Learn more about Capital Advantage through our latest news, press releases and recent media coverage.
Q&A with Capital Advantage Senior Financial Advisor Donna Zinman, CRPC®
Over the past 25+ years that I’ve been working in financial services, I’ve noticed differences in women’s financial planning needs and…
Capital Advantage, Inc. is pleased to announce that Ian Castille, CFP®, Principal and Senior Financial Advisor, has successfully completed the Schwab Executive Leadership Program, an exclusive and competitive one-year…
RMDs (Required Minimum Distributions) were waived for 2020 but have resumed in 2021. Last year, the CARES Act (passed in March 2020) allowed seniors to skip taking their required…
The end of the year is fast approaching, and there are several key financial deadlines that you should be aware of. Let’s start with some suggestions for navigating year-end…
You’ve worked hard, saved your money, invested diligently and finally (hopefully, on your terms), you have decided it’s…
In today’s increasingly digital world, it’s never been more important to deliver an engaging online experience to our clients. As part of our ongoing commitment to provide our clients…
Given the devastation and loss caused by the California wildfires in recent years, many insurance companies are either increasing their homeowners insurance rates substantially—some as high as 300%—and even dropping…
All taxpayers who have taken a required minimum distribution (RMD) in 2020 from an eligible retirement account (including those taken in January and February of this year) have the…
Investors are bombarded with news about how well (and poorly) individual companies perform and how well groups of companies that share similar business characteristics might perform given certain economic…
When I decided to purchase long-term care insurance in my early 50s, I thought I was being so responsible. But 14 years later, facing my second premium increase, I…
The 5 years leading up to retirement through the first 5 years after retirement is the most crucial period that a retiree will go through – in fact, a…
The demand for real estate is unexpectedly high in wealthy regions outside of San Francisco.
Amid the depths of a global pandemic and financial downturn, the demand for real estate…
More than 100 million Americans are covered by defined-contribution plans, but many firms are considering suspending, reducing or deferring matches in the wake of the coronavirus.
The coronavirus pandemic is…
An economic depression is a severe downturn that lasts several years. Fortunately, the world has only experienced one economic depression. That was the Great Depression which lasted for 10…
Self-isolation and quarantines have given rise to unique problems and a new way of thinking. With a global pandemic and health and wellness becoming a huge priority in people’s…
As you know, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020 and includes provisions that are intended to provide relief…
The bipartisan COVID-19 stimulus bill just signed by President Trump includes welcome tax relief for retirees: The required minimum distribution rules for Individual Retirement Accounts and 401(k)s are waived for 2020….
As you probably know, there is a profusion of misinformation out there on social media about the coronavirus outbreak. It is so widespread that it’s being dubbed an “infodemic”…
If you let a $10,000 deposit sit in a standard savings account for a year, you’d earn a mere dollar in interest. That’s because most major banks out there…
Most tax filers look for every opportunity to reduce what they owe the IRS. And one of the biggest ways to reduce your tax bill is to be smart…
Municipal bonds may seem like a perfect investment. Income that isn’t subject to taxes—what could possibly go wrong? Not much, especially if you stick to the higher-rated issues, but that…
Do presidential elections influence the stock market? While the stock market is cyclical and it’s tempting for investors to look to history as they try to time their decisions,…
As 2020 dawns, the changes to the tax code are more evolutionary than revolutionary. Most of the changes amount to tweaks to income or contribution limits, reflective of the…
The new law took effect January 1, 2020 and changes some rules about retirement savings.
President Trump signed the SECURE on December 20, 2019 as part of the government’s spending…
Getting things in order before ringing in the new year can be stressful. There are holiday preparations, work deadlines and family gatherings to attend. But for many, tackling the…
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady following its two-day meeting this week and indicated that no action is likely next year amid persistently low inflation.
Concluding a year that…
Home is where the heart is. And it can also be where the assets are. As of 2011, home equity made up about three-quarters of the average American’s net…
Several significant tax and savings deadlines are fast approaching. Before you flip your calendar to December, consider making some of these smart money moves.
As you approach the end of…
2019 U.S. home prices are falling as the market absorbs the 2017 Tax Act changes. Meanwhile, other factors are hampering the housing market and point to a potential recession…
Many people have an all-or-nothing view of work. But there can be a downshifting phase before full retirement that brings both fulfillment and increased savings.
I have a friend who…
The U.S. could be headed for negative interest rate territory. Experts from Wharton and Michigan State University discuss the implications for the U.S. economy.
First it was former Federal Reserve…
The composition of household wealth tends to change a lot as people move up the economic ladder.
Most of middle class household’s wealth will be derived from their principal residence,…
A lack of knowledge leaves individual retirees dumping thousands of dollars out of their own pockets.
