tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933Mon, 05 May 2008 17:14:28 +0000http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/blog.htmlTriton Wealth ManagementBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-8434958079819777894Mon, 05 May 2008 17:11:00 +00002008-05-05T13:14:28.224-04:00Have you ever seen a Black Swan? Most likely the answer is no, but there’s a good chance that you’ve been affected by one. For some 1500 years, western civilization believed that all swans were white. In fact, the idea of a black swan was a popular metaphor inEurope, which symbolized something that could not exist. That all changed in 1697 when a Dutch explorer sailed into New Holland and made http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2008/05/black-swan.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-2570672643878373116Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:56:00 +00002008-04-23T16:00:40.751-04:00If you're already saving for college, you've probably heard about 529 plans. If not, you'll want to listen. Introduced in 1996, 529 plans are revolutionizing the way parents, grandparents, and others save for college, similar to the way 401(k) plans revolutionized retirement savings. Americans are pouring billions of dollars into 529 plans, and contributions are expected to increase dramaticallyhttp://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2008/04/abcs-of-529-plans.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-326623769693002640Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:54:00 +00002008-04-16T21:05:24.185-04:00Life transitions often affect our plans for how we use our financial assets. One common transition is assuming responsibility for caring for parents as they age. To gain some outside perspective on this responsibility, we turn to gerontologist and eldercare advisor Esther Koch. Esther, who was recognized for her expertise when she was selected as a delegate to the 2005 White House Conference on http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2008/04/what-to-plan-for-as-parents-age.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-3297586492427737229Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:13:00 +00002008-04-01T13:14:09.528-04:00No doubt about it, there’s a “Whole lotta shakin’ going on” in the stock market these days. We’ve seen the headlines about big daily advances and declines in the markets and Standard & Poor’s has now confirmed that U.S. stock volatility has climbed to its highest level in 70 years. As reported in a March 20 article from Bloomberg, Standard & Poor’s said the benchmark S&P 500 Stock Index has http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2008/04/market-volatility.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-1230466974011539838Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:40:00 +00002008-03-18T12:42:43.544-04:00As the credit crunch continues, the Fed keeps adding liquidity to the financial system. However, as quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Bob Eisenbeis, chief monetary economist for Cumberland Advisers, said it’s no longer an issue of liquidity that’s plaguing the markets, “Rather, there is uncertainty about the underlying quality of assets – which is a solvency issue, driven by a breakdown in http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2008/03/credit-crunch.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-1815421667253089842Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:30:00 +00002008-03-11T13:34:38.365-04:00Dateline March 10, 2000. Do you remember that day? It was a giddy time in the stock market as that was the day the NASDAQ Composite Index closed at an all-time record high of 5,048.62. To show you just how euphoric that time was, the NASDAQ Composite Index rose at a phenomenal average annualized rate of 44.5% for the preceding five years ending March 10, 2000. But, then the bubble burst and the http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2008/03/dateline-march-10-2000.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-3190373425436835292Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:45:00 +00002008-03-04T11:46:29.858-05:00FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PaladinRegistry.com research describes facts that financial advisors deliberately withhold from consumers SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 9, 2007 – Recent Paladin Registry research has produced new data that describes several key facts that financial advisors deliberately withhold from consumers who rely on their knowledge and services to achieve their financial goals. Having http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2008/03/press-release.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-7774739568447298503Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:43:00 +00002008-03-03T13:45:37.948-05:00When it comes to financial matters, the adult children of baby boomers defy the traditional Gen-X “slacker” stereotype. According to the “Ameriprise Financial Money Across Generations” study, adult children of boomers are fixated on finances. In fact, 87% of the adult children of boomers said it is very important to them to assure a financially secure life. Other goals: Seventy-two percent of http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2008/03/disproving-gen-xs-spendthrift.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-7565055502590032907Mon, 25 Feb 2008 18:35:00 +00002008-02-25T13:37:03.291-05:00Providing the economy with what he calls a “booster shot,” President Bush signed the income tax rebate into law last week. The $168 billion stimulus package of personal tax rebates and business tax cuts could bolster consumer spending later this year, economists say, and minimize the pain of a possible recession. Your 2007 tax return will determine your eligibility and your rebate amount. In http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2008/02/personal-tax-rebates.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-5571929671549513782Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:37:00 +00002008-02-13T17:11:56.076-05:00As you may be aware, the recent volatility in the global stock markets has made some investors nervous, frustrated, and fearful. More often than not, when left unchecked, these emotions can lead to wealth crippling outcomes. Surprisingly, these losses of wealth are not market driven - they are behavior driven. In October of 2007, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 14,164. Barely three http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2008/02/your-portfolio-is-down-dont-do-anything.