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Maximizing Your Retirement Income
Doing Some Tax Planning Now Can Pay Off Later in Retirement For many people, retirement is not a time to slow down and stop. It’s a time to explore the next great chapters of your life and build upon everything you’ve...
Read MoreWhat Can You Control?
The financial markets lived up to their reputation during the month of August, which has a record for being difficult. On the first day of August, markets had to contend with the latest apocalypse-du-jour,...
Read MoreThe Importance of Staying Invested
Making economic forecasts and stock market predictions can be quite humbling. It’s especially harsh when you expect stocks prices to go higher, but they go down instead. However, the...
Read MoreSimple But Not Easy
I'm even more delighted than usual to report to you at mid-year on the events of the last six months, and on the further progress toward your most important lifestyle and financial goals. But first, as...
Read MoreThe Elephant in the Room
I was hoping to start my June client letter writing about the “official” start of a new bull market today, but no such luck. The S&P 500 Index closed at 4,283 on Tuesday, June 6 (and is trading around...
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Hope Springs Eternal
Spring is often considered to be an uplifting time, marked by growth and renewed hope as we emerge from the long months of winter and look ahead to the rest of year. Amazingly, over the first four months of...
Read MoreResilient March Higher
The resilience of the stock market during March was remarkable, despite pockets of uncertainty surrounding the strength of the economy—and serious concerns over the durability of the banking system. The ability of the market...
Read MoreSilicon Valley Bank Collapse
Financial markets were shaken last week as Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the California bank subsidiary of SVB Financial Group (SIVB), fell into FDIC receivership. SVB is the first FDIC-insured...
Read MoreThe Virtue of Patience
This year the financial markets have experienced significant changes in just two short months. We started the year hopeful that stocks would benefit from a better economic and monetary policy...
Read MoreRenewed Optimism
February 2, 2023 Dear Clients & Friends, Whether you’re looking to set ambitious new goals for the upcoming year or simply getting a fresh start on some old habits, there’s almost always some value in reflecting on the past...
Read MoreThe Price of Winning
January 5, 2023, Dear Clients & Friends, Happy New Year! I customarily begin my first commentary of the year restating our overall approach to investment advice, even in the context of a letter primarily focused on the past year. We...
Read MoreLooking Ahead
November 3, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, The month of October delivered on its track record as a historically positive month for stocks, offering some much-needed relief for investors as the major equity indices all rose on the month....
Read MoreIs the Worst Behind Us?
October 6, 2022, Dear Clients & Friends, This has clearly been a challenging year for investors and – more importantly – for individual households. Stocks and bonds are both down significantly. Elevated food and...
Read MoreThe Best & Worst of Times
September 7, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, When Charles Dickens authored his famous opening lines in The Tale of Two Cities, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, he might as well have been referencing the...
Read MoreA Very Wild Ride
August 4, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, The last week of July was epic for market-followers. A Federal Reserve rate hike, a much-anticipated gross domestic product (GDP) report, and the busiest week of earnings season got most of...
Read MoreWeathering the Storm
July 7, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, As the calendar has turned to July, investors would certainly like to forget the first six months of 2022. The first half of the year was full of surprises: sky-high inflation, the biggest...
Read MoreThe Bear Has Arrived
June 15, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, The bear has arrived. We are now officially in bear market territory, which is largely attributable to stubbornly high inflation and the Federal Reserve’s efforts to control rising prices...
Read MoreThe Bull Market is Hanging On
June 2, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, This has been a very challenging year for investors. The S&P 500 Index, which measures the broad market performance of the US stock market, came dangerously close to falling into bear market...
Read MoreHere Comes The Sun
May 5, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, As we move into spring and leave behind the last signs of a long winter, many worries remain from a chilly start to the year for the markets. The S&P 500 Index had its worst April in more than...
Read MoreWe Still Have A Ways to Go
April 7, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, According to the wisdom of revered investor Sir John Templeton, who famously said "bull markets are born on pessimism, grow on skepticism, mature on optimism, and die on euphoria”, it appears...
Read MoreNavigating Uncertainty
March 3, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, The signs of an economic recovery are hard to see right now as spring approaches, clouded by the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Democracy is under attack and innocent lives are tragically being...
Read MoreThe Bumpy Road Ahead
February 3, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, Stocks have gotten off to a rough start in 2022. The calendar had barely flipped into the new year, when we were all reminded that the return premium we expect to receive by investing in...
