Investors are often preoccupied with generating attractive returns and managing risk in their portfolios. However, one aspect that should not be overlooked is the tax efficiency of our investments. Diversified portfolios hold a wide range of investments with different asset classes/securities having different return and tax efficiency characteristics. Tax-efficient asset class placement can have a significant impact on long-term wealth accumulation and should be an integral part of any investor’s strategy. This is a strategy that we, at Meira, have regularly used over the years.

Our MEIRA clients are increasingly utilizing charitable giving by donating to charities through Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from their IRA Investment accounts (if you’d like to learn more, please let us know). In some cases, we’ve had clients who wanted assistance in identifying a charitable organization, so I developed a bit of a how-to-guide below.

Some people like to take quizzes and if you’re one of those read on. The answers are at the end of the article, so don’t peek.

Winter of 2022…it was a regular working day, where in the evening I was to meet a friend for dinner. As I was leaving for dinner, my cellphone stopped working and said SOS—little did I know it wasn’t because I didn’t have a signal!

Part of our role as Financial Planners is to ask questions that go beyond the numbers. Most of our clients have a goal of accumulating assets and making sure that they spend their money wisely. These are very important goals, but it's important to make sure that we think about other risks that we all face as we age.

Most people when asked what investment risk is typically respond with the phrase "losing money." There are many more layers than just that simple answer and knowing how to respond to the different kinds of risk can help you be more knowledgeable about your investments.

I was blessed to have been raised by a mother who believed in spending less than you make. Thankfully, that belief is ingrained in me and particularly came into play when my older child went off to a private college four years ago! I reexamined our monthly expenses and was determined to find ways to save money.

After a recent client meeting about estate planning (when we were asked if it was required that your body be processed with formaldehyde whe you die), I told them that I would look into the matter about alternative options for burial.

Frequently, we find that a client’s estate plan does not address the placement of pets or provide for their financial support after their owner’s incompetence or death.

Since I can remember, I have always tried to practice making the most of any situation in life. One of my favorite things to do outside of work is to travel.

A few weeks ago, our team enjoyed an offsite meeting at a resort in Key Largo that included some fun activities to disconnect and also some focused work as a team. One of the particularities of the resort is their restrictive policy around cell phone usage in certain areas. On the way back, my wife and I started a dialogue about the impact the 24/7 connectivity that our smartphones and the internet are having in our lives. It was just a few decades ago that we were still consuming information at a slower pace, outside of the digital world. Are we better off as a society, as a result? Certainly, the ability to provide access to information and knowledge to a wider audience will generally lead to progress. At the same time, are we happier than older generations in this hyper-connected world? I will let you answer that question for yourself.

Eye rolls and pitiful exhales—that was the initial response I got from my family and loved ones when discussing cyber security.

In April 2018 the college decisions started rolling in. My daughter—first born—applied to 15 universities (she worked super hard in high school and was determined to go to school up North). She had been thinking about going to university since 5th grade. Now, looking back at that time, fifteen applications was way too many—too much work and each application costs $$. The good news is that she got into 10 schools!

When I first heard about bitcoin in 2016 and 2017 I dismissed it as fraud, a ponzi scheme, or a pure speculative mania that will go away.

It all started with a few clients wanting to ensure their money was helping to fund more developments that combat fossil fuel consumption.

Consider this — conventional wisdom says homeowners should pay off their home loans before retirement. But does this really make sense for you? 

4 questions that might help you think about money and your relationship with it.

The Lubitz Financial Group logo, a tree, was originally conceived after our founder Linda Lubitz Boone discovereda 1912 postcard to her great grandfather from his local bank.

I am not a big shopper. That said, when I do shop, I look for presents that pay it forward. What do I mean by that?