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George's 2022 Summer Reading Recommendations
George's 2022 Summer Recommended Reading List1) The Anxious Investor by Scott Nations2) The Hero Code by Admiral William H. McRaven3) The Life, Lessons & Rules for Success by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson4) Lessons from a Third Grade...
Read MoreHonoring Our VFG Veterans
NAME: Bud RobinsonBRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. NavyTIME PERIOD: February 1952 to December 1953FINAL RANK: Yoeman 2nd ClassDETAILS: Stationed at Staff Headquarters, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii entire tour of dutyNAME: Robert (Bob) R. BrownBRANCH OF...
Read More2020 Year-End Tax Report
One of our main goals as holistic financial professionals is to help our clients recognize tax reduction opportunities within their investment portfolios and overall financial planning strategies. Staying current on the ever-changing...
Read MoreSome Notable CARES & SECURE Act Changes
The CARES Act and the SECURE Act (passed in December 2019) had provisions that could affect you in 2020. This post reviews some of the changes for informational purposes only. You should discuss your impact with a qualified tax...
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Reversing Your Early-Bird RMD
As you may remember from our previous post,“FAQs About Your RMDs” the rules around taking your RMD (Required Minimum Distribution) can be complex and the tax penalties for not taking the correct amount can be harsh. For...
Read MoreGeorge's Favorite Recent Reads
One piece of client wisdom we received is to "Read 30 pages [of a book] each day." We couldn't agree more.With this Sunday being the official start of Summer as well as Father's Day, we thought it would be a perfect time to share some...
Read MoreWisdom from our Clients
One of the greatest joys in our line of business is developing close relationships with our clients. Over the years, we have heard their incredible stories of vision, perseverance, courage, and ultimately...success. We asked clients to...
Read More5 Simple Strategies to Make the Most of a Down Market
No one expected the longest bull market in history to see its demise brought on by a virus. While U.S. equity markets were able to withstand a trade war with China, a presidential impeachment, the potential for a global recession and...
Read MoreThe Power of Positivity: What Our Staff is Grateful for Right Now
"The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts." - Marcus AureliusNo one can deny the fact that we've all been exposed to many unnerving headlines over the past few weeks. However, on the flip side, there have also...
Read MoreAvoid Being Fooled by Stimulus Scams
Something that is very important to us is bringing awareness to our clients about potential scammers trying to separate them from their hard earned money. We've reviewed this theme a few times before in the following posts:Protect...
Read MoreStimulus Bill passed - What does it mean for you?
In an effort to help curb the effects of COVID-19, the United States government has just passed one of the largest stimulus bills ever to protect workers, small businesses and the economy. The Federal Reserve has lowered the Federal...
Read MoreImportant Milestone Birthdays
Birthdays can tend to feel a bit less noteworthy as you grow older. There's just nothing quite like getting your driver's license at 16, or having the opportunity to vote at 18. However, beginning at age 50, there are several milestone...
Read MoreOur Thoughts on Coronavirus
Investors have now experienced their first disruption of the year: The Coronavirus. The investing experience is no stranger to unexpected surprises and on Monday, February 24th, all three major equity indexes fell over 3%. The -3.35%...
Read More2020 Tax Rates, Deductions and 1099 Releases
Welcome to another edition of Tax Rates and Tax Updates! The most exciting time of the year, I know! We are in the middle of preparing the Tax Report for 2020, so stay tuned, you’ll receive that in an upcoming newsletter. For now...
Read More2020's Social Security COLA
It’s Social Security COLA time! Let’s get ready to RUMBLE! Last year, we saw a slightly above average increase of 2.8% and despite Medicare costs going up, many saw their benefits go up slightly (hey, even 25 bucks extra a...
Read MoreAaron's Long Lost Falcon
Nostalgia. That feeling you get where it just takes you back to the “good ole days” – whenever those were. I have had the ultimate feelings of nostalgia over these past couple of weeks. If you’ve been into the...
Read More2019 Asset Class Returns: How Do They Stack Up?
