Notes from
Jason's Desk.

Sep 9, 2026

Extra Credit

Vanguard is buying Altruist, what the new Section 530A accounts for children really mean for grandparents, and ten minutes on California's new DROP platform to stop your data from being sold again.

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Jun 2, 2026

When Buy, Borrow, Die Isn't What it Looks Like Online

A social-media post makes "borrow against your stocks and never pay tax" look effortless. Here's the math it leaves out, and when a securities-based line of credit actually is the right tool.

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Apr 29, 2026

Risky Business

A 104-year look at how often the market actually beats inflation, why your plan was built for the decade and not the week, and a reminder to lock your digital doors.

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Mar 30, 2026

Spring Cleaning, Spring Scheming

The AI experiment running in my laundry room, a quick game to see if you think like a financial planner, and your tax-season checklists.

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Mar 3, 2026

Tax Season and the Many Years Beyond

Tax season is a once-a-year task with consequences that stretch across decades. How this year's return fits a much longer plan.

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Jan 27, 2026

A New META & Preparing For Tax Season

A framework for thinking about what your money is really for, and getting a head start on tax season.

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Dec 22, 2025

Reflections on Growth, Loss, and Purpose

A year-end letter on what grows, what we lose along the way, and finding the intersection of the things that give the work meaning.

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Nov 29, 2025

The value of an Ethical Will and playing the long game

An inheritance is more than money. Why an ethical will, the values and context you pass on, may be the most important document you never knew to write.

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Oct 31, 2025

Principles, Practices and Playthings

The principles and practices behind the portfolio, and a playful detour into what AI can now conjure out of thin air.

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Sep 26, 2025

Steady Hands During All-Time Highs

All-time highs feel like the riskiest time to invest and rarely are. How to keep a steady hand when the market keeps setting records.

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Sep 5, 2025

A Look at a More Digital Future of Investments

Blockchain, digital assets, and what a more digital future means for ordinary investors, separating the signal from the hype.

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Jul 28, 2025

Summertime Bills

What the One Big Beautiful Bill Act means for your taxes and your plan, walked through with a sample analysis.

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Jun 26, 2025

Portfolio Strategy Update: The Bonds That Hold Us Together

A look under the hood at the bond side of your portfolio: duration, interest rates, and the ballast that steadies the ride.

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May 21, 2025

Robots, Rebounds, and Rebalancing, Oh My!

What the future of jobs data says about a changing economy, a market rebound, and the quiet discipline of rebalancing.

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Apr 23, 2025

Don't Just Do Something! Stand There!

In a volatile market, the hardest and most valuable thing an investor can do is often nothing at all.

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Mar 26, 2025

Market Perspective: The Power of Staying Invested

The cost of missing just a handful of the market's best days, and why staying invested beats trying to time the exits.

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Feb 28, 2025

Important Updates and the Market

A few housekeeping updates to our client agreement and disclosures, and a steadying word on the market.

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Jan 29, 2025

Hello 2025!

The repeal of the Social Security Windfall Elimination and Government Pension Offset, plus everything you need to get ready for tax season.

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