Blog

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...

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...

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...

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...

"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...

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...

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...

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...

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%...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 –...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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)...

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...

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)....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

“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,...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

(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,...

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...

"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...

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...

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...

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...