My latest: Important Year-End Financial Moves to Make Before December 31
This Week’s Takeaways:
- In a strong year for stocks there are still stocks and mutual funds that are at a loss you could consider realizing for tax-loss harvesting purposes, according to Morningstar which shares fifteen candidates in each group.
- The odds of retiring early have dropped by a 1/3 in the last 20+ years. To boost your odds widen the gap between what you earn and what you spend, eliminate high interest debt, and plan for the unexpected.
- Charlie Munger taught us much about how to live life, improve decision-making, continually self-improve, and a lengthy profile of his last few years is well worth reading for the lessons his life continues to provide.
- How to gift to your adult children.
- Boston Corner looking at local real estate trends, impact of college closures, and a great story about a long-running family farm, plus Things to Do This Weekend
- Plus my latest book recommendation.
It’s Not Too Late for Tax-Loss Harvesting. Here’s How by Morningstar
Tax-loss harvesting lets investors sell losing positions to offset capital gains and potentially reduce up to $3,000 of ordinary income each year. Even if the year is nearly over, there’s still time to review taxable accounts for opportunities, as long as you avoid the wash-sale rule by not repurchasing substantially identical securities within 30 days. Losses that exceed annual limits can be carried forward indefinitely, providing a long-term tax benefit. The article contains 30 investments to consider this year.
How Many People Actually Reach Financial Freedom Before 50 by Investopedia
Looking to retire early? The odds of doing it are getting longer, as only 1% of Americans in their early 40s are retired and only 6% of people in their early 50s are. The median household has saved $112,000 for retirement and only 21% follow a written financial plan. To boost your odds widen the gap between what you earn and what you spend, eliminate high interest debt, and plan for the unexpected.
The Untold Story of Charlie Munger’s Final Years by The Wall Street Journal
Friends and family say Munger’s eventful last period offers lessons for investors—and a blueprint for how to age with grace, equanimity and purpose – and keep going instead of slowing down.
Thoughtful Ways to Gift to Your Adult Children – Financially and Beyond by Heritage Financial
As children grow into adulthood, many parents still want to provide support—whether to help them get established, ease a financial burden, or simply give them a meaningful boost. Gifting to adult children doesn’t have to be grand or complicated. Even modest gifts, offered intentionally, can strengthen their financial footing and show them you’re cheering them on. Here are several ways to gift to your adult children, both financially and through practical, heartfelt support.
Book Recommendation
Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of the Making of The Godfather by Mark Seal
This “wickedly pacey page-turner” (Total Film) unfurls the behind-the-scenes story of the making of The Godfather, fifty years after the classic film’s original release.
Boston Corner
Teardowns vs. infill vs. subdivisions: New NAHB data shows stark regional housing differences by ResiClub
In 2024, more than half of the new single-family homes in New England were built as infills or teardowns/rebuilds rather than in new subdivisions — a much higher share than in many other U.S. regions. This reflects New England’s aging housing stock and scarcity of undeveloped land, which make redevelopment of existing properties more practical than building on greenfield lots.
Shifting ground: Dozens of college closures across New England jolt region famed for higher ed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Over the past decade, 32 colleges in New England that offered four-year degrees have closed or merged, including 12 since 2020 — with the highest number in Massachusetts. These closures hit local communities hard: colleges in the region support many jobs directly and indirectly, bring in outside students and spending, and help sustain local businesses and tax bases. The main drivers are steep demographic trends — fewer high-school graduates ahead due to low birthrates — combined with rising costs and declining enrollment, making it increasingly difficult for smaller and private institutions to survive.
This Westwood family has been farming for 14 generations. A land dispute with the town could change that. by The Boston Globe
