General

Every year Journey Tree makes it a point to support local entities: The Shedd, KWAX, Oregon Mozart Players, Oregon Bach Festival, Friends of Trees, KLCC, and the list goes on. While the novel coronavirus has caused performances and productions to be canceled and postponed, Journey Tree continues to provide support in any way we can. Oregon Bach Festival (OBF): This summer was going to be the 50th anniversary of the Oregon Bach Festival. Unfortunately, given the circumstances, it has been…

In April the Journey Tree team got their hands dirty planting trees with Friends of Trees on 18th and Oak. They helped plant 10 trees in the area as part of the Trees for Concrete program. The Trees for Concrete program consists of removing big chunks of unnecessary sidewalk, bringing in new soil, and planting trees appropriate for the site. Benefits of trees in the city: Reduce noise Filter the air and water Decrease stress and improve mood Add beauty…

New tax laws have changed how people can make charitable contributions in 2019. Now that the standard deduction has more than doubled, itemizing deductions no longer make sense for most tax payers. For those over 70 ½, are required to take a required minimum distribution (RMD), and want to make a charitable contribution to an eligible organization might think about making a “Qualified Charitable Distribution” (QCD). A QCD is a charitable contribution made directly from your qualified IRA. Instead of…

If you or someone you know has become a victim of identity theft, here are a few steps which should be taken immediately: Check for and clean computer of any malware. Change passwords for all services: email, social media, financial sites, etc. Place a fraud alert with one of the credit agencies: Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax. Contact Journey Tree to make us aware so we can contact TD to have additional security measures added to your accounts. For additional assistance…

Whether it’s an email from an overseas prince asking you to wire cash, or an unsolicited phone call from someone asking for identifiable information, scams are a familiar concern that can cause an unsuspecting victim financial harm and heartache. Protect yourself and your loved ones from telephone, email, mail or other types of scams by questioning the conversation. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum offers six signs that an offer might be a scam. Scammers Contact You “Out of the Blue.”…

INTRODUCTION In my most recent installment of this series, I wrote about a few hard to believe nuances of Social Security benefits. In this final installment, we are going to meet Pat and Val, a married couple with gender-neutral names, and review some simple and more complex Social Security planning strategies available to them. In the following comparisons: Val and Pat are the same age Their “full retirement age” (FRA) is 66 Val’s benefit at FRA is $1,000 Pat’s benefit…

By Kath Suchan Siblings, you got to love them. First of all, I am the “baby of the family” and sometimes it is difficult for my five older siblings to realize that I may know just a bit more than they do when it comes to financial planning issues. There are times I feel like I am a five years old again carrying on the “Is so,” “Is not,” “Is so,” “Is not” intellectual exchange. This article is a result…

INTRODUCTION In my last article, I provided an overview of the calculations behind taking benefits early or delaying benefits. In this installment, we were going to meet Pat and Val, a married couple with gender-neutral names, and review some of the simple and complex Social Security planning strategies available to them. Unfortunately, I have been fighting a headache for a several days and I cannot get by head around that topic just now. Instead I will fast forward to the…