Dear Friends, Clients and Colleagues,
It’s the time of year when football season is in full swing, kids (or grandkids) are home for a few days and we all tend to think about what we’re thankful for. There’s a lot to contemplate — I’m thankful for the family and friends who make an extra effort to come together at Thanksgiving…and of course, the great food. I’m also very thankful for all our wonderful clients who make my job so enjoyable and rewarding.
Since we’re on the subject of being thankful, I’ve included a fascinating article about gratitude from columnist David Brooks. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.
As the end of the year approaches, it’s a good time to start thinking about any charitable giving you might want to do for 2015. The second article helps make choosing a deserving charity easier.
Speaking of charity, the recent budget bill passed into law is not at all charitable with our social security benefits! The attached article summarizes a few of the changes.
And November wouldn’t be complete without reference to some great food. Whether turkey, ham or pork are the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving meal, attached are some great recipes to give you a bit of inspiration. Bon appetit!
Finally, take a peek at the CIA corner for some business updates and other news. Thank you for the continued support and trust you place in us!
Articles of Interest
The Structure of Gratitude
David Brooks artfully deciphers what it means to be truly grateful.
Charitable Giving
A good annual review of Charitable Giving to help you give more effectively.
Important Changes to Your Social Security Benefits
Just this month, President Obama signed into law a budget agreement that will avert a government default and shutdown, saving us all from what we experienced in 2013—Great news, right? Unfortunately the new bill will have devastating effects on millions of Social Security recipients.
Thanksgiving Recipes
Find inspiration for your Holiday Feast in Southern Livings Thanksgiving Meal Planner.
CIA Corner
- Holiday Open House: Our office is located right along the Mount Pleasant Holiday Parade route, so we decided to open our doors (and bathroom!) to our clients and friends during the parade. Come join us Sunday, December 13th any time after 4:00 pm. Click here for details.
- Lift 100: Donald is at it again! He and the team at CTC have launched a capital campaign, Lift 100. Lift 100 aims to help at least 100 students who have an intellectual disability through their first year of college — tuition, fees, books, room & board … whatever they need to make that first year a success. More success stories mean more funding and more young people living full, independent lives. Click here to learn more.
- Tax Harvesting Notes: With 2015 shaping up to be a down — at best flat — year for stocks and another year of low interest rates, tax planning is more important than ever. Opportunities to harvest losses and lay the groundwork for 2016 are at hand. To aid in your year-end tax planning, Dimensional has released estimated mutual fund capital gains and dividend distributions for 2015. Contact us if you’d like us to confer with your CPA to get you started.
The perfection of wisdom and the end of true philosophy is to proportion our wants to our possessions, our ambitions to our capacities … we will then be a happy and a virtuous people — Mark Twain
