Blog

Travel Insurance: Smart Hedge or Waste of Money?

Marjorie F. Smith, CFP®

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

The travel industry is expecting an extremely busy summer as people execute travel plans that have remained on hold since COVID. While the rewards of travel usually outweigh any inconvenience and expense, there are always variables...

How to Choose a Trust Company

J.P. Mayer, CFP®, MSBA

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Trust Companies serve as an alternative to an individual trustee.  Rather than name a family member or trusted individual to act as the trustee, some grantors choose to employ the services of a trust company.  In some...

PWM Market Comment (June '23)

James C. Kuntz, CIMA

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

The upcoming recession increasingly looks like it will be shallow. While recessions usually drag investment returns down, the severity of declines are driven by unemployment levels and the overall severity of the economic slowdown...

The Phases of Successful Retirement

James C. Kuntz, CIMA

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Preparing for a successful retirement requires disciplined planning. One of Pacific Wealth Management’s priorities in early-stage financial planning is centered around efficiently maximizing savings of assets throughout an...

Maximizing Your Intuit Retirement Benefits

Justin C. Kuntz, CFP®

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Intuit offers a wide range of attractive benefits for its employees. Our team specializes in advising professionals as to how they can help maximize the benefits that retirement plans can provide. The more informed you are, the better...

Can you retire faster using an HSA?

Marjorie F. Smith, CFP®

Thursday, April 13, 2023

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) can be a great tool for tax savings while you’re working, and can also act as a lesser-known retirement savings vehicle.  However, they may not be the best fit for everyone.How do I qualify for...

PWM Market Comment (Mar '23)

James C. Kuntz, CIMA

Friday, March 31, 2023

Today’s higher rates are definitively slowing the growth rate of our economy yet unemployment remains near 50-year lows.We do not believe today’s stock market valuations have accurately reflected the decelerating earnings...

In our second iteration of the PWM Podcast, Josh, JP, and Justin review the current events in the banking sector that have been capturing news headlines in the financial media recently.  They address what has been happening and...

The U.S. Debt Ceiling Battle and What it Could Mean for Markets

J.P. Mayer, CFP®, MSBA

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

  A new Congress grapples with a familiar foe – the ‘debt ceiling’.  While concern is warranted, past instances have delivered relatively muted responses from markets, largely because resolutions have...

Start Saving and Keep Saving to Meet Rising Education Costs

Michael L. Lim, CRPS

Friday, February 24, 2023

Know Your Options and Look for Value When Budgeting for Future Education Expenses Paying for college is one of the most daunting expenses that parents face. Every year, tuition costs rise, along with prices for room...

Pacific Wealth Management Market Comment (Jan '23)

James C. Kuntz, CIMA

Sunday, January 15, 2023

2022 was the biggest outlier year in market history as stocks and bonds both registered double-digit declines simultaneously. Inflation and monetary policy will moderate in 2023, however, it is likely rates remain higher than...

Maximizing Your Qualcomm Retirement Benefits

Joshua A. Rendler

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Qualcomm offers a wide range of attractive benefits for its employees. Our team specializes in advising professionals as to how they may maximize the benefits that retirement plans can provide. The more informed you are about the...

Opportunities for Tax Savings Serve as "Silver Lining" during Down Markets

Marjorie F. Smith, CFP®

Monday, December 5, 2022

Investors do not welcome down markets, but they can take advantage of them. Investors should consider reducing their current or future tax bills through tax loss harvesting.

The Pitfalls of Individual Security Selection

Marjorie F. Smith, CFP®

Monday, November 14, 2022

While there is no universally “right” way to invest, investors should know that individual stock selection carries more risk than relying instead on asset class allocation.

The interest rate policy of the Fed will slow the U.S. economy further likely leading to a recession in 2023.Our data-driven discipline led us to initially reduce equity exposure in late ’21, followed by additional reductions in...

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A Realistic and Consistent Approach to Investing is Crucial

Marjorie F. Smith, CFP®

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Disciplined Investing Leads to Success in the MarketsThe irony of investing is that people often feel most comfortable buying stocks when the market is "high" and expensive. They see others growing assets and do not want to miss out....