The Veater Financial Table of Investment Returns ranks the annual performance of key asset classes over each of the last 20 years. The best asset class for a given year is listed at the top, with the lowest returning asset class listed...
Read MoreWhat you should know about The SECURE Act
On May 23rd 2019, the House of Representatives passed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act. The next step is to pass through the Senate and be signed by the President. With strong bipartisan support...
Read More2019 Tax Deadlines
The end of tax season is around the corner. This year, tax filing deadline is April 15th. So get your appointments with CPAs, Online Tax Advisors, or brave the new forms yourself! For this year’s little known tax fact –...
Read More2019 Tax Rates, Deductions and 1099 Releases
Welcome to the 2019 Tax Year! Doesn’t it feel so good? The answer is always the same in taxes… it depends. Not many major changes in the tax code when comparing 2018 to 2019. But a couple of highlights to report on. See...
Read More2018 Asset Class Returns: How Do They Stack Up?
As we look back on the first half of 2018, below are a few key takeaways: Small-cap U.S. stocks are now the top-performers. Small caps are represented by the Russell 2000 and reflect the current positive and favorable domestic business...
Read MoreOur 2 Cents on Your Emergency Fund
Something we as a firm always talk to our clients about is the importance of maintaining an emergency fund. A few questions that may surface when the words “emergency fund” are brought up. How much is enough for me? Is...
Read More4 Keys to Taxes on Social Security
Like many of the topics we go over regarding taxes, the taxation of Social Security income can get complicated. For many retirees, they start Social Security without even thinking about how it is going to affect their taxes until the...
Read MoreThe Largest Social Security COLA in 5 Years!
Every October, the Social Security Administration announces whether there will be a Cost-of-Living-Adjustment (COLA) to Social Security Benefits for the upcoming year. As costs rise, a COLA for any payment stream (like Social Security)...
Read MoreWhat is GDP? And what does it tell us about the economy?
A bellwether statistic many economists look at to gauge the health of the U.S. economy is Gross Domestic Product (GDP). GDP is defined simply as the total value of goods produced and services provided in a country during one year. Over...
Read More2017 Asset Class Returns: How Do They Stack Up?
2017 Asset Class Returns This Year As we look back on the first half of 2017, below are a few key takeaways: International stocks are top-performers. Emerging markets stocks are up over 17% (think China, India, Brazil, and Russia)....
Read MoreCalifornia Taxes: How bad are they, really?
California, also known as the Golden State. There are many wonderful things about California. We have fantastic weather, scenery, and boast some of the great industries in the country (agriculture, technology, and so on). However, high...
Read MoreTrump's Potential Tax Law Changes
With the beginning of a new presidency, there has been much talk about potential regulation and/or tax law changes. While nothing official has been released, we feel it important to keep our clients informed on potential tax law...
Read MoreBrexit: The Implications Moving Forward
The United Kingdom (UK) voted yesterday 51.9% to 48.1% in favor of leaving the European Union (EU). We wanted to provide some clarity on what this move entails and some of the potential implications. The EU is a group of 28 countries...
Read MoreOutside the Office: Keri
In the office, you may know Keri as our administrative assistant, lover of The Walking Dead and all things brightly colored! Outside the office, Keri Rodrigues has recently picked up a new hobby…biking! She has biked as a kid...
Read MoreDeducting the Miles We Drive
John Wooden always said: “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” John Wooden was always about the fundamentals. Our financial lives are obviously similar. Making sure we are...
Read MoreHow Long Will Your Money Last?
One of the most common questions we receive from clients is how much money can safely be withdrawn from an investment account without eating into principal. Of course, your specific financial needs and goals will impact when and how...
Read MoreProtect Yourself from Scammers
“Chances are good that someone you know has been scammed. They may not talk about it, but the statistics do.” Source: www.ftc.gov/passiton Over the years, many of our clients have fallen victim to various types of scams,...
Read MoreThe Importance of Contingent Beneficiaries
Getting organized and making sure that our estate plan is set up correctly can lower stress in our lives and in the lives of those handling our estates when we pass. Last week, we discussed the ability to consolidate our accounts to...
