The Blog

Open (and evil) racial violence in Charlottesville. Political turmoil all over Washington. An ever-inflating stock market. War drums from North Korea. TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE. Every summer, it seems we hit a point in which it feels like everything is fraying at the edges and we’re in danger of falling apart. Not only do we seem to be more divided than … Read More

We work a great deal with asset sheets and financial numbers for our Sacramento clients. We’re always on the hunt for ways that we can minimize tax burdens and be strategic about every available resource on behalf of the Sacramento families and people we serve. But what is becoming increasingly clear in this 2017, always-online, world is this: our most powerful … Read More

Sometimes the best stories are the old ones. Variations of this yarn have floated around the culture for some years now, but in my opinion, that’s because the lesson from it is so instructive. And I’ll admit from the jump, that it’s self-serving to some extent. Because in the age of AI, point-and-click software and ROBOTS, it’s tempting to think … Read More

Working with my Sacramento, Placer, and El Dorado clients’ finances over the years has given me a bit of a crash course in human behavior. Often, I’m floored by the generosity I see displayed by many clients — even those without significant means. Other times … well, I think that we all could use the reminder that our human flaws … Read More

Well, we are right in the thick of summer. It’s hot. It’s also tempting to just sit back and hit the cruise control for the next 6 weeks or so, and do nothing different, make no changes, plan no plans. Like many, you’re probably averting your eyes from the national political scene — because whichever “side” you favor, nobody seems … Read More

I have more to say about financial independence today (since I received some great feedback the last time I wrote about it). But before I get there, I’d like to speak some encouragement to you. A few people in Sacramento, Placer, and El Dorado wrote me saying that they were feeling pretty dispirited about their personal situation … and that anything discussing … Read More

I truly hope you enjoyed your Independence Day festivities. Perhaps you’re still enjoying them? Interestingly, did you know that the Declaration of Independence was actually approved on July 2nd, and most of the delegates didn’t sign it until August 2nd? While John Adams expected Americans would celebrate July 2, the date on the published copies of the document was July 4th … … Read More

With summer in full swing, for some of my Sacramento, Placer, and El Dorado clients it means that the children are more “present” than they might otherwise be. The wallet might feel a little more leaky than normal, with summer camp expenses (and there *are* certain tax deductions for those, if you do it right), various activities for the family, … Read More

Last week I wrote about worry, and this week … well, the summer is fully upon us, and as things get hotter, some days I come into the office and without the intensity of tax return filing season to keep me distracted, I occasionally find myself a little stuck. Can you relate? You see, I’m a creature of habit, and … Read More

There are so many things in our modern world that are true causes for concern. Whatever your politics, the atmosphere in Washington is tense. There is unrest across the culture, and a sense that many of the things that we have grown to rely upon aren’t nearly as stable as they once were. And to top it all off, Batman … Read More