FINANCIaL
FIELd NOTES
Why I’m Holding Onto My I-Bonds
In January 2022 and January 2023, I purchased I-bonds to serve as a replacement for part of our family’s cash savings. Back in 2022 when I-bond rates were over 7%, I wrote about how if you had cash that you could afford to tie up for a year, I-bonds were a good option. Rates then peaked in the middle of 2022 at nearly 10% before starting to come back down. Last year around this time, I wrote about how I still thought I-bonds offered a reasonable rate over alternatives.
During 2023, inflation came down and I-bond rates that are linked to inflation continued to go down. Currently, rates are sitting at 5.27%. I’ve had a few clients ask if they should go ahead and cash out their bonds from the past few years now that rates have gone down…
Most-Read Blog Posts From 2023
Happy New Year! Looking back on last year, I wanted to share a few of the most-read blog posts in case you missed them.
HOW BEING PRESENT INCREASES HAPPINESS IN RETIREMENT…
Three Fascinating Books I Read This Year
As the year ends, I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your continued support! If you have a friend or family member that you think might benefit from these posts, they can subscribe here or on the home page of my blog's website, Financial Field Notes.
Here are three books that I enjoyed this past year…
The Most Searched Financial Terms of 2023
2023 was a year that brought us no shortage of interesting news, from bank failures to spiking mortgage rates to yet another debt ceiling showdown. As we approach the end of the year, let's review five of the most searched financial topics of the year…
End-of-Year Tax Prep Checklist
With the year coming to a close, below are 23 year-end planning tax items that I review for my clients.
Reviewed maxing out 401(k) or employer-sponsored plan.
Reviewed next year's 401(k) contribution limits and adjust withholdings in January.
Contributed to IRA or…
Should You Name Your Adult Child Co-Trustee?
A critical aspect of proper estate planning is the Financial Power of Attorney document. However, if you have created a revocable living trust, assets that are titled in the name of the trust are managed by the named trustee, not your power of attorney. Because of this, one common question that arises is whether to name an adult child as a co-trustee.
Naming a child co-trustee is different from listing them as a successor trustee where the primary trustee must step down or be unable to serve for a successor to serve. I have seen some clients consider this change to naming a co-trustee after one spouse has passed away and the surviving spouse is considering their financial future…