Read MoreHave A Plan, Don't Predict
January 6, 2022 Dear Clients & Friends, It is customary to begin my annual newsletter by restating our overall approach to investment advice, even in the context of a letter primarily focused on the previous year. We are...
Read MoreHoliday Resilience
December 2, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, I hope everyone enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. While life has been challenging during the pandemic, we have a lot to be thankful for. At this time, we are especially...
Read MoreMany Reasons to Be Thankful
November 5, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, The past year and a half have tested all of us, but overall, the economy continues to strengthen, COVID-19 trends are greatly improving, and this still relatively young bull market is alive and...
Read MoreChange Brings Opportunity
October 7, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, Autumn is my favorite time of the year! The weather begins to cool, the leaves begin to fall, and the sports leagues are in full swing. The autumn season to me represents change. As we can all...
Read MoreThe Bull Market Continues
September 2, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, The bull market continues, with the S&P 500 Index now up seven months in a row. Stocks have remarkably gained 20% year-to-date, with the S&P 500 making 53 new all-time highs before the end of...
Read MoreSix Months & Counting
August 5, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, Six months and counting. That is the current monthly winning streak for the S&P 500 Index. To take that a step further, this key equity benchmark has posted gains in 13 of the last 16...
Read MoreOnward & Upward
July 1, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, As we continued to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in the first half of 2021, the economy made significant progress and the equity markets advanced noticeably higher. This special mid-year...
Read MoreGearing Up for Summer
June 3, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, As we move into June, a path to normalcy is coming quickly with stadiums allowing full capacity, restaurants filling up, and summer vacations in full swing. Meanwhile, the U.S. economy continues its...
Read MoreOut of the Shadows
May 6, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, As the calendar has turned to May, the popular “Sell in May and Go Away” stock market cliché is getting a lot of airtime. This is the idea that the stock market tends to be weakest...
Read MoreSpring Forward
April 1, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, “The real key to making money in stocks is not to get scared out of them.” -Peter Lynch They say April showers bring May flowers. Well, after a lot of showers and storms over the past...
Read MoreApproaching Normal
March 4, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, It’s now been over a year since COVID-19 first hit American shores. While the pandemic has affected everyone to varying degrees, we can all agree that everyone’s life is different today...
Read MoreStay the Course
February 4, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, “In the short-term, the market is a voting machine. In the long-term, the market is a weighing machine.” -Warren Buffett 2021 is under way, as our nation and the rest of the world...
Read MoreFresh Start
January 7, 2021 Dear Clients & Friends, Happy New Year! A new year offers a welcomed turn of the calendar and a fresh start. However, it’s difficult to put 2020 completely behind us just yet because the COVID-19 pandemic still...
Read MorePowering Forward
Dear Clients & Friends, As 2020 comes to a close, we are already looking forward to a new year—and to a world very different from the one we’re leaving behind. Areas of the economy have been damaged and may never fully...
Read MoreElection Clarity
November 9, 2020 Dear Clients & Friends, Former Vice President Joe Biden has been elected the 46th President of the United States, defeating President Donald Trump in a tight race and bringing an end to the highly contested 2020...
Read MoreElection Uncertainty
November 4, 2020 Dear Clients & Friends, The American people have voted, casting a record number of ballots under extraordinary circumstances, which is a testament to the enduring resilience of our democracy. Determining the outcome of...
Read MoreSigns of Strength
October 1, 2020 Dear Clients & Friends, Autumn has arrived, with students back in school, baseball playoffs beginning, and football in full swing. Life is trying to get back to as normal as possible despite the ongoing impact from...
Read MoreBack to School
September 3, 2020 Dear Clients & Friends, Back to school this year will be different. On the one hand, like other years, it marks the end of summer, the arrival of cooler weather, kids hitting the books again, and Labor Day gatherings....
Read MoreThe Antisocial Side of Social Media
Have you ever wondered whether social media was having a positive or negative impact on our mental well-being? The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a warning about the negative effects of social media on young kids and teens,...
Read MoreFacts About the Forgotten Policy
Everybody knows about life insurance, and disability insurance covering millions through corporate plans. Health insurance is always in the news thanks to the controversy around the Affordable Care Act. But what about the forgotten...
Read MoreManaging Holiday Cash Flow
As we quietly slip into the holiday season most of us look forward to delicious food, families reuniting, and great festivities. This is also the season when managing a family spending plan, or budget can prove challenging. You do a...