Read MoreMaxing Out Your Retirement Contributions
How much can you contribute to a retirement account for 2015? What is the contribution deadline? Below you’ll find a summary of contribution limits and deadlines for the 2015 tax year. As you consider making contributions, we...
Read MoreLimiting Taxes through Distribution Planning
Many investors have multiple asset vehicles in which their retirement nest egg resides. Examples include their IRA, Roth IRA, and non-qualified (or Non-IRA) accounts. A main distinction between these three are how they are taxed....
Read MoreIntroducing: Baby Ford
Congratulations to our very own Aaron McKell on the birth of his son Ford Eldon McKell! Ford was born after a speedy delivery on February 8th at 5:31am weighing 6 pounds, 12 ounces and 20 inches long. Aaron reports that Caroline is...
Read MoreDetecting an IRS Impersonator
Tax season is here and aside from meeting with your tax preparer, you need to be aware of the ever-alarming tax fraud scams that have affected our society. One of the main scams that the IRS is reporting on are telephone scams, where...
Read MoreBulls, Bears, Donkeys & Elephants
2016 is an election year! Get ready for some heated debates, controversial polls, and intriguing political conversations at family gatherings. Every 4 years, there is definite uncertainty about who will be the leader of the free world...
Read MoreValue of a Health Savings Account
I call Health Savings Accounts (HSA) the tax planning Holy Grail! Beginning in 2003, HSA’s allow for families enrolled in a high-deductible health plan to invest up to $6,650 ($3,350 for individual plan) in a tax advantaged...
Read MoreGeorge Veater: Saddle Bronc Riding Champion!
Rodeo has played a major part of George’s life for the better part of 30 years. He has participated in the sport his whole life (check out his first rodeo picture above)! Though his real run began while competing on his high...
Read MoreThe Cost of Trying to Time the Market
During the second quarter of this year, we published a short video on our website titled “The Cost of Market Timing.” I want to revisit this important theme as we reflect on the volatility of the market over the last few...
Read MoreToys for Tots - Annual Charity Drive
At the start of every Holiday season, we reflect on how blessed we are and strive to find a way to pay it forward and give back to our community. Each year, Veater Financial Group chooses an organization to focus our efforts towards....
Read MoreFilling Up Our Tax Planning Buckets
An often quoted CPA analogy to help explain tax principles is visualizing different buckets filling up with your income to define which tax rate you will pay. Understanding the difference between our marginal and effective rates will...
Read MoreClient Adventures - Whites in Alaska!
(Evelyn White & Richard White)Evelyn and I recently took our third Inland Passage Cruise to Alaska on the CelebrityMillennium. Our ports of call were: Vancouver, British Columbia Ketchikan, Alaska Icy Strait Point, Alaska Juneau,...
Read More6 Ways to Combat Identity Theft
Halloween: The only day of the year when it's acceptable to be someone you are not!Now, of course, in real life - Identity theft is not a joke. According to Transunion.com, 19 people fall victim to identity theft every minute.The...
Read MoreInterest Rate Changes: How do they affect me?
"Interest rates are at historic lows!"I feel like I hear this every day as part of a radio ad on my way to work. Since the Federal Reserve pushed interest rates down in 2008 to encourage lending and soften the impact of the financial...
Read MoreThe Impact of China's Entry into the Basket of Reserve Currencies
What is a reserve currency? A reserve currency is one that countries use to conduct trade (buy/sell goods and services, pay off debt, etc). For example, a Japanese company buying oil from a Russian company will likely pay in the...
Read MoreBrian Janssen is a MARRIED MAN!
Brian Janssen married Dawnielle Avarell on Friday May 15, 2015 in Fresno, California. They had a beautiful ceremony officiated by Mr. George Veater. Even though the day started out with rain, by the afternoon the skies were clear and...
Read MoreHow to Determine Your 2015 Federal Tax Bracket
Oftentimes, taxes are one of the top 3 biggest expenses of the year! It is essential to know and understand what tax bracket you are in. From planning when to use certain deductions or making sure you are witholding enough, knowing...
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