 Articles
We never stop working to offer the best advice to our clients. That's why Stephen Butler has written numerous articles and been quoted extensively.
Access to Steve's weekly columns in the Contra Costa Times is just a fingertip away!
Steve's Latest Columns
January 26, 2012 - Crunching the numbers on taxes, Mitt Romney
I think we've heard enough by now about how much Mitt Romney pays in taxes and comparing that to the rate the rest of us have to pay.
January 19, 2012 - Minimizing tax hit on after-tax money
When mutual funds investing in stocks throughout the year buy and sell different companies, they generate profitable trades (hopefully) that add up to "realized" taxable gains.
January 13, 2012 - Scare tactics used in debate over debt
In my freshman year of 1962, my college roommate pointed out that government debt is different from the money we owe other people.
January 5, 2012 - Overview on good, bad of annuities
Annuities have traditionally been the Rodney Dangerfield of investment products.
December 29, 2011 - Don't get caught up in gloom, doom talk
During times like these, I dream about a financial news service that discusses only positive events taking place in the world's business community.
December 23, 2011 - Young adults should save for their future
Let me guess. Young adults home for the holidays probably sympathize with the Occupy Wall Street movement.
December 15, 2011 - Flex plans benefit 2-income families
This column is about the wisdom of signing up for your company's Section 125 flexible spending plan to save a lot of taxes in the coming year.
December 1, 2011 - 'Occupy' movement continues to evolve
It surprised me to learn that the Occupy Wall Street movement started in Canada -- a place where well-regulated banks had no problem at all during the financial meltdown.
November 25, 2011 - You can be your own investment adviser
I don't mean to be tough on Charles Schwab, (as in "talk to Chuck, etc.") but I think it's worth talking about the company's settlement for about $250 million with its customers who had invested in a Schwab money market fund that collapsed.
November 9, 2011 - Boss's generosity now pays off in the future
My daughter and I spent a long weekend in Florida visiting my 95-year-old father who was hospitalized temporarily, and I am struck by how much time and energy goes into keeping our aging parents comfortable and anxiety-free.
November 4, 2011 - Hard lesson may come from 'super committee
What do we think the "super committee" might have in store for us by the time it reaches its decision on Nov. 23, a mere three weeks from now?
October 28, 2011 - Take best of both value, growth investment
My daughter, Elsa Bogart, works as a journalist for Thompson Reuters in New York City and referred me to some interviews conducted at the Value Investing Congress.
October 24, 2011 - 'Snap-back effect' always follows crash
It's always reassuring to experience the "snap-back effect" that takes hold after a downdraft in the stock market.
October 13, 2011 - Pine trees encroach on solar potential
Sunset magazine did a really bad thing 50 years ago when it began a campaign to encourage Californians to plant Monterey pine trees everywhere.
October 10, 2011 - Occupy Wall Street protest might inspire others to take action
"It was the best of times. It was the worst of times."
September 30, 2011 - Social Security as good as gold
At a town meeting in Concord years ago, I asked then-Rep. Ellen Tauscher if the bonds held by the Social Security Administration were the same type as those owned by any other investor in U.S. bonds.
September 26, 2011 - An annuity can help if you outlive your nest egg
Hungry for a conundrum? Think about what would be a reasonable amount to be taking from a nest egg to pay for living expenses in retirement.
September 15, 2011 - Overall, economy is getting better
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the economy is doing better than most politicians, even President Barack Obama, have led us to believe.
September 9, 2011 - A lot of money is sitting on sidelines
The big news for August is that mutual fund investors moved about $50 billion out of stock funds and added about $10 billion to bond funds.
September 2, 2011 - Avoid coming gold bubble
If you don't have any gold in your investment portfolio, are you missing the next big thing?
August 26, 2011 - Don't let market's volatility spook you
Holy cow. It looks like the stock market is going to hell in a hand basket -- again.
August 19, 2011 - Hard workers deserve safety net
Filling in as a volunteer bartender at my yacht club once every few months has reminded me of what it's like to have a real job away from the comfort of a desk.
