There’s been a lot going on in the world of retirement planning this year, especially when it comes to required minimum distributions (RMDs.) The passage of the CARES Act on March 27th meant that anyone normally required to take a distribution from their IRA, 401(k),...
[vc_video link='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nncNbL9Qfnk'] What is an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) and how does it work? How should you incorporate it into your financial life and what’s the most important decision to make prior to enrolling? It’s easiest to understand how an ESPP works by first understanding the...
In my annual late-December reading of Charles Dickens' delightful short story A Christmas Carol, one of my favorite lines is this: "It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so...
It’s hard to believe that the stock market, as measured by the S&P 500 at the end of the trading day on Thursday, was "only" down 6.23% year-to-date in 2020. This after it fell 30% in just 22 trading days - the fastest 30% decline...
On December 21st, 1968, Apollo 8 lifted off from what’s now known as Cape Canaveral with three men aboard. Their mission was to enter the moon’s orbit, slingshot around the dark side, and return home safely. A manned flight around the moon had never been...
Unless you are visiting our site for the first time (in which case, welcome!!), you will have noticed by now that it's new and--we believe and hope--improved. A website for any sort of professional services firm is an interesting thing. We don't sell a tangible product...
"Our life is frittered away by detail...
Way back in June of 2001 I introduced Beacon’s first Friday Brief. Its purpose was to communicate, educate, and occasionally console as in a one-on-one conversation. On that inaugural day, there was a lot of worry and deep concern about our country, our safety and...
There has a been a lot of talk the last few years about whether a college education provides a good return on investment (ROI). High tuition, absurd annual increases, and stagnant employee wages (not to mention the rise of the Gig economy) over the past...
Here are some facts which I present, for now, without commentary: From February 19th to March 23rd the U.S. stock market was down about 35%. Since March 23rd, the market has been up over 30%. The stock market is still down about 15% since the...
