Download the Prosperity App
All Columns
Prosperity Goals
The intention of Prosperity Goals is to provide a guided transformation. To provide a sound intellectual framework to make smart decisions, to help people to stay the course, and consequently to help people achieve their financial objectives. The key is that if you identify certain things as being important to you, but you then you…
Also posted in Planning Encyclopedia
Don’t get lost in financial jargon
“The financial industry is full of jargon and buzzwords and acronyms. Some people feel intimidated to ask what all this arcane stuff means for fear of looking dumb. Folks, believe me, it’s better to ask for clarification than to try to muddle through.” Smart Money Don’t get lost in financial jargon
Also posted in Planning Encyclopedia
Don’t pay tax on someone else’s gains
“So who needs to watch out for this? Just mutual fund investors looking to make large purchases in taxable accounts before the end of the year. If you are buying individual securities you are safe because they won’t have these type of year-end distributions. If you are buying mutual funds in a tax-sheltered account like…
Also posted in Income Tax Planning
Protect yourself by naming a trusted contact person
“Think of naming a trusted contact person like wearing your seat belt. You may take 10,000 car trips and never need your seatbelt. But you put it on anyway, every time you ride in a vehicle, just in case. The trusted contact person is like a seatbelt. You may never need it, but its good…
Also posted in Risk Management
These good times are here to stay, right?
“Some people will look at past performance and extrapolate what has happened out into the future. They think the recent trend of good performance will continue without interruption, and they jump in because they want a piece of the action too. But trends don’t last forever. Just because an investment has already appreciated is no…
Also posted in Planning Encyclopedia, Retirement Planning, Risk Management
The magic of goal setting
“Just writing your goals down and then somehow reaching them may seem like magic, but it makes sense when we think it through. To focus our attention and our actions on living with purpose should increase our odds of success over the randomness of an unplanned life. It has been said that a goal without…
Also posted in Planning Encyclopedia, Smart Money Blog
Where do you get your information?
“Have you ever had a conversation with someone who was totally convinced of something that you know to be false? I am not referring to legitimate difference of opinion. Rather, something more along the lines of you are a mathematician, and someone is trying to tell you that 2 plus 2 equals 5.” Smart Money…
Also posted in Planning Encyclopedia
Extinguishing your largest liability
“For most people the biggest thing they will ever buy is their home, and the biggest liability they will ever have is their mortgage. But, unless your mortgage is coming up for renewal, the odds are good that you are just going with the flow, and not giving a lot of thought to how you…
Also posted in Money Management
How to use a net worth statement
“In our daily routines it can be easy to overlook all the incremental bits of progress that happen. Sometimes it feels like we are working hard and still not getting anywhere. But when you look back to where you were last year and the year before, now you can start to see the progress: the…
Also posted in Money Management, Planning Encyclopedia
What happens to your money in retirement
“In the world of financial planning there is no shortage of things that are the source of confusion and concern. One of the things on that list is what happens to your money in retirement. Clawbacks, eligibility for benefits, taxes; there are all sorts of questions.” Smart Money_ What happens to your money in retirement…
Also posted in Retirement Planning
