Blog
2018 Tax Planning Strategies Questionnaire For San Diego Taxpayers
Wait, you thought I meant the holidays?Ha. As much as I love Andy Williams, what I REALLY mean is tax planning season. That is to say, year-end moves. :)And next week, I'll give you some generalized moves you can make that can affect your tax bill (in positive ways...
Darryl A. Hale, EA, MBA, MST’s Nine Can’t Miss Questions For Year-End Tax Planning
With the Thanksgiving leftovers mostly consumed by this point, we are turning our eyes to year-end matters.And this year, there are LOTS of things to consider as we approach 12-31-18.Because yes -- the standard deduction this year has been significantly increased, and...
Darryl A. Hale, EA, MBA, MST’s Reflections On Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation While Our Country Is In Chaos
Is it just me, or does it feel like Thanksgiving week arrived suddenly this year? And how did it get here so fast?With so many momentous events over the past few weeks (elections, shootings, wildfires, and more), it feels a bit surreal -- and incongruous, even -- to...
One Significant Habit Of The Wealthy In San Diego — Generous Charitable Contributions
Now that we have a divided Congress again, we can all sit back and enjoy the gridlock that is headed our way.Or something.I don't blame you if you tune out from politics -- and I also don't blame you if you find yourself jumping more intentionally into the fray....
What To Do When You Experience A Sudden Income Increase In San Diego
I don't know about you, but I am *celebrating* the end of all of the automated phone calls and ads, now that this election is behind us. And no matter how you feel about the results, I hope we can all agree that it's good to put all the shouting behind us.Er, well ......
One Trump Tax Plan Mistake That Darryl A. Hale, EA, MBA, MST Wants You To Avoid
The internet can be a confusing, anxiety-inducing space.The national news is downright scary (and tragic), and places that used to be the province of baby pictures and goofy status updates are becoming increasingly divided over cultural questions and differences.But...
Top Hat Tax & Financial Services’s Guide to Nailing this Year’s Holiday Budget
Plans, plans, plans.We're all about those plans.These days, we're working with a fair number of our San Diego clients to get ahead of all of the changes to the tax code. Yes, there's a larger standard deduction next year, and that might make sense for you.But I'll...
Darryl A. Hale, EA, MBA, MST’s Common Financial Mistakes (Part 1)
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...
Should San Diego College Students Invest In The Market Or Pay Off Student Loans Early?
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...
Getting Your Mental State Out Of Fear And Anxiety By Darryl A. Hale, EA, MBA, MST
I might be wrong, but I get the sense that many of my friends and clients in San Diego 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...
Six Steps To Debt Recovery By Darryl A. Hale, EA, MBA, MST
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...
Five Steps To Help San Diego Families And Individuals Prepare for Financial Emergencies
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...