Almost exactly two years ago, I wrote about the impact of geopolitics on investing. At the time, Russia's invasion of Ukraine was a little over two years old, Israel had suffered a terrorist attack by Hamas six months earlier, and Iran had recently launched a...
A common refrain I hear from clients is: "I don’t want to be a burden to my children." Most of the time what folks mean by this is, "I don't want to need my kids' help when I'm at the end of my life," and I...
The most frequent response I hear from people when I mention having two boys in daycare is, "Just imagine the instant raise you'll get when they're both in elementary school!" Which is accurate, and helps me remember that this is just a short blip of...
Last year at this time, Crystal and I were preparing to take our kids to Europe for the first time. We chose Italy, in part, because both of our moms had always dreamed of going. We knew that if we didn't invite them, there was...
If you are like many of us in the Beacon office, you have been enjoying the Winter Olympics over the last few weeks. Whether it was bobsledding, speed skating, or one of the many other thrilling events to watch, there was plenty going on in...
The idea of free time has been on my mind a lot over the last few months, so today's brief is more of a personal reflection than anything else. Hopefully you'll humor me. My son, Jack, recently turned 13 and Emily and I decided it was...
If you spend much time reading history, one of the most common refrains you'll encounter is this: new technology is always either going to save the world or kill it. But even though the inventions of the central air conditioning (save the world) and the...
Punxsutawney Phil's Groundhog Day prediction of six more weeks of winter drew intense grumbling this week, as his prediction coincided with multiple winter weather disruptions across the Southeast. Most people don't really believe his forecasts, but after recent storms, people craved a harbinger of relief...
For most people, the turn of the calendar to a new year brings many thoughts of goals and aspirations. But if you’re in the financial world, you start to think about tax law changes that are applicable for the year. We had several briefs last...
The IRS has announced that the 2026 filing season, covering 2025 income, will officially open on Monday, January 29, 2026. We all dream of a world where filing taxes is effortless: simple rules, instant refunds, and no one ever saying “adjusted gross income.” While we’re...
