Great question! This can be a confusing topic for those outside the investment industry. I’ve worked as a fee-based advisor, commission only advisor and now work as fee-only advisor. The easiest way to explain this is to review all three side by side. The first difference is compensation. Fee-only advisors work for their clients and…
[fusion_text]The IRS finally gave up after years of fighting that after-tax 401(k) dollars cannot be rolled into a Roth conversion. Most people simply put money into their 401(k) pre-tax–up to the annual employee limit. However, some plans allow employees to make contributions above the annual deductible limit on an after-tax basis. The employee didn’t get…
The central bank’s official dual mandate is to achieve full employment while maintaining price stability. These days it seems the Fed has an unspoken third mandate of not upsetting weak global economies. The European Central Bank (ECB) and Bank of Japan (BOJ) are facing stagnating economies and the Fed has decided not to upset the…
The American version of Brexit hit Tuesday November 8th 2016 as voters confounded pollsters and pundits by electing the brash, celebrity billion Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States. Although Trump lost the popular vote, he was able to secure the necessary 270 Electoral votes by winning key swing states like Florida,…
In October 2016, the IRS issued a reminder to employers and small-business owners of a new January 31 deadline for submitting Forms W-2 and certain Forms 1099-MISC to the Social Security Administration (SSA). The accelerated deadline, which was enacted as part of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act passed in late 2015, is designed…
The stock market kicked off March 1st with a new high in the Dow, S&P 500 and NASDAQ but has been losing steam the rest of the month. Since the presidential election, investor optimism has been driving stocks higher. In fact, a recent analysis by Bloomberg found that mom and pop investors have been a…
In today’s corporate environment, cost cutting, restructuring, and downsizing are the norm, and many employers are offering their employees early retirement packages. But how do you know if the seemingly attractive offer you’ve received is a good one? By evaluating it carefully to make sure that the offer fits your needs. What’s the severance package?…
If your goal is to grow your Portland, Oregon company fast, you need a positive cash flow cycle or the ability to raise money at a feverish pace. Anything less and you will quickly grow yourself out of business. A positive cash flow cycle simply means you get paid before you have to pay others….
If you’re wondering what your business might be worth to an acquirer in Portland, there is a simple calculation you can use. Let’s call it “The Build vs. Buy Equation”. At some point, every acquirer does the math and calculates how much it would cost to re-create what you’ve built. If an acquirer figures they…
Companies like Netflix, UrthBox, and Amazon are leveraging the subscription business model to discover what their customers want next. In a traditional business, the customer buys your product or service once, and it is up to you to try to convince them to buy again in the future. You often have no idea if they…
