Mountain Money Blog

The IRA Charitable Rollover – Laserlike Tool for the Seasoned Philanthropist

By Steven Smith | November 16, 2018

‘Tis the season…for charitable giving. In our last post, we discussed the basics of the new tax law, its possible effects on charitable donations and the concept of “bunching” and a Donor Advised Fund as a workaround. Today we address the IRA charitable rollover – or, more technically, the qualified charitable distribution (QCD). IRA Goes […]

Regaling the Donor Advised Fund – The Swiss Army Knife of Charitable Giving

By Steven Smith | November 6, 2018

Nothing sharpens the mind like a deadline. Sometime around Halloween, when we have a couple of months left in the year, we begin to think in earnest about our charitable giving. On account of the charitable contribution deduction on Schedule A of the 1040 individual income tax return, many taxpayers scramble to complete their charitable […]

Where are you on the Spectrum of Financial Dependence and Independence?

By Steven Smith | October 29, 2018

Where are you on the Spectrum of Financial Dependence and Independence? (H/T to financial planning guru Michael Kitces for including this article by Morgan Housel in his October 19, Weekly Reading for Financial Planners.) Continuums I love continuums. Or is it contiua? You’ve seen a million of them. They are generally represented graphically, in an […]

3rd Quarter Client Note – Yield Curve Ball

By Steven Smith | October 11, 2018

The S & P 500 (total return) Index experienced its best quarter in five years, rising 7.2%. (Of course, things happen so fast, that as of this writing the S&P 500 has fallen almost 4.5% in the first nine days of the third quarter; led largely by falling technology stocks and possibly attributed to the […]

Is Cryptocurrency the Future of Real Estate?

By Steven Smith | September 20, 2018

A couple of forward-thinking real estate professionals in Boulder are prognosticating that the blockchain technology and Bitcoin – the most popular form of digital currency – will revolutionize real estate transactions, the Boulder Daily Camera reports. And they may be right. At least in part. Jim Merrion, a Boulder realtor, claims to have promoted Colorado’s […]

Fidelity’s Zero Cost Index Funds – Much Ado About Nothing?

By Steven Smith | September 7, 2018

On August 1, 2018, Fidelity Investments, by introducing two zero-management fee index funds, seemingly fired a shot across the bow of the 18th century vessel that is Vanguard’s vaunted logo. For over forty years, Vanguard, the shareholder-owned behemoth has led the way in reducing the cost of investing to a level approaching zero. The Admiral […]

Do We Face a Retirement Crisis?

By Steven Smith | August 10, 2018

In an article in Advisor Perspectives, actuary, financial planner and retirement researcher Joe Tomlinson delves into the question: Do We Face a Retirement Crisis? The “we” Tomlinson refers to is American society as a whole. His conclusion is that the “crisis” for the current generation of retirees is a bit overblown, but the future looks […]

2nd Quarter Client Note – Fed Up With Rising Rates

By Steven Smith | July 11, 2018

The S & P 500 (total return) Index bounced back from its first quarter (.75%) loss, rising 3.43% in the second quarter. But US stocks were the lone wolf; with virtually all other major asset classes falling. The MSCI World (ex USA) Index fell 2.61%, while the MSCI Emerging Markets Index dropped 7.96%. After being […]

1st Quarter Client Note – Volatility Emerges

By Steven Smith | April 10, 2018

It was nice while it lasted. The S & P 500 (total return) Index fell .75%, its first quarterly loss since the third quarter of 2015. Some asset classes, of course, fared a bit better, with the small-cap Russell 2000 Index down .08%. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index gained 1.42%. Others performed worse. The MSCI […]

4th Quarter Client Note – Preparing for an Inevitable Bear Market

By Steven Smith | January 14, 2018

Global equity markets defied predictions – and perhaps even gravity – in 2017. The S & P 500 (total return) index increased 21.83%, landing in the top third best performances in its history. Foreign markets, buoyed by a falling dollar, performed even better. The MSCI World ex USA (net dividends) Index gained 24.21%. The MSCI […]

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