Montgomery Community Media

I grew up with five older sisters. I learned many things from them: creative summer games, empathy, math tricks, and how to be economical. I have high regard for all of them, and I am convinced that they can do what any other man or woman can do. So it stings to know that my […]

George Kinder – a Harvard-trained financial planner and a renowned Buddhist teacher – developed these three famous questions to truly understand a person’s life goals and values. Because this is what financial planning is all about: using money as a tool to live a meaningful life. I invite you to ponder on these questions. To […]

One of the most challenging part of my job as a financial planner is calming clients down during periods of stock market decline. Thankfully, I didn’t have to experience that in 2017. The U.S. stock market clocked a return of more than 21%. International stocks performed even better, rising by more than 27%. Everyone I interacted […]

“Technology has advanced greatly, but human psychology is still the same.” I’m an aggressive investor. When stocks were tumbling during the Great Recession and everyone was running for the exit, I was buying stocks left and right. I even deployed most of my emergency funds. Those kinds of deep bargain opportunities only happen a few […]

I’d like to share my blog post (below) that was recently published at the Millennial, an online journal that provides Catholic opinion on the most pressing issues of our times in politics, religion, and culture.    ________________ As a financial planner, I encourage people to take control of their finances and plan for their future. I often […]

Significant tax changes are being discussed in Congress. If approved, these will take effect in 2018. Many deductions may be eliminated. While the proposed legislation is not yet a done deal, consider the following tax planning opportunities by end of 2017: If you pay estimated taxes, make your final state tax payment in December, instead […]

2017 Taxable Income How You May Feel Reason         Single   $0 to $9,235     Why me?   Small tax hike (up to $190) $9,326 to $37,950   TY Small tax cut (~$280 to $1,100/yr) $37,951 to $45,000   Yay! Decent tax cut ($4,900 to $5,800/yr) $45,001 to $91,900   Meh […]

It is open enrollment next week, and we must evaluate and choose the best health care plan for our household for the coming year. If you get health insurance through an exchange, open enrollment for 2018 runs from November 1 to December 15 (instead of January 31). Shopping is fun, but it doesn’t apply for […]

Today, I would like to share this blog post by Rachel Schmidt, who’s a Spiritual Coach. She shares how we can deal with overspending by working through the mental blocks and emotions that keep us believing we need to spend to feel good. Here’s the link to the original blog post.   You’ve gone to your […]

Rules of thumb help us make quick decisions without having to consult an expert. But as the definition suggests, it is not reliable for every situation. Below are four financial rules of thumb and when you may or may not want to follow it. 1)  Homeownership Rule: Pay at least 20% for down payment. Ideally, […]