financial advisors, portland, cpa

How to Keep Yourself Safe From Fake Financial News

/in , /by

Article by Chris Taylor | Found Reuters

Hey, we have a great stock tip for you – a stone-cold lock, guaranteed profits!

Do you believe us? We hope not.

The bad news is that financial “fake news” does not present itself as such very easily, and it is everywhere these days.

A recent Harris Poll conducted for the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) found that 63 percent of Americans say that fake news “has made it more difficult to make critical financial decisions.”

And it is not just suckers or confused seniors who are at risk. Read more

home equity, retirement

What Role Should Your House Have in Retirement Planning?

/in , , /by

Article by Ilana Polyak | Featured on Journal of Accountancy

Home is where the heart is. And it can also be where the assets are. As of 2011, home equity made up about three-quarters of the average American’s net worth, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Despite this high figure, the home doesn’t always factor into retirement planning calculations.

For clients with ample assets, home equity is a less pressing issue. In that case, there’s no reason to “concern yourself with the house,” said David Imhoff, CPA/PFS, owner of Cornerstone Wealth Advisors LLC in Overland Park, Kan., because “we look at the house as the asset of last resort.”

But retirees of more modest means may need every possible option, including home equity. “It’s really surprising that more people don’t pay attention to it,” said Geoff Sanzenbacher, Ph.D., research economist at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. “The house can be a potential source of wealth.” Read more

isler northwest, financial advisors

5 Mental Tricks To Make A Good Money Habit Really Last

/in , /by

By Julia Chang | Article Featured on Forbes

This story originally appeared on LearnVest as “5 Ways to Make a New Money Habit Stick.”

We’re nearly two weeks into 2017 and if you’re like many of us, you started the year fired up about your New Year’s money resolutions (no more Ubers!) but may have already begun to feel your motivation flag.

According to the 2016 Money Habits & Confessions Survey by LearnVest, more than a third of Americans predict they won’t be able to keep a financial resolution in 2017. Even though 48% of people acknowledge that kicking their bad money habits would be more beneficial than kicking bad lifestyle habits (and the percentage was even higher among Millennials, at 57%), they expect they’ll only be able to stick with their money goal for an average of six weeks before throwing in the towel completely.

Those stats show just how challenging turning over a new leaf can be, particularly if your efforts revolve around your finances.
Read more

11 Tips to Avoid a Tax Hit in 2015 - Isler NW

11 Steps To Avoid a Tax Hit in 2015

/in , /by

By Robert Powell

Take these steps now to avoid a tax hit in 2015:

  1. Review your estimated taxes. If you’re paying quarterly estimated taxes, now would be a good time to review your payments, especially if you had a big change in income from the prior year, said Paula Nangle, a certified financial planner with Marshall Financial Group in a Doylestown, Pa. Read more