Blog Investment & Financial News

2016 Changes Coming to Social Security and Medicare

The budget bill signed by President Obama in November included significant changes to the Social Security program. The changes have left many pre-retirees scrambling to make sense of the new rules. Here’s a breakdown of some of the changes coming: The Good News *No COLA. Existing Medicare beneficiaries won’t see an increase in their Medicare Part…

Capital Gains – FAQs

What is a capital gain? A capital gain is the profit when you sell a capital asset, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds or property. The profit is your gain over the original price you paid and you must pay tax on that gain. For example, if a stock is bought at $50 and later…

Year End Tax Planning

With the new year just around the corner, now is a great time to think about end of year tax planning. If any of the following apply to you, it might be a good idea to call and schedule a meeting with your advisor before the end of the year.  Thinking of a Roth Conversion? If you are planning…

Bad News for Some Medicare Beneficiaries

According to the Social Security Administration, Medicare Part B premiums will be going up beginning January 1, 2016 for more than 7 million Americans. The reason for this increase has to do with the decision not to do a cost of living increase for social security in 2016. A provision in the law states that…

What’s the Difference? Time Weighted Return versus Internal Rate of Return

A common question we hear from our clients is “what is my rate of return?” The true answer is: there is more than one way to look at returns. Understanding the differences can help you make better informed financial decisions. The two most acceptable methods to calculate returns are Time-Weight Return (TWR) and Internal Rate…

Big Changes to Washington’s GET Program

Earlier this month, changes were made to the Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program. The changes were in response to the recent reduction in tuition for Washington’s public colleges and universities. Tuition will be reduced at UW & WSU by 15% over the next two academic years. In addition, beginning in 2017-18, resident undergraduate tuition will…

Income in Retirement – Can it affect your Social Security Benefits?

These days, returning to work after retiring is a common trend. Whether you’re looking for an additional income stream to ease your finances into full retirement, or maybe you’re wanting to purse that dream career. Whatever your reason for re-entering the workforce, your Social Security, health insurance, and tax situation may be affected. Here’s some…

Getting the most from your Social Security Benefits

It can be one of the most important financial decisions you’ll have to make in your life – when to begin taking Social Security retirement benefits.  The years between 62 and 70 can make a world of difference to your financial future and the future of your spouse and heirs. Often, the decision can be…

Company News

Employee Spotlight – Jacqueline Cremen

Shreds and Meds Day – October 28th at The Valley Mall

Employee Spotlight: Chelsie Smith

Employee Spotlight: Dirk Bernd

Congratulations, Gunnar!

Market Commentary

2023 3rd Quarter Investment Commentary

2023 2nd Quarter Investment Commentary

Debt Ceiling: Should Investors Worry?

2023 1st Quarter Investment Commentary

Market Update: February 2023

Retirement Planning

Social Security Benefit Increase of 3.2% for 2024

The 4 Changes from SECURE Act 2.0 You Should Know for 2023

Medicare Open Enrollment for 2023 Begins October 15th

Social Security Benefit Increase of 8.7% for 2023

The Huge Cost of Doing Nothing

Tax Planning

2023 Year-End Tax Planning

When do I start my Required Minimum Distribution?

UPDATE: Washington State Long Term Care Payroll Tax

Form 5498

Reminder as you Prepare your 2022 Taxes

Cyber Security

Red Flags When Transferring Money

Cybersecurity 101 – 2022 Update

Cybersecurity 101

New Changes to Web-Portal Password Requirements

Equifax Data Breach Update: Make a claim today