August 4, 2011 - Seniors are often victimized financially
Early in her career, my wife was a social worker with Contra Costa County Children's Protective Services -- a tough "Marine Corps" of social service agencies.
July 29, 2011 - Create your own fund to track Dow
Is there any such thing as the perfect mutual fund?
July 22, 2011 - We can all contribute to the U.S. safety net
I was stunned by the recent article about the section of the Bay Bridge that was being shipped here from China.
July 18, 2011 - Tax hikes won't cut business hiring
The myth that raising taxes on business owners will cost the country jobs continues to thrive.
July 11, 2011 - Markets not only place to make profitable investments
Ten hours of sleep, according to a test study of the Stanford basketball team, can actually improve foul shot percentages.
June 29, 2011 - Tipping point near for 401(k) investors
Last week, I wrote about the efficacy of solar energy for the home -- especially if you looked at it from an unorthodox but accurate financial perspective.
June 22, 2011 - Solar can give you tax-free electricity
This is not a column about solar energy savings. It's about how our financial decisions, all too often, never get beyond the outer layer of the onion.
June 17, 2011 - Moving to assisted living a big step for all
Money, and having enough of it, is a challenging aspect of retirement, but far more demanding can be the communication and planning that goes into providing a comfortable retirement for our parents today and ourselves tomorrow.
June 6, 2011 - CALPERS managers give little bang for buck
I was encouraged to learn that the California Public Employees Retirement System is almost back to its high water mark of $260 billion it reached in 2007.
June 3, 2011 - Intelligent spending can help fuel your 401(k)
Pardon the malapropism, but if you've fallen off the 401(k) bandwagon, it's time to get back on the horse.
May 25, 2011 - American retirement picture not so gloomy
The "Boomers" are all right. The latest information from Fidelity Fund and the Investment Company Institute, combined with a dose of common sense and deductive reasoning, leads us to the conclusion that the Baby Boomers are financially prepared for retirement.
May 16, 2011 - A look at seasonal investing strategy
A golfing partner shared some insight he had received from his Merrill Lynch financial adviser. When my pal asked what the adviser might be worried about at this point, the response was, "I can't think of anything to worry about, and that's what has me really worried."
May 10, 2011 - Investing in banks may be worth your dime
With my convertible top down, I stopped at a traffic light and pulled beside a car whose stereo system was pumping out that loud thumping sound.
May 3, 2011 - Ending oil subsidies won't trip economy
I love that truism: "It's socialism for Capitalists and capitalism for everyone else."
April 27, 2011 - Second opinions on auto service makes sense
The value of a second opinion can never be underestimated.
April 20, 2011 - Like fashion, housing poised to come back
If you hold onto your old clothes long enough, they'll come back into style someday.
April 13, 2011 - High-yield bond funds add kick to your returns
The lyrics "Lookin' for love in all the wrong places" prompts me to think about where we might find higher investment returns and still be across the tracks from "the cheatin' side of town."
April 6, 2011 - Full 401(k) disclosure has been long overdue
I'm always dumbfounded at the extent to which company owners and managers responsible for 401(k) plans succumb to "status quo bias" when they could be dramatically improving a retirement plan.
March 30, 2011 - Guaranteed income comes with hitches
Here we go again. According to what I read in my industry's trade journals, a number of financial institutions are racing to bring retirement-oriented investment products to market.
March 23, 2011 - Good advice sometimes runs counter to mainstream
OK. Calm down everybody. The events in Japan, as horrific and heart-rending as they have been, will not trigger a worldwide economic collapse.
March 16, 2011 - Americans not on track to retire comfortably
"Reality bites!" This choice of words would describe the recent Harris Interactive study of retirement preparedness on the part of most Americans.
March 9, 2011 - Follow the math to doubling your money
In 1997 there was a Wall Street Journal article entitled "Waking up rich -- retirement accounts stashed in stocks make employees millionaires."
March 2, 2011 - Oakland's fire and police pension needs rescued
I was shocked, shocked to learn that Oakland's retirement plan for police and firefighters hired before 1976 was now, according to Mayor Jean Quan, "about half a billion dollars short."