Strategies for Concentrated Stock Positions: Charitable Remainder Trust

Justin C. Kuntz, CFP®

Sunday, August 7, 2022

A Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) is an estate planning tool that can generate a long-term income stream for you, or other beneficiaries, while allowing the remaining assets to be donated to your favorite charity.A CRT is an...

In the 1st half of 2022, stock and bond returns posted some of the worst returns on record.Persistent inflation and the imperative of central banks to combat it has raised the specter of recession.We remain defensively positioned with...

Six Tax Increases Currently Being ProposedTax attorney Robert Wood handles tax matters across the U.S. and abroad and is the nation's foremost expert on the taxation of legal damages. An incredibly prolific author who addresses all...

Buy The Dip?

J.P. Mayer, CFP®, MSBA

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Equity prices have declined significantly and are now back to or near late 2020 price levels. This has many investors seeing this as an opportunity to buy the market at a discount.Valuation and Subsequent ReturnsBuying the market at a...

From Here to Where Webinar

Justin C. Kuntz, CFP®

Thursday, May 12, 2022

Stock Markets have nearly erased the gains of 2021 as inflation persists and a war rages on in Ukraine. Tune into the May 2022 edition of Pacific Wealth Management's Proactive Asset Management Webinar to learn about why markets are so...

We have heard from clients and financial institutions that attempts at fraud have increased. We want to make sure that you know how to recognize a fraudulent attempt to access your private information. “Scammers” will pose...

Stocks and bonds have simultaneously declined this year as the U. S. Federal Reserve Bank is now actively unwinding its unprecedented monetary and fiscal stimulus response to the pandemic.Though strong employment and solid balance...

Estate Planning Trusts Provide Flexibility and Privacy

Marjorie F. Smith, CFP®

Monday, April 25, 2022

A Trust to Meet Virtually Any Estate Planning ObjectiveEstate planning is arguably the most emotionally difficult aspect of financial planning. It forces people to contemplate their mortality and that of their loved ones. It is of...

Pacific Wealth Management® (PWM) strives to partner with industry leaders as we navigate the markets and serve our clients. We regularly upgrade our internal systems with the most advanced technology so we may better manage our...

The early concerns of 2022 were concentrated on the anticipation of interest rate hikes and how this monetary policy shift would impact economic growth.The conflagration in Ukraine is expected to further amplify inflationary pressures...

Naming your Trust as a Beneficiary on your IRA

Justin C. Kuntz, CFP®

Monday, February 14, 2022

While in most cases people name individuals as beneficiaries on their IRA (Individual Retirement Account), some alternatives should be considered. It is not uncommon for parents and family members to have concerns around how their heir...

California Adopts Elective State Tax to Result in Federal Tax Savings

Marjorie F. Smith, CFP®

Thursday, January 13, 2022

Potential "Workaround" to SALT Cap Worth InvestigatingBusiness Owners of "Pass-Through" Entities May BenefitOur clients work hard to accumulate wealth and we want to help them be tax-efficient wherever possible. The $10,000 cap on what...

Following three consecutive years of exceptional returns from United States equity investments, stocks are likely to have a bumpier ride in 2022.Although we expect the pace of economic growth to slow because of several dislocations, we...

Uncertain Times Ahead Webinar

Justin C. Kuntz, CFP®

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Our fourth quarter Proactive Asset Management Webinar highlights the different roads our economy may take as we head into the new year. Will inflation persist? Will labor markets continue to struggle? Tune in to see our analytic...

Enlightened Investing or Just Marketing?

Marjorie F. Smith, CFP®

Monday, November 15, 2021

Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) investments: Are you able to distinguish between fashion and substance?"Enlightened Self-Interest" is the practice of helping others and thus, helping ourselves. Reflecting this ideal in the...

We are now approaching a transition point in the COVID-era economic cycle.Near-term, market volatility will persist as uncertainty around debt ceiling negotiations, supply chain bottlenecks, corporate forward earnings, and inflation...