Read MoreEstate Planning Mistakes
The most common way to transfer assets to your heirs is also the messiest: to have a will that is so out of date that it doesn’t relate to your property or estate, to have your records scattered all over the place, to have social...
Read MoreHow to Navigate a Homeowner’s Claim
Suppose you’re the victim of a huge natural disaster like the recent fires, Harvey, or Irma, or have experienced some more local damage, like a tree falling on your house. What are the best practices for filing a claim for the...
Read MoreHow to Prepare for Retirement in Your 50s
The fifth decade of life is a pivotal time for retirement planning and preparation. By the time you hit 50, you’re no more than two decades from your likely retirement date. That means you’re at an ideal time to revisit...
Read MoreAging Dilemma
As summer winds down and we approach the fall season we thought it fitting to talk about the fall season of life, but a life lived vigorously in good health. We hear phrases like “70 is the new 50”. Should today’s...
Read MoreWhat are Your Investment Goals?
When you invest, you make an important choice not to spend money today so that you can live better in the future, or realize your goal. Doing so, means that we have a goal or a reason to invest in the first place; if we don’t...
Read MoreDo you have questions about Technology?
Do you have questions about technology? You are invited to join us for our monthly small group Tuesday Tips Educational Enrichment Series Bring your questions, a friend and plan to join us on: Tuesday, September 12th 10:00 a.m. - 11:00...
Read MoreWhat does it mean when your portfolio is up 6%, 8% or 10%?
You receive portfolio performance reports every three months to six months—a form of transparency that financial planning professionals introduced at a time when the typical brokerage statement was impossible to decipher. But it...
Read MoreYour Key to a Quality Financial Plan
The Value and Connection between Behavior, Estimates and Financial Planning Financial Planning is an art, not a science. The truth is that being able to live a successful financial life, and meeting your goals, is far more dependent on...
Read MoreWhat happens to your HSA when you die?
It can depend upon whom that you have named as your beneficiary! Naming a beneficiary for your retirement account is one of the most important administrative tasks that must be in good order to avoid unexpected or adverse tax...
Read MoreMercer Putney Financial Advisors Awards Two College Scholarships
Mercer Putney Financial Advisors is proud to have awarded two deserving East Bay senior high school students $500 college scholarships. The Walnut Creek based financial advisory firm posed the question “Is money the measure of...
Read MoreA Teenager’s Path to a Millionaire Retirement
The Tax Season filing deadline causes many clients to set up or contribute to their IRA. Contributions must be made before the tax filing deadline. At this point, you are about to ask me what’s that got to do with a teenage...
Read MoreMercer Putney Financial Advisors Continues to Partner with the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce
On Wednesday, May 17, Mercer Putney Financial Advisors was honored with a ribbon cutting ceremony by the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce in honor of our recent office update. We have been a long-standing member of the chamber, and...
Read MoreWhat a Market Top Looks Like
The current bull market in stocks reached its 8th anniversary recently, and for about the last four years, professional investors and financial planners have been scratching their heads. The markets have gone up and up and up, and we...
Read MoreTwo Smart Retirement Plans for the Self-Employed
Self-employed folks have a variety of choices to set up retirement plans for themselves and their employees. Today, we are going to talk about kinds of retirement plans that can give them the opportunity to contribute as much as $54...
Read MoreWhat is the best age to retire?
What’s the best age to retire? It depends. Some people enjoy their work so much that retirement isn’t something they even want to consider. Others want to retire as soon as possible. There are a lot of factors that go into...
Read MoreIs a market correction coming?
Would a 10% pull back really be a bad thing? There’s plenty of talk surrounding the next move in the markets. It’s no surprise. The current bull market has just celebrated its eighth anniversary. Should that leave us...
Read MoreTwo Smart Retirement Plans for the Self Employeed
Self-employed folks have a variety of choices to set up retirement plans for themselves and their employees. Today, we are going to talk about kinds of retirement plans that can give them the opportunity to contribute as much as $54...
Read MoreSix Medicare Facts That Will Surprise You
Medicare is a huge undertaking, and it covers a surprising number of members. These six facts should impress you---and some may help you make the most of the program, too. It’s valuable to learn a lot about Medicare so that you...
Read MoreThe Deathtrap of Current Events
Today as I write this blog, on March 1, 2017, the S&P 500 Index closed at 2,395.96. What a difference in those scary days of the first six weeks of 2016.The stock market opened down on the first day of last year, and went pretty much...