February 23, 2011 - Time, risk and return are worth your worry
I tend to channel JPMorgan when people ask me what I think the stock market will do next. When asked that question, "J.P." was known to say, "It will fluctuate."
February 16, 2011 - Budget cuts aplenty in military spending
Look to the right as you approach Oakland International Airport and you'll see a huge advertisement covering the side of a hangar.
February 9, 2011 - 'Debunkery' pulls mask off financial goblins
Given the withering fire of fear and loathing from all corners of the financial media, a safe haven from the bombast can be found in books by Ken Fisher, the ubiquitous money manager whose ads pop up everywhere.
February 2, 2011 - Health care repealers don't have viable fix
I might feel more sympathetic to calls for repealing health care reform if I had any sense at all as to what was going to replace it.
January 26, 2011 - Market correction can be a good thing
My computer mouse pad says: "If you can't run with the Big Dogs, stay on the porch."
January 19, 2011 - Stocks will benefit from cash coming off the bench
Following a holiday of unusual restraint, I told my wife that I had been looking in mirrors all over the house and I can't locate my pot belly in any of them.
January 12, 2011 - Wall Street plays both sides of U.S. politics
Trapped in New York by the sixth worst blizzard in city history gave me time to stew in my own juices after reading Charles Gasperino's "Bought and Paid For -- The Unholy Alliance between Barak Obama and Wall Street."
January 5, 2011 - Snowbound in NYC turns into quite a trip
NEW YORK CITY -- My holiday ordeal here in the Big Apple explains why retired people are wise to live in southern climates if not the Bay Area.
December 29, 2010 - Financial advice for younger workers
Young adults, home for the holidays, are my targets for advice at this time of year.
December 22, 2010 - Taking risk can give you better returns
Making the most out of future stock market investments involves capturing the "risk premium" offered by more volatile stocks.
December 15, 2010 - Don't believe all the fright over taxes on small biz
I'm reminded of Al Franken's book, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right," when I keep hearing about how small business owners will be crippled by a tax increase on incomes above $250,000 -- or more recently, on tax increases on incomes above $1 million.
December 8, 2010 - Tax-free muni bonds take risk out of investing
Regarding the city of Vallejo's bankruptcy, I learned that the city was allowed to renegotiate loans and break its union contracts going forward, but the court ruled that citizens are stuck having to honor the grandfathered retirement benefits of retirees.
December 1, 2010 - Smooth transition into new lifestyle
My recent Florida road trip had, as its primary purpose, the challenge of helping my parents move to assisted living from independent living.
November 24, 2010 - Fidelity reluctantly offers 'open architecture'
Remember Jim Carrey in that movie, "Dumb and Dumber"? If you're in a 401(K) plan, there's a good chance that it's run by Fidelity -- a company that dominates the industry with 11 million participants.
November 17, 2010 - Reading inflation between bond yields
That Bob Brinker. While some people think the sun rises and sets with his financial advice, I have to take him with a grain of salt.
November 10, 2010 - Inside job throws light on Wall Street's dark corners
Every single registered voter in America should be duckwalked into a theater to see "Inside Job," the new documentary on what and who contributed to the collapse of our financial system.
November 3, 2010 - Reason for optimism in stock markets
Walking through a packed mall, it's hard to believe that ATMs came within 24 hours of shutting down when the banking industry froze up.
October 27, 2010 - Health care reform step in right direction
In response to those who are badmouthing "Obamacare," it's important to keep in mind the standard of comparison.
October 20, 2010 - Put public pensions back into genie bottle
In this epic battle between Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman, the question of which one will be most effective at reining in state employee pension benefits should make this a one-issue election.
October 13, 2010 - Market linked CD not worth losing sleep
As former President Ronald Reagan used to say, "There you go again."
October 6, 2010 - Facebook is financial alchemy in action
An old "Far Side" carton by Gary Larson has pioneers cowering as Indians send flaming arrows into their circled wagons.
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