Real Estate Sale Financial and Tax Planning

J.P. Mayer, CFP®, MSBA

Thursday, October 7, 2021

The Case-Shiller U.S. Home index rose 19.7% in July 2021, the fourth consecutive month of record price appreciation. San Diego posted the second-fastest year-over-year growth rate of all major metropolitan areas, at 27.8%.[1] The U.S....

Cryptocurrency and Blockchain

Justin C. Kuntz, CFP®

Monday, September 20, 2021

It has been the subject of many social conversations and news articles: Cryptocurrency and blockchain. The topic has inspired so many questions: What are they? Is it legitimate or just a scam created by internet thieves? What does it...

Economic metrics indicate that the pace of the recovery is slowing. Growth rates likely reached their peak in the 2nd quarter of 2021.Although market valuations remain considerably elevated above their historic average, corporate...

Cautious Optimism Webinar

Justin C. Kuntz, CFP®

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Our first webinar in a series of live webinar presentations designed to provide insight into Pacific Wealth Management's view of the economic landscape and its effect on markets. This one is titled 'Cautious Optimism'. Please enjoy and...

College Departure Protection

Justin C. Kuntz, CFP®

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

The end of summer will be here before we know it, and with that comes the back-to-school fall season. Whether you're sending off your oldest child to their first year at college or your youngest child to their senior year, this prudent...

Since the Revolutionary War, the United States government has relied on deficit spending to finance its operations. French, Dutch, and domestic lenders funded our nation’s fight for independence. Since then, we have been spending...

Inflation and Implications of Massive Monetary Stimulus

J.P. Mayer, CFP®, MSBA

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

A historically unprecedented amount of monetary stimulus has been injected into the U.S. economic system in the wake of the 2020 global pandemic. As troubling signs of significant increases in the prices of various goods have...

American economic growth this year remains strong, despite the weaker than expected April employment report.Historically, high valuations usually portend future financial market volatility, especially in year #2 of cyclical bull...

Global financial markets are continuing to anticipate a robust recovery from COVID and the upcoming transition into an economic expansion beyond pre-pandemic levels.U.S. Federal Reserve Bank continues to reaffirm a patient tolerance...

You love the company you work for, intend to stay, and believe in its long-term success.Why would you sell the restricted stock you just received?Download the Full Report

Aggressive monetary and fiscal response from Central Banks and governments around the world helped stock markets rebound from the fastest, sharpest, and shortest bear market in historyPresently the financial markets are reacting...

Market Comment from Pacific Wealth Management (Nov '20)

Justin C. Kuntz, CFP®

Monday, November 9, 2020

After a nervous October, stock markets enjoyed a very robust election week rally and then soared early this week when Pfizer and BioNTech announced impressive preliminary results on their COVID vaccine. Wall Street expects Joe Biden...

Pacific Wealth Management’s risk management disciplines have helped our investment portfolios effectively weather 2020’s market volatility and participate productively in the early stages of the recovery.The steady...

The COVID pandemic has raised considerable amounts of uncertainty for high-net-worth families who crave greater security within this historic event.Our Financial Uncertainty Checklist documents a compelling list of 12 aspects of wealth...

As individuals approach retirement many begin shifting their portfolio composition into a conservative allocation, consisting of more bonds than stocks. Bonds have historically provided more security than stocks while generating enough...

We anticipate a gradual, but uneven economic recovery which may not achieve 2019 levels of growth until 2022The stock rally has outpaced the economic data; stock valuations are at historically high levels, while only 10% of the S&P 500...

The unemployment rate now exceeds 16%.The unprecedented monetary and fiscal response demonstrates a willingness to “do whatever it takes” to backstop our economy.We anticipate the continuation of elevated volatility as...

With the COVID-19 environment continually evolving, your Pacific Wealth Management team has created an online library of articles and videos worthy of sharing. We will continue updating this library as we come across new information to...

Due to the deluge of recent news and legislative changes we would like to offer a summary of the most important developments of the past few months to ensure that you stay informed on issues that may be pertinent to your personal...

Over the last 5 weeks, stock markets have experienced their fastest descent in history.The U.S. government response demonstrates a willingness to use all available fiscal and monetary tools to create an unlimited safety net and...

