The Blog

We just wrapped up all the extension returns for TY2017, and can finally place our gaze SQUARELY at what’s ahead. Which is a funny thing to say, because, well … for too many of our clients, we are continuously looking backwards — simply because they haven’t worked with us before the year is over, and we aren’t able to make … Read More

You pay your bills on time. You try to save as much as you can. You even follow the advice you read in the books and hear on the radio about how to keep your finances in check. But you’re still not getting ahead. Well, sometimes, it’s the unchallenged, mental assumptions about how we’re handling our money that rise up … Read More

When I sit down with my business owner clients (whether in person or on the phone), we try to look at EVERY aspect of their business, not just their books. And there is often great clarity when we peek at what is *behind* the books (marketing, sales, management, asset management, etc.). The good news for my business owner clients is … Read More

As a general rule, most debt isn’t helpful to you. In fact, I could probably state that more clearly: debt can be a massive load on your financial future. And, of course, that is especially true of student loans. Now, much can be written about the explosion of student loan debt over the last decade (and has), but today I … Read More

I take a look around the small business world sometimes, and I get a little sad. It’s heartbreaking to watch small businesses in Orange County go out of business or not bring home enough bacon simply because they get trapped into thinking about their pricing in the wrong way. When you differentiate yourself based on price, you simply cannot provide … Read More

I might be wrong, but I get the sense that many of my friends and clients in Orange County are getting wiser about the dangers of our digital age. Because they are, indeed, quite real. There is a famous clip of an interview with NYT-bestselling author, and cultural commentator Simon Sinek that made the rounds about a year ago on … Read More

Our hearts are with the Carolinas, and with the cleanup process that is just beginning over there. With all of the the flooding that is hampering efforts to get in and even evaluate the damage, we know this will be a long road to recovery. The slow onset of these hurricanes is a mixed bag, isn’t it? We prepare for … Read More

With Hurricane Florence barrelling towards the southeastern United States, I’m reminded (again) about how the unexpected can put a big dent into a well-planned life. And as a planner by nature, these kinds of slow-approaching problems (like hurricanes), are the sort of thing against which I’m always on guard on behalf of my Orange County clients, family, and friends. There’s … Read More

So, Labor Day is behind us, which means that the FALL is here. Football, cooler temps, pumpkins and more are in our future. And school. School is back in session in Orange County — which for some parents is something to celebrate, and others something to mourn. Or a little of both! And for the college-aged students among us, new … Read More

It’s true — there are certain people for whom this note doesn’t apply. There are those who are perfectly fine paying the amount of tax they pay every year, thank you very much. However, since YOU have chosen to invest yourself in our services (or at one point considered it), you are probably in the second group: those who would … Read More