No Non-Cents Blog

Congratulations! You’ve found The One — the person who laughs at your jokes, tolerates your family, and said yes  to marrying you. You’ve conquered the hard part (finding each other) and survived the wedding planning process (which, statistically speaking, is more stressful than assembling IKEA furniture without instructions). Now it’s time for your next great adventure: combining your finances. Cue the dramatic music. Because nothing says “happily ever after” quite like deba

The One Big Beautiful Bill  has hit the tax world like a tidal wave. While high-income taxpayers can cheer at the temporary increase in the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, there’s a hidden trap lurking beneath the headlines—a tax “torpedo” that can blow a hole in your bank account if you’re not careful. Think of it as a financial booby trap: you see a treasure chest of deductions, but open it without planning, and—kaboom—your tax bill rockets higher than expected. What

One of the most common conversations I have with clients revolves around a simple but powerful question: Where does all the money go?  We work hard, we earn a good living, but at the end of the month the checking account seems to drain faster than we’d like. Often, the answer lies not in one large purchase, but in hundreds of small ones. This is what I call the “Starbucks dilemma”—spending more than we realize on coffee, meals, and convenience, while missing the opportunity t

For years, financial experts have warned us about the “Starbucks effect”—how small, repeated purchases can quietly drain our finances. But in today’s world, there’s a new culprit that deserves just as much attention: the Amazon Prime problem. Amazon Prime is a marvel of convenience. With free shipping, same-day delivery, and millions of products at our fingertips, it’s no wonder 200+ million people around the world subscribe. But the darker side of this convenience is how eas

One of the most common questions I hear from parents is: How can we afford college?  With tuition costs rising faster than inflation, preparing for higher education has become one of the biggest financial challenges for families today. The good news is that with the right strategy, you can harness the power of tax-free growth through 529 plans—and the earlier and more aggressively you start, the more dramatic the results. What Is a 529 Plan? A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged sav

Ah, the government shutdown—a phrase that can send shivers down the spine of even the most seasoned investor. It conjures images of furloughed employees, empty offices, and Washington, D.C., in a state of frozen chaos. But before you start envisioning your 401(k) being eaten by a giant bureaucratic monster, take a deep breath. A government shutdown is rarely the financial apocalypse it’s often made out to be. Let’s take a light-hearted stroll through what a shutdown really me

Money is one of the last real taboos in our culture. We talk about politics, relationships, and health far more openly than we do about...

Selling a business is often the culmination of years—or decades—of hard work. Whether you’re planning to retire, pivot into a new...

What the New Tax Law Means for You: Key Changes, Limits, and Opportunities Congress has passed a brand-new tax law—officially called the...

The Federal Reserve plays a crucial role in shaping the U.S. economy through its monetary policy decisions, particularly when it comes to...

When it comes to retirement accounts—especially Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)—few decisions are more important yet more...

Retirement planning is always about balance—ensuring your money lasts as long as you do, while still letting you enjoy the life you’ve...