A multitude of negative data suggests the bottoming process for the stock market will likely take time. In the interim we expect a prolonged period of volatility.Fortunately, our investments were strategically underweight stocks before...

SummaryLast week, the S&P 500 experienced its largest decline since the banking crisis of 2008-2009 with outflows from stocks migrating to haven assets like bonds and gold.Though the American consumer and U.S. economy still have a...

Why You Should Not Plan to Rely on Financial Aid AloneOver the past decade the cost of higher education, including tuition, fees, room and board, rose at average rates of 1.9% per year at public four-year and 1.8% per year at private...

SummaryDespite weakening economic data, financial markets delivered productive returns with stocks finishing 2019 near record highsWith valuations above the historical norm, U. S. corporate earnings will need to exceed expectations for...

Restricted ApplicationIf an individual was born on or before January 1, 1954, is currently married, or divorced and eligible for a benefit on an ex-spouse's record, once they reach age 66 (full retirement age) they may benefit from a...

SummaryOngoing uncertainty over trade negotiations, amid the global economic slowdown, are beginning to weigh on both business and consumer sentimentThough imminent recession in the U. S. still appears unlikely, prospects for robust...

529a Able Account529a ABLE accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts for individuals with disabilities. The primary benefits include:Income earned by the account will not be taxed nor will withdrawals for 'qualified expenses'; a...

SummaryInvestments are delivering productive returns this yearPersistent volatility is likely to continueA second U.S. interest rate reduction is anticipated this fall with the prospect of further rate reductions to follow, depending...

Pre-Medicare CostEligibility for Medicare coverage begins at age 65. Those who retire before this age and lose health insurance coverage provided by their employer will pay considerably more for health insurance until they become...

Five Simple Ways to Reduce your VulnerabilityCyber crime affects hundreds of millions of individuals globally each year with victims often unaware they have even been affected. The sophistication of methods is ever-increasing and even...

Cost of Probate in CaliforniaSmall California estates with assets worth $150,000 or less may be settled without formal probate proceedings, using relatively simple transfer procedures. However, if the gross estate exceeds this amount...

Market Comment from Pacific Wealth Management (May)

James C. Kuntz, CIMA

Friday, May 24, 2019

SummaryWe maintain 'underweight' allocation to stocks due to elevated geopolitical risksReemergence of volatility resulting from increased U.S. China trade frictionTrade deal with China unlikely until second half of 2019Tariffs...

The Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017The Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 (2017)1 is the most significant tax legislation since the Tax Reform Act of 1986. The law entails consequences for all taxpayers. Some of these consequences are...

Real Estate in San DiegoResidents of San Diego County frequently count their homes as one of the most valuable assets on their balance sheets. In one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country, decisions related to the...

Long-Term Care in CaliforniaOver half of Americans over the age of 65 will require significant long-term care at some point in their life. Long-term care entails assistance with two or more activities of daily living including; eating,...

Market Comment from Pacific Wealth Management (February)

James C. Kuntz, CIMA

Monday, February 25, 2019

We, like most investors, have been pleased to see the vigorous rebound in stock prices since the December lows of last year. This rapid dramatic "bounce-back" has swung the pendulum of investor sentiment from overly pessimistic to...

The financial markets in 2018 were clouded by reports of a slowing global economy and concerns the long expansion was winding to a close. Many stock markets experienced their worst year since 2008. Equities around the world have been...

IntroductionLarry, a 56-year-old man with two children from a previous marriage was remarried to Laura, a 48-year-old divorcee with two children of her own. In order to ensure that Laura would be financially secure in the event of his...

The financial market’s volatility in recent weeks has reminded many investors of the importance of discipline and diversification. As the stock market’s recent gyrations clearly illustrated, volatility has returned and will...

We hope you have been able to find some relief from these warm days and have plans to finish up your summer enjoyably.Investors who have been following the stock and bond markets this year might be led to believe the economy is on...

At the beginning of the year the financial markets felt like a continuation of 2017. The tone since February feels considerably different, as more "typical" volatility has returned and is now the norm.Last week the major stock markets...