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-4008318327817515085Sun, 20 Jan 2008 13:21:00 +00002008-01-20T08:22:43.047-05:00In 2001, the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act triggered a gradual increase in the dollar threshold of estates subject to the estate tax. In tax years 2007 and 2008, estates valued at more than $2 million may be taxed as much as 45 percent, while in tax year 2009, the threshold will increase to $3.5 million. In 2010, the tax will be repealed for a year. However, in 2011, unless http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2008/01/its-time-to-start-thinking-about-estate.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-4696678384203718965Tue, 27 Nov 2007 20:36:00 +00002007-11-27T15:39:07.824-05:00Unless Congress acts, the number of taxpayers hit by the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) in 2007 will jump to about 23 million from about 4 million in 2006. For those of you who don’t know (and probably will know by tax time next year), the AMT is an alternative, separate tax calculation created in 1969 targeting wealthy Americans who were avoiding paying income taxes. The AMT is applied to http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2007/11/afraid-of-amt-its-time-to-get-some-help.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-76791583979132312Tue, 30 Oct 2007 21:08:00 +00002007-10-31T06:45:26.257-04:00LAST WEEK, THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (IRS) released its cost of living adjustments for contributions to a variety of retirement saving vehicles. The limits affecting 401(k) plans, the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), and other similar programs provided for by Section 402(g)(1) remain the same at $15,500. However, the limitation for defined contribution plans under Section 415(c)http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2007/10/retirement-contribution-limits.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-7853118603915706409Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:49:00 +00002007-10-24T14:52:18.023-04:00IN THE RETIREMENT RED ZONE, the period five years before and five years immediately following retirement, even a short-term market downturn can have a significant impact on your future retirement income stream. Accordingly, to extend the football metaphor, just as they do when a team approaches the goal line and threatens to score, emotions tend to run high. In fact, a new study entitled “http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2007/10/retirement-red-zone.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-8913010471148836075Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:38:00 +00002007-10-19T09:40:55.379-04:00Twenty years ago today, the Dow Jones Industrial average experienced its worst one day loss in history. What became known as “Black Monday,” the Dow lost a whopping 22.6% in one day. Panicked sellers, who couldn’t control their emotions, sold as much as they could on that day locking in their losses. We always like to use these terrible events as a point of education for clients. For instance, http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2007/10/happy-anniversary.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-9191837863551654370Tue, 09 Oct 2007 20:18:00 +00002007-10-09T16:19:24.829-04:00Most of us would have stood up and applauded the government when they created the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) in 1969. Originally, the AMT was established to prevent the wealthiest taxpayers from taking enormous deductions to reduce their taxable income. Unfortunately, recent changes to the tax code will have the unintended results of ensnaring millions of unsuspecting middle and upper-middle http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2007/10/impending-alternative-minimum-tax.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-1396166907081536917Thu, 04 Oct 2007 19:37:00 +00002007-10-04T15:40:05.111-04:00I’ve long realized that when someone I meet casually finds out I’m a financial advisor, they nearly always ask me the same question: What is the market going to do? I’ve also become accustomed to the strange looks I get when I answer, “Over the next year, the market will either go up, go down or stay the same. No one knows for sure.” This question, while simple, reveals a lot about the public http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2007/10/what-is-market-going-to-do.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-5082691808112343092Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:05:00 +00002007-09-06T15:47:18.589-04:00As the subprime lending mess sorts itself out, there will be plenty of conflicting signals in weeks ahead on what you should do with real estate and your investment picture as a whole. Most of the advice will come from the financial media, who are notorious for their extreme short-term view. However, if you’ve been working with a fee-only financial advisor you trust, you should already have a http://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2007/09/when-real-estates-in-trouble-spruce-up.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-5036643268160383805Wed, 05 Sep 2007 19:20:00 +00002007-09-05T15:28:03.399-04:00Two years ago, as I was preparing for work in the morning, I tuned into one of those 24-hour financial “news” stations. I should have known better since I always end up frustrated with their extreme short-term focus. This time would be no different. The reporter mentioned that their next guest managed to turn $33,000 into $7 million in 15 months. Wow, I thought, I’ve got to see this! Back fromhttp://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2007/09/system-is-there-is-no-system.htmlTriton Wealth Managementtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065695667156105933.post-8273854991902641935Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:33:00 +00002007-08-30T10:15:54.315-04:00When meeting with new clients and presenting our investment recommendations, we sometimes get the question why the funds we recommend are not all rated five stars by Morningstar. And yes, we freely admit that some of the funds we use only have four or three stars, but that simply doesn’t matter. You see, your long-term investment success is not based on how many stars your funds have, but ratherhttp://www.tritonwm.com/blog/2007/08/its-not-stars-its-advice.htmlTriton Wealth Management