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Renting your Home
Renting out your home can be a smart way to generate income, but it also comes with tax consequences that must be carefully considered. While the rules can be complex, here are 3 key tax considerations when trying to decide whether to rent. 1. Capital Gains Exclusion One of the biggest tax benefits of home ownership is capital gain exclusion when you sell your primary residence. If you have owned your home for many years and it has increased in value, selling the home could
Steve Coker, CFP
May 12 min read
Does an Advisor Add Value? An Update
Periodically, we revisit research asking the fundamental question: Does an advisor add value? It is an important question for us since it is the reason we exist. Our goal as a firm is to add value to our clients’ lives by providing customized, well researched solutions for their financial situation. We think a lot about whether we are achieving that goal and how we can continually improve the service that we provide. Vanguard has produced some of the best research in this ar
Steve Coker, CFP
Apr 243 min read
Is the War Over? The Market says so
This week, the S&P 500 rose above its February 27 th , 2026, level, the day before the Iranian war. Apparently, the market has decided that the war is over or at least is anticipating that a deal will be reached shortly. Oil fell to about $85 per barrel, a drop of $12 per barrel over the week, but was still above its pre-war level of $66 per barrel. Increasingly, the fog of war is lifting, and the market is focusing on economic growth. So far that is a good thing. Obviously
Steve Coker, CFP
Apr 175 min read
Can I Retire Before Age 59.5?
Can you retire before the age of 59.5? The quick answer is maybe, but many mistakenly believe that they simply cannot leave their job and access the retirement accounts before this age. In fact, while the IRS has a general rule that imposes a 10% penalty on accessing your retirement accounts before 59.5, there are many exceptions that allow those with adequate savings to retire in their 50’s. When I work with retirees that have not yet reached that age of 59.5, I like to dev
Steve Coker, CFP
Apr 103 min read
A Young Professional Game Plan
Clients often ask me to talk with their young adult children to provide guidance on saving and investing. While everyone’s situation is different, the fundamentals are often the same. Here is what I tell them. 1. Live below your means The most fundamental money management tip is to simply live below your means. If you spend more than you make it leads to a lifetime of debt and enslavement to the paycheck. Living below your means allows you to build wealth. Even a small amo
Steve Coker, CFP
Mar 273 min read
