Most taxpayers have an instinct to delay paying taxes to the last possible minute. We want to hold on to our money and let it “work” for us. However, there is one exception to that notion. Most of us pay our property taxes as early as possible. Why? Because there is a discount for paying…

Once we reach age 65, most of us are eligible for subsidized health insurance through a government program called Medicare. Part A, which covers hospital care, is free. Part B, which is available for purchase for an extra fee (depending on your income), covers doctor visits, outpatient therapy, medical equipment and preventative services. Many people…

Stocks have not reacted too well to the recent snag in trade talks with China. Reportedly, China and the United States had been close to an agreement. However, that tentative agreement fell apart after China allegedly backtracked on some important concessions it had previously agreed to. The U.S. responded with 25 percent tariffs up from…

Every year educated “professional” money managers attempt to beat the benchmark of the S&P 500 index. Active stock managers, as a whole, have failed to beat the S&P 500 each of the last nine years — trailing by an average of 1.7 percent per year.* Individual investors have fared even worse according to research done…

Thus far for the month of May, the performance of the stock market has been a disappointment and has made the old adage “sell in May and go away” look prophetic. However, most of us realize investing in equities should be a long-term venture and works especially well when investors systematically add to their investments.…

One of the largest sec¬tors of the U.S. economy is comprised of smaller private companies that typically generate between $50 million and $2.5 billion in revenues. These middle market companies exhib¬ited 7.8 percent revenue growth, for the 12-month period ended in 2018, compared to 4.7 percent for the S&P 500. Banking regulations have changed over…

When private companies decide to list their stock on a major stock exchange, they participate in what’s called an initial public offering (IPO). It’s a way for the company to create liquidity for shareholders and raise capital by selling shares of the company to the public. The company can then use the newly acquired capital…

Blackstone Group LP has been counseling its clients to use specially designed cash value life insurance to avoid paying taxes on investment gains. Life insurance has always had tremendous tax treatment. With new tax laws that were passed at the end of 2017, the tax benefits are potentially even more valuable. All growth and dividends…

For conservative investors who have a limited appetite for risk, yet still yearn for good growth opportunities, there may be an attractive option. Several major U.S. banks, including JP Morgan Chase, Barclays, and Goldman Sachs have entered the equity-linked note/CD space. Notes are essentially short-term bonds backed by the full faith and credit of the…

If you are fortunate enough to own property or investments that have appreciated significantly, the federal, and perhaps your state, government is patiently waiting to tax your profits when you sell. Luckily there are a few ways to delay or avoid the tax debt when the appreciated asset is sold. An owner of real estate…