Happy New Year to our readers. I hope you all had a joyful holiday. Today’s 3 Things post features inspirational articles and images that caught my eye over the past week. Here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2018 for you and your families. Bill Gates inspires me with his thirst for knowledge and his focus on philanthropy...

Here is a copy of a letter we sent to our SAGEbroadview clients: Year-End Reflections on the New Tax Law Dear SAGEbroadview Clients and Friends: We interrupt your busy holiday season with a reach-out on this week’s U.S. tax code overhaul. While the ink still dries on this sweeping new legislation, you may be wondering whether there are ways you can or should spring into action immediately, before year-end, to reposition yourself for...

  Trying to find a gift for a young reader, or an older reader who loves children’s books? Check out this article for the illustrations alone. Simply gorgeous. The 7 Loveliest Children’s Books of 2017 (Brain Pickings) Profound and poetic illustrated celebrations of solitude, self-possession, friendship, and our place in the cosmos. Trying to find a gift for a science enthusiast? “…what all great science books accomplish, whether they do so from the...

Being smart about charitable giving  1.   As Barry Ritholz notes in this oldie but goodie -- “giving to charity is personally fulfilling and it helps those in need, but some charities are better than others in channeling donations to where they are most needed.” Find out how to do your homework before you give.  Be Smart About Charity (Bloomberg View, 12/4/2014)  +   GiveWell is a nonprofit dedicated to finding outstanding giving opportunities through in-depth analysis. Thousands of hours...

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 Senate Republicans passed their tax reform bill in the wee hours last Saturday morning. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters that the GOP tax bill would pay for itself. Independent analysis rejects this notion. Next step: turning two bills into one. When chambers pass different versions of a bill, conferees appointed from both the House and Senate meet to reconcile the bills they...

Small Changes Add Up Small changes, beginning today, can materially affect our future wealth; they can also dramatically impact our future selves. This article by Nick Maggiulli includes a powerful visualization of the cumulative effect on future wealth of saving 5% to 15% of our income each year. (Example assumed $50,000 in annual income with a 5% annual return.) Consider also how creating a habit that may not cost us...

At SAGEbroadview we are very busy this holiday season and I expect our readers are too. So, for the rest of the year, barring an emergency that I would need to address (another credit agency security breach, for example), we will keep things short and sweet. I will share three articles each week with one or two sentences about each article. The articles may all be on the same topic,...

OCTOBER  2017 The Uncommon Average “I have found that the importance of having an investment philosophy—one that is robust and that you can stick with— cannot be overstated.” —David Booth The US stock market has delivered an average annual return of around 10% since 1926.[1] But short-term results may vary, and in any given period stock returns can be positive, negative, or flat. When setting expectations, it’s helpful to see the range of...