Tax Tips for the Individual Investor

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Investors are usually quite eager to learn about the next big investment opportunity out there to increase their total portfolio return, however, they are often less enthusiastic about making an effort to minimize their tax bite. There’s money to be made by taking advantage of tax avoidance strategies. So that you don’t overlook any opportunities for improving your bottom line, here are a few simple tax principles that can help save you money.

6 Strategies for Tax-Efficient Investing

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It’s tax season again and this often prompts a variety of feelings including procrastination and intimidation. It’s no fun knowing that after factoring in federal income and capital gains taxes, the alternative minimum tax, and any applicable state and local taxes, your investments' returns in any given year may be reduced significantly. But for some people, tax time can actually be a very happy time. That’s because they have put into place some effective strategies to decrease their income tax bite. Here are several Strategies & Tips to potentially help lower your tax bill.
Durham NC Financial Planner

5 Benefits to Getting a Portfolio Second Opinion from a Financial Planner

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Do you worry about your current or future financial situation? Perhaps you have these questions float through your mind periodically: Will my money last as long as I do? Will I have enough to live comfortably? Should I be doing something different with my investments to improve my outlook? Do I have the right advisor to help me achieve my goals? Should I get a second opinion from a financial planner to see if my investments are positioned correctly to achieve my goals?

4 Signs it is Time to Break Up with Your Financial Advisor

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It is not uncommon to have second thoughts about your financial advisor even if you have been together for years. Often small irritations fester over time until you get to a point where you feel compelled to make a change. Pulling the eject trigger is not an easy one since this person has had access to the inner circle of your life knowing your complete financial picture.

How to Prepare Your Financial Documents for Your First Financial Planning Meeting with a Fee-Only Durham, NC Financial Advisor

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If you are planning to meet with a Fee-Only Financial Planner, you may be a bit uncertain as to what to expect and what you’ll discover about your financial status today and in the future. To ease your mind and make the best use of your time together, there are some standard pieces of documentation that you should bring with you. Coming prepared to the first meeting will enable your Financial Advisor to get a clear initial overview of your financial health. Here are the most important financial documents to bring to your first Durham, NC Financial Advisor Meeting:

How to Prepare for Your Meeting with Your Fee-Only Financial Planner

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If you are planning to meet with a Durham, NC, Fee-Only Financial Planner, you may feel excited or nervous about what you may discover when talking about your personal finances. To ease your mind and make the best use of your time together, do a bit of preparation as outlined below. This will enable you to come with enough information to make the first consultation valuable and productive for both of you.

How to Choose one of the Best Fee-Only Financial Planners

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Hiring a financial advisor can provide you with confidence and peace of mind knowing that you have a plan for your money that will benefit you and your family for years to come. At any phase in life, but more importantly as you approach retirement age, a financial planner can be of benefit to you. That’s because research shows that people who have financial planners tend to generate considerably better returns for retirement that people who don’t.**