Bill Schwartz, CPA, CFP®

Medicare is the Federal health insurance program for people ages 65 and older. The program helps pay for various medical expenses including hospital stays, physicians, prescription drugs, and more. The number of people enrolled in Medicare has more than tripled since 1970, climbing from roughly 20 million to over 68 million today, and is projected to reach almost 93 million by 2050. A common misconception about Medicare is that it is self-financed through premiums paid by current beneficiaries

Although many things have changed since the first version of this missive in the fall of 2017, the threat from identity theft, unfortunately, is not one of them. It is still one of the most pervasive crimes in the U.S. (and the world) today, just like it was back then. And as a reminder, identity theft involves the unauthorized acquisition and use of someone’s personal information, such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, or bank account details, to commit fraud or other crimes. As

After spending a few days recently in the warmth of Miami, I always wonder why I do not live in (or retire to) a part of the country where this weather is common all year long. And since I am a fan of the beach, having a coastline would be nice, too. At first I thought about California, but it’s far away from friends and family, has earthquakes, that three-hour time zone issue, and it’s one of just a handful of states that’s actually more expensive to live in from a tax perspective (sorry, I am

The recent passing of Charlie Munger, Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, made us reflect on his and Warren Buffet’s successful investing over the years. And although this missive will not be a tribute to “The Abominable No-Man” or the “Oracle of Omaha,” and regardless of your affinity for Charlie and Warren in general, their common-sense approach to investing provides learning opportunities for us all. If you have read enough investor letters from Berkshire Hathaway’s annual report (which we

As financial advisors, our purpose is to increase the financial well-being of our clients. And, although I believe we add a great deal of value for our clients in helping set and implement long-term financial goals, reviewing insurances and risk management strategies, being tax-efficient in all aspects of investing and estate/gift transfer issues, helping with education funding strategies, attempting to constantly reduce portfolio expenses, helping to prepare for market volatility etc., I think

In the past, I’ve received calls from clients who had already retired but decided to get back into the game and provide consulting services as an independent contractor. Part of the conversation was a discussion of the different approaches to consider in deferring income recognition and investing some of these newly earned funds in a tax efficient manner. Below we review some of the most common retirement savings strategies a self-employed person could utilize and explore the pros and cons of e