spike or drop. As is of… Read More
2018-01-11 17:51
Major changes have been made to the U.S. tax code. Given the magnitude of the changes and various versions reviewed by congress, there is plenty of confusion and misunderstanding around what… Read More
2018-01-11 17:51
Since passage of the recent tax reform bill, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), major changes have been made to the U.S. tax code. Given the magnitude of the changes and the variety o… Read More
![2018 Financial [Dissolutions] Resolutions](https://cdn.blogarama.com/images/posts_thumbs_site_id/2999/299872-792226197.w320.jpg "2018 Financial [Dissolutions] Resolutions")
2018-01-05 19:57
Here we are again: That time of year we ramp up to make some real changes in our life. Fresh start, new year-new you, lose weight, quit smoking, get organized, eat healthier, get out of deb… Read More
2017-09-13 20:19
To our valued clients:
In light of the recent news regarding a large scale Equifax security breach, we wanted to provide some peace of mind and additional information about what steps can be… Read More
2017-04-25 22:38
We recently learned that the US economy has grown at a 2.1% annual rate since the recovery began in 2009. This pace of expansion has been the weakest of any in modern times:
It seems to make… Read More
2017-01-31 21:57
After inquiring with our clients, it seems that many are not particularly active in logging on to our various online sites. Most are not interested in following their investments… Read More
2016-10-07 22:15
The history of our firm and our clients has been one of success, and as a result we have experienced a gradual growth in clients and employees. In recent years we have been on a pace t… Read More
2016-08-05 21:08
The market decline of early 2016 was not anywhere near the magnitude of a bear market such as we experienced in the year 2000 or in 2008. Yet it had some of the same feel as past event… Read More
2016-05-19 17:32
Belling-hamsters know what it is like to wait out a long winter. A down market can be like that; gloomy, day after day. It’s not pleasant, and there is nothing we can… Read More
2016-04-29 23:48
In recent months, several of the world’s central banks have conducted a highly risky experiment with negative interest rates. For example, the Bank of Japan has a rate of m… Read More
2016-02-12 20:10
Belling-hamsters know what it is like to wait out a long winter. A down market can be like that; gloomy, day after day. It’s not pleasant, and there is nothing we can… Read More
2016-01-21 18:39
If you are going to invest in the stock market for any meaningful amount of time, you will at some point be faced with an angry “bear” market. A “bear market” is a su… Read More
2015-12-03 19:49
If you’ve browsed the web recently and have a habit of reading up on finance, there’s a good chance you’ve seen an ad for an intriguing new investment: solar bonds. These a… Read More
2015-11-03 21:51
In the latest edition of The Plan, Jamie mentioned the 4% rule of thumb for withdrawal rates. To delve a bit deeper, the 4% rule hails from the 1994 Trinity Study which looked at past return… Read More
2015-10-22 19:39
Most insurance agents are happy to reassure you they’re selling you a great policy, but there’s no getting around the conflict of interest.
Confessions Of A Former Agent
At the b… Read More
2015-09-11 00:25
No financial planner can know what the future will bring, and none should pretend to. Markets, stock prices and ultimately return are all beyond anyone’s calculation or control. Any pl… Read More
2015-07-27 23:24
Dimensional Fund Advisors’ Weston Wellington offers useful perspective regarding the financial crisis in Greece.
Click the link below to view the video.
DFA on the crisis in Gre… Read More
2015-07-22 21:43
Many years ago when I was just beginning my budding career, an older and wiser financial advisor told me that “the only rule of thumb is that there is no rule of thumb”.&nb&hell…Read More
2015-07-14 21:46
Click on any of the following steps for a closer look.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Their performance does not reflect… Read More
2015-07-07 18:46
Interesting article from Bloomberg “The Hugely Profitable, Wholly Legal Way to Game the Stock Market”
Our clients know this as the Reconstitution Effect and that we have been us… Read More
2015-06-12 09:30
These days, socially responsible investing, or SRI for short, is a popular practice among investors who consider themselves socially conscious, and who want to believe their money can do mo… Read More
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