Blog
Why You Shouldn’t Worry about Who the Next President Will Be
Do you know what one of the number one causes of market losses during an election year is? Fear.1 In fact, the uncertainty of the elections can stoke your fears. It may even encourage you to make rash, emotional decisions.1 That can lead to losses, but it doesn’t have...
A “must read” — especially within 5 years of retirement
If you’re within 5 years of retirement, there are a handful of easy “thought exercises” you must do that can make or break your retirement plans. You’ll see how powerful these are in a second. The problem is, many people put them off, thinking, “I’ll get to that later...
What was your favorite moment of 2019?
What’s your standout memory of the past year? If you’re like most people, the first thing that comes to mind is something you didn’t do. That’s because most people tend to overlook their accomplishments at the end of a year. We’re not doing that in this month’s Visual...
What to do with your old 401(k), 403(b), 457 plan?
We call them “zombie” plans… The old 401(k), 403(b), or 457 plan that’s practically left for dead, neglected, and untouched with your old employer. What you decide to do with your old “zombie” plan is critical, no matter if you’re still working, recently changed...
2019 Year-end Tax Saving Ideas
The Surprising Way Companies Like Netflix and Amazon Conduct Market Research
Companies like Netflix, UrthBox, and Amazon are leveraging the subscription business model to discover what their customers want next. In a traditional business, the customer buys your product or service once, and it is up to you to try to convince them to buy again...
The Build vs. Buy Equation
If you’re wondering what your business might be worth to an acquirer in Portland, there is a simple calculation you can use. Let’s call it “The Build vs. Buy Equation”. At some point, every acquirer does the math and calculates how much it would cost to re-create what...
Growing Fast? Here’s What’s Likely To Kill Your Company
If your goal is to grow your Portland, Oregon company fast, you need a positive cash flow cycle or the ability to raise money at a feverish pace. Anything less and you will quickly grow yourself out of business. A positive cash flow cycle simply means you get paid...
Evaluating an Early Retirement Offer
In today's corporate environment, cost cutting, restructuring, and downsizing are the norm, and many employers are offering their employees early retirement packages. But how do you know if the seemingly attractive offer you've received is a good one? By evaluating it...
What's Next for the Dow?
The stock market kicked off March 1st with a new high in the Dow, S&P 500 and NASDAQ but has been losing steam the rest of the month. Since the presidential election, investor optimism has been driving stocks higher. In fact, a recent analysis by Bloomberg found...
New IRS Deadlines for Business Owners
In October 2016, the IRS issued a reminder to employers and small-business owners of a new January 31 deadline for submitting Forms W-2 and certain Forms 1099-MISC to the Social Security Administration (SSA). The accelerated deadline, which was enacted as part of the...
Is Washington Gridlock Over Under Trump?
The American version of Brexit hit Tuesday November 8th 2016 as voters confounded pollsters and pundits by electing the brash, celebrity billion Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States. Although Trump lost the popular vote, he was able to secure the...
The Fed's New Mandate?
The central bank’s official dual mandate is to achieve full employment while maintaining price stability. These days it seems the Fed has an unspoken third mandate of not upsetting weak global economies. The European Central Bank (ECB) and Bank of Japan (BOJ) are...
Upcoming Money Market Changes
On October 14, 2016, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will begin enforcing regulations adopted to help reduce the risk of investor "runs" on money market mutual funds. Vulnerabilities in the $3.8 trillion market came to light during the 2008...
