Insights

Second Quarter 2003|Jim Williams| A few weeks back, I met with my favorite Registered Dietician/Nutritionist for a personal nutrition assessment. Knowing that I am carrying a few (several?) pounds of fat around my middle, I expected to be exhorted to stop eating candy and junk food, and lose weight. However, I learned more importantly that I am deficient in lean body weight and the solution is to eat more than the minimum amount of protein. I find that I have to consume a lot of protein to reach my daily target, and doing that keeps me pretty full. Interestingly, by focusing on the positive: eat more protein rather than the negative: quit eating junk food, I effortlessly made some substantial changes in my personal nutrition. I think that what we do here at J. F. Williams Co., Inc. in financial advisory services is quite similar.

Third Quarter 2002|Jim Williams| Section 529 plans have become quite popular because they allow you to save for future college education costs while eliminating federal income taxes on qualified distributions. These plans have no income restrictions and contribution amounts are very generous. The beneficiary of a 529 plan can be anyone you wish, including the account owner, with no age limitations. Whether they’re a good idea depends upon your circumstances.