Read MoreMistakes to Avoid When Passing a Roth IRA to Heirs
The advantages of tax-free growth, has made the Roth IRAs an increasingly popular investment vehicle to leave to children or other loved ones. But heirs won’t reap the full benefit of a Roth IRA if it isn’t passed down...
Read MoreHow to Re-balance Your Portfolio (Regardless of What You Think of the Markets)
Over the last few weeks, professional financial planners have been fielding calls from clients who are asking the kinds of questions that every professional investor hates to hear. The Dow has reached (and then fallen back below) 20...
Read MoreThe 25 Worst Passwords
How secure are the passwords you use to access your banking or investment data? A recent article in Forbes magazine surveyed security company SplashData’s password dumps, looking for the world’s most common—and,...
Read More7 Tax Tips to Help Avoid an IRS Audit
Tax audits happen, but there are several things you can do to reduce your chances of being audited---and most of them are easy. It’s common for taxpayers to wonder how likely it is that their tax return will be audited, as the...
Read More10 Ways to Legally Reduce Your 2017 Taxes
You can improve your financial health by finding and using ways to reduce your tax bill. Your income will go further if you’re paying less in taxes. Here are 10 strategies to consider: Sock away money for retirement. Traditional,...
Read MoreHealthy Habits and Longevity
With this blog I want to share with you a couple of articles that I believe are invaluable to healthy living. The first article that I’m sharing with you is: “Ever wonder who’s in control?”, by: Maddy Dychtwald,...
Read MoreRoth Conversions and Mandatory Distributions
You probably know that the IRS requires you to start taking mandatory distributions from your IRA when you turn 70 1/2, even if you don’t actually need the money. But can you do a Roth conversion at that late date, and thereby...
Read More2016, a Year of Surprises……and Will 2017 be Another Year of Surprises?
As we review and reflect the events of 2016, my first comment is…wow, what a year. The year 2016 began with what has been termed the worst six week in equity market history—the S&P 500 Index declined more than eleven...
Read MoreMarket Impact of a Trump Presidency
Donald Trump emerged as the winner last night of a hotly contested presidential campaign and will be inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States on Friday, January 20, 2017. The transition to a Republican presidency and...
Read More2016 Election and the Stock Market
With the presidential election only weeks away, investors may be wondering how their portfolios could be affected by the outcome of this contentions political season. High levels of stock market price volatility is a reflection of...
Read MoreScience Brings Good News About Global Warming
Chances are you’ve felt a bit discouraged by the global warning reports. On the one hand, they say that our world is in for trouble unless we make significant changes in how our global economy produces the energy it needs to...
Read MoreTaxes: Do the Rich Really Pay Less and How Much is Spent Preparing Taxes
What the Rich Pay According to studies the rich do not pay less than the middle class. This is backed up by studies by U.S. Treasury Department, Investor’s Business Daily and the Atlantic Monthly. As can be noted in the table...
Read MoreTeaching Your Kids About Money
Raising financially savvy children involves teaching them a variety of aspects from budgeting to planning, earning and saving. Besides giving them an understanding of the value of a dollar, teaching children about fiscal responsibility...
Read MoreRiding the Roller Coaster
With the benefit of hindsight, we can see that it would have been a bad idea to sell your stock holdings after the Brexit vote; you would have locked in a 5% to 10% loss in a market that eventually trended upward to new record highs....
Read MoreHabits Behavior and Achievement
Behavior combined with discipline are fundamental to achieving a better life, including preparing a sound financial foundation for your retirement. This includes achieving the American Dream, however you wish it to take shape. To begin...
Read MoreWhat's a Spousal IRA?
A common misconception we often hear is that you must have earned income (taxable) to fund an IRA, as though not having earned meant that you were out of luck either beginning or adding to a nest egg. This is a very costly myth....
Read MoreTime in Beats Timing…in the Market
As I have said many times to clients: “Timing the Market is a Losers Game.” Why should I say this, because, “market timing” to be successful requires an ability to forecast the future correctly; not only once...
Read MoreThe Bear Market That Wasn’t…Instead, A Celebration of the Seventh Anniversary of the Bull Market
We now celebrate the seventh anniversary of our post “Great Recession” bull mark. “The secret to this bull market has been its ability to embrace and relish a chronic wall of worry. From its beginning, the stock...
Read MoreRetirement Planning…It’s All About Income and Passion or Purpose
What is retirement planning? It has many definitions. In the world that I help and advise clients, it’s a combination of many things. It’s helping clients identify and work towards their ideal retirement goals, whatever...
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