Claire Emory, MBA, CFA, CFP®, Author at FIGuide

Plan Ahead for Next Year’s Taxes

Nov 03 2020

The Huffington Post writes, “You might still be focused on surviving 2020, but when it comes to taxes, it doesn’t hurt to plan ahead.” There are some people who plan all year and work with professionals like an accountant and a Fee-Only financial advisor. Others might start thinking about the following year’s taxes after the winter holidays.

At the end of last month, the IRS shared changes to the tax code that will be in place for 2021. The tax brackets did not change but they did adjust the income amounts for each bracket because of inflation.

We tend to …

Fight Financial Fears with Knowledge

Oct 27 2020

In 2018, Bankrate addressed common financial fears and how to overcome them. Two years later, people are still facing the possibility of a financial emergency, in addition to a pandemic. All of these things are frightening but you do not have to give in to fear.

Medical Emergencies: The article not only advises having a good health, most importantly it reminds readers to be aware of their coverage. If you already know what is covered, what is not covered, and what kind of deductible you have, you will be armed with information before you need medical care. Many …

Thoughtful Ways to Spend a Windfall

Oct 20 2020

Kiplinger.com offers suggestions for ways to spend a windfall of at least $1000. Should you find yourself with extra money you can pause and think about how to use it. These are uneasy times and one impulse would be to spend it on something fun. That is not a bad impulse because taking care of your wellbeing is an investment. The list includes things like taking a vacation, upgrading your bike (or investing whatever pastime brings you joy).

There are also ways to spend a windfall so that you can put a little down payment towards a more secure financial …

Gray Divorce Doesn’t Have to Be a Shadow Over Your Golden Years

Oct 06 2020

Divorcing at any age is not easy, even when the split is amicable. For people who are nearing or already in retirement, there are special considerations for “Gray Divorce”. Or, if you want a term with more bling try “Silver Splitters” or “Diamond Divorcees”.

But often bling or lack thereof is an issue for people who end marriages later in life. People who divorce later in life have fewer working years left to recover from the financial losses of divorce. These losses include the legal costs involved in getting the divorce and for many, the subsequent loss of …

A Comic Strip Looks at Estate Planning

Sep 22 2020

Articles and lectures inform us while stories speak to us in a way that these more straightforward sources cannot. It is interesting to see financial planning in pop culture because a narrative can get some people to think and take action when a seminar may not.

Between July 27 and August 1 of this year the Big Nate comic strip by Lincoln Peirce spent a week looking at estate planning, in comic form. The older daughter read an advice column where she sees that people write in with disputes over their parents’ estates weekly. So, she and her younger brother …

Author - Claire Emory, MBA, CFA, CFP®