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Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, LLC
Should I pay off my mortgage? One of the most common questions we get, especially as people near retirement is, “Should I pay off my mortgage?” From a purely conceptual standpoint it’s simple. If you can earn more on your money than you pay by borrowing, your net worth is better by NOT paying off…
Read MoreMoisand Fitzgerald Tamayo Recognized by Schwab Advisor Services with 2019 Trailblazer IMPACT AwardTM November 4, 2019 – (Orlando) – Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, LLC was honored today by Schwab Advisor Services with the 2019 Trailblazer IMPACT AwardTM. The firm was recognized for its efforts to improve the quality of advice, raise the bar for ethics…
Read MoreAvoiding Financial Scams People are concerned about cybersecurity and avoiding financial scams. This is of little wonder considering the headlines about data breaches and the rapidly changing technology. The explosion of digital communication has changed the medium but really hasn’t changed the techniques scam artists use. We invest a great deal of time, money, and…
Read MoreWhat does an inverted yield curve mean for your investments? The short answer to this question is “almost nothing.” The longer answer is because our clients’ portfolios are well constructed, clients can use this episode to gain more confidence knowing they will make good decisions whenever bad markets arise. What is an inverted yield curve? Most…
Read MoreShould I buy or sell foreign stocks given today’s conditions? Today’s Q&A combines two related questions into one, “Should I buy or sell foreign stocks given today’s conditions?” The first question is from Lou, “I see that the PE ratios on foreign stocks are a lot less than with U.S. stocks. Should I be buying…
Read MoreWill the election cause a market crash? On June 18, no one in our Orlando office came to work. They didn’t go on strike or play hooky – their absence was planned. Why would we not have anyone in the office? Because we were encouraged to stay away from downtown due to the increased traffic…
Read MoreEstate planning documents needed regardless of net worth There are several estate planning documents needed regardless of net worth. For the last few decades, the topic of estate planning has tended to focus on tax minimization. Just the word “estate” can evoke images of wealthy families making heirs “trust fund kids.” However, estate planning has…
Read MoreWhat do I do if I miss my Required Minimum Distribution? Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) are just that – required. The penalty for failing to take a RMD on time is 50% of the amount of the RMD. That’s one of the harshest penalties in the tax code. Miss a $20,000 RMD and you’ll owe…
Read MoreOrlando Financial Advisor firm, Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, Named a Best Place To Work for Financial Advisors by InvestmentNews Our firm has been fortunate to earn a number of accolades over the years. We’ve appeared multiple times on lists of top advisory firms by the likes of Financial Advisor magazine and the Financial Times. We’ve made…
Read MoreManaging investment taxes Managing investment taxes is an essential part of any good financial plan. For most clients, by far the largest expense incurred during their investment lifetime is income taxes. The goal of one’s tax planning should not be the avoidance of paying taxes per se, as few can do that. The goal should…
Read MoreWhy is my charitable contribution taxed? Well planned and executed charitable donations should result in tax savings. To get the maximum benefit, you must know the rules and how the accounting for donations works. This video Q&A is a great example. The inquirer knew the rule but not the reporting requirements. Making News… We frequently produce…
Read MoreOne of the keys to successful investing is understanding what to expect from financial markets. 2018 marked the first calendar year the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped since 2015. On Christmas Eve, the S&P 500 Index (S&P) was 20% lower (excluding dividends) than its high point. The S&P tracks so-called “blue chip” stocks, stocks of…
Read MoreFive financial articles you should always ignore Quite simply, the best way to deal with the financial news media is to ignore them. This is easier said than done since the media is designed to provoke interest and build urgency. But interesting is not the same as important. …interesting is not the same as important.…
Read MoreShould I buy gold to protect against a dollar collapse? No, you should not buy gold for fear of a dollar collapse. As the video discusses, this pitch is rubbish. Heck, you probably shouldn’t buy gold aside from coin collections and jewelry for personal use. Many unbiased experts don’t even consider gold an investment. Once…
Read MoreIntroducing the MFT App for mobile devices It wasn’t that long ago one would’ve needed to use a stack of printed statements and a financial calculator to determine the return on an investment. And, to find out how the market or an investment had behaved in the past, a trip to the library for historical…
Read MoreLessons from the 2008 financial crisis In September 2008, the brokerage firm Lehman Brothers collapsed due to risky trading in poorly designed securities. This kicked off one of the more dramatic financial crises in American history and what is now referred to as the Great Recession. The 10th anniversary of this event is a natural…
Read MoreWith interest rates low, should I buy dividend paying stocks instead of bonds? No. Dividend-paying stocks are stocks not bonds and cannot be counted on to provide the stability good quality bond holdings have provided. Dividend paying stocks are every bit as risky as the rest of the stock market. Why? Dividend-paying stocks are a minority…
Read MoreCelebrating 20 years of financial planning excellence In July of 1998, what is now Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, LLC was born. Much has changed in 20 years. Back then, a cell phone was the size of a blackboard eraser and only made phone calls! One could walk all the way to the gate in the airport…
Read MorePreparation is key If you have ever attended a closely-matched sporting contest and witnessed a buzzer-beating shot in basketball, an extra inning baseball game, or a shootout in a championship soccer match, it is an experience you are unlikely to forget. In fact, if you take a minute to reflect on it, you will likely…
Read MoreWith so many changes passed in the new tax code, it is easy to get confused. Many are asking, “What hasn’t changed in the new tax law?” Making News… Congratulations, Mike Salmon!! We are proud to share that our own Mike Salmon has been named to this year’s 10 Young Advisors To Watch feature in Financial Advisor…
Read MoreInvest, don’t speculate. We have made that admonition more than a few times over the years and it is usually followed with information or insights on investing. But today, we want to talk about speculation and more importantly, what effect speculation has on one’s financial security. “Invest, don’t speculate” is a simple mantra yet…
Read MoreWith two one-day declines of 1,000+ points in the Dow Jones Industrial Average recently, the media is full of people asking and answering the question, “What will the market do now?” It is an intriguing question, but for true investors, it is not a question that requires an accurate answer. What will the market do…
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Can I convert a 401(k) to a Roth IRA?
Can I convert a 401(k) to a Roth IRA? Before we look at whether you can convert a 401(k) to a Roth IRA, it is important to consider if a conversion to any type of Roth account is wise in the first place. When you convert to a Roth account, usually all of the amount…
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