View from the Lake
Where Financial Planning meets the Real World
What’s for Dinner – and Other Things You Should Know Before it’s Too Late
My husband says I worry too much. I recently suggested that he use one of these new “meal delivery” services if something were ever to happen to me. He said I worry too much. But, it’s important to me that our family sits down together for dinner – and with this meal service, it would be […] Read More
How to Read Your Tax Return – the Schedules
Last month we discussed the basics of How to Read your Tax Return. This month we promised we’d do a bit deeper dive and review two of the most used schedules that impact your tax liability and flow through to pages 1 and 2. SCHEDULE A After calculating your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) the IRS […] Read More
How to Read Your Tax Return
The past three months have been busier than normal in the Shakespeare office. In addition to the financial planning and investment management we are always busy with, we’ve also been fielding many tax questions from clients and CPAs. We aren’t saying we have it as bad as CPAs, but our phones have been ringing too! […] Read More
Give up Retirement for Lent? (It’s on “The List”)
On this Ash Wednesday, we wanted to share with you 40 Things to Give up for Lent: The List, by Phil Ressler, which was posted on Greater Things Today in 2015. (We hope he doesn’t mind — we left in the links to his book, just in case!). We are with him when he says that these would be […] Read More
Visions of Retirement… from the Courtesy Shuttle
What’s Your Vision for Retirement? Recently I had to take my car into the dealership due to a recall. Normally, getting the car fixed is a big hassle given my rather busy schedule, husband who travels, and three kids. However, when I made my appointment, I was told that the dealership […] Read More
Estate Planning 102 (no, you’re not done yet)
What’s Next? After reading our Masking Tape Inheritance blog, you finally did it! You made the time to visit your estate planning attorney (with your spouse) to go through the process of updating your estate plan. You’ve thought through the uncomfortable scenario of who would get your assets when you die. You […] Read More
The Masking Tape Inheritance
Estate Planning 101 (the very basics) The Masking Tape Inheritance My husband and I recently visited my in-laws’ home. While helping them move a painting, I noticed a set of initials written on a piece of masking tape on the back of the painting. My father-in-law explained that those were my sister in-law’s initials, indicating […] Read More
Final Transitions – Enhancing End of Life Planning
Now is the Time to Get Your Ducks in a Row Financial planning is always important, but becomes crucial during times of transition. The most significant transition of all deals with a person’s transition at the end of life. In recent years the health care industry has improved resources and awareness surrounding a person’s end […] Read More
Top Tips for Finding the Perfect Senior Living Community
The hunt for senior living Last month we talked about having the “tough conversations” with family regarding senior living preferences (nursing home, assisted living, or independent living situation). This month we’d like to make things easier for you by giving you some tips about finding the right community for you. Our 2014 “Strength in Aging” […] Read More