The graph below says it all. The age at which most people claim Social…
An expanding economy, falling bond yields, and a Fed that is poised to cut interest rates have pushed the Dow, NASDAQ, and S&P 500 Index to new highs, countering…
If you believe the hype, families these days have their kids applying to 10 or more schools, and acceptance rates are at record lows. What’s going on? Lynn O’Shaughnessy,…
When Social Security was first instituted in 1935, most women did not work. So, in 1939, as part of a sweeping series of amendments, the system made spousal benefits…
As the bond market drives yields down because of the economic turmoil, mortgage rates moved in concert, dropping below 4% for the first time since January 2018, according to…
Price sluggishness, sales declines strike most of Bay Area housing market.
The Bay Area housing market turned noticeably sluggish during April, according to a report released May 30 that sketched…
A House bill would make it easier to convert retirement savings into a steady lifetime income.
The retirement bill the House of Representatives passed on May 23 includes an assortment…
Question: What is a yield curve, and what does it mean when it’s inverted?
Answer: In simple terms, the yield curve shows the price of borrowing money in the bond…
This article provides insights from my personal experience with phased retirement and that of friends and others, and about what has made retirement work well for us, as well…
Maintaining adequate health insurance as you transition through the various stages of retirement plays a key role in the retirement decision.
While you are working, you generally have employer-sponsored insurance….
In a recent Journal of Financial Planning article, I analyzed the costs and implications of selling investments during downturns. By my estimates, and others in the field, the cost…
Run an internet search for “Medicare for all and seniors,” and you’ll see plenty of posts explaining just how harmful single payer health care would be for retirees.
The Medicare…
We know this: Affluent retirees love to hate their required minimum distributions.
Taxes are the major reason. The amounts that people who are age 70 1/2 or older must begin…
It has been nearly 10 years since U.S. stocks were in a bear market. Time to brush up on some proven techniques.
Many investors might have forgotten (or, for the…
The current tax season–for the 2018 tax year–is likely to be pretty different from years past.
The key reason is that changes in the tax code that went into effect…
In 2019, a large national experiment will take shape that tests two very different approaches….
Here’s a trick question: what is the biggest danger to your long-term investment results? If you answered something like “market downturns” or “downside volatility,” you’re…
The year 2018 ushered in seismic tax-code changes that you’re likely to see reflected on your 2018 return: notably, the end of personal exemptions as well as higher standard…
The Internal Revenue Service recently announced the official estate and gift tax limits for 2019: The estate and gift tax exemption is $11.4 million per individual, up from $11.18…
While many investors are focused on asset allocation – finding the right mix of asset classes for their level of risk tolerance, goals and investment time frame – smart investors…
The newly raised standard deduction means taxpayers need to get strategic to reap tax benefits from their deductions and charitable donations. Here’s how.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has…
Most retirees just want to visit Oahu and pamper their grandkids, but there are critical financial tasks to handle throughout retirement. Here, we round up the important dates and…
There is an ancient Chinese curse – “may you live in interesting times.” The saying has a sort of wry truth to it. After all, quiet and persistent growth…
Where should you go on your next vacation? Your satisfaction and enjoyment level may depend on who you are, according to psychologist Joshua Jackson, associate professor at Washington University…
IRA distribution planning is entering a new world, a departure from the days when simply dropping dollars into a traditional IRA was the sensible thing to do. With the…
If some random person off the street handed you $10,000 in cash, no strings attached, and would pay the taxes on this windfall, what would you do with it?
Researchers…
It’s interesting to watch economists and tech prognosticators go back and forth over whether artificial intelligence, robots and other thinking machines will kill or create jobs. Most recently, the…
Paying extra on your mortgage can be a good idea. It can shave years off your home loan and save tens of thousands of dollars in interest charges.
The one…
If you are age 70½ or older, IRS rules require you to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) each year from your tax-deferred retirement accounts. This additional taxable income may…
Recent reports about the U.S. economy were a case of good news and bad news. The good news is that, in the second three months of the year, the U.S….
In all the debate over how or whether we need affordable care, state registries, guaranteed coverage despite pre-existing conditions etc. etc., few Americans realize that our U.S. healthcare system…
Two 5-year rules are the benchmarks that determine whether distributions from a Roth IRA are subject to income tax and/or the 10% early distribution penalty.
A Roth IRA is funded…
The Greeks called it akrasia—so that’s just how long we humans have been failing to follow through on good intentions—and getting filled with regret! Modern science offers three surprisingly effective,…
In the last 50 years, women have made unprecedented strides toward equity in work, family, and social settings. Yet when it comes to securing a financially safe retirement, they…
In 2017, the standard deduction was $6,350 for individuals and $12,700 for married couples. However, as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017, the…
A recent global survey of more than 18,000 adults in nine countries asked a simple question: “All things considered, do you think the world is getting better or worse, or…
Each year, thousands of professionals use their creativity and ingenuity to try to figure out the best ways to lower your federal taxes. You know you’re living in interesting times…
