Rick Brooks

San Diego

Contributing Columnist at Presidio Sentinel

Over 20 years experience helping people with their finances, specializing in peace of mind. #FeeOnly. #CFP. #CFA. #Fiduciary. #investment. #bbq

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Articles

Perspective: Surely it couldn't happen here

1 week ago | northernpublicradio.org | Rick Brooks

Imagine. Just when your father arrives at his job, say, at a meat plant or dairy farm, he’s surrounded by a squad of men dressed in black, wearing masks. He is arrested, like thousands of mostly non-Caucasian men and women, deported to places that look like, smell like concentration camps. Despicable, often inhumane prisons. He has been convicted of nothing. Nazi Germany? No. It’s happening right now. Supposedly in our name. In our country, the United States of America.
10 Essential Steps for a Smooth Transition to Retirement

1 month ago | presidiosentinel.com | Rick Brooks

A good friend of mine was recently forced into early retirement by changes at the Federal agency where he worked. Retirement is a major life milestone that requires thoughtful planning and preparation, so I wanted to write about how to properly prepare for such an important change. To ensure a smooth transition, it’s essential to consider all aspects of your future life. Here is a 10-point checklist to help you start getting ready for retirement.
When to Make a Homeowners Insurance Claim: A Comprehensive Guide

Dec 4, 2024 | presidiosentinel.com | Rick Brooks

Filing a homeowners insurance claim is a critical decision that requires careful consideration. While insurance is designed to protect you financially in times of need, not every incident warrants a claim. Understanding when to file can save you money, preserve your claims history, and ensure you’re making the most of your coverage. Before filing a claim, it’s crucial to evaluate the extent of the damage and your policy details.
Perspective: No matter who wins...

Dec 2, 2024 | northernpublicradio.org | Rick Brooks

Rebecca Faulkner is a poet; the editor of an online magazine described as “a tonic for tumultuous times.” Before the election, she asked their subscribers to finish the sentence that begins with “No matter who wins…”Then she pieced together more than 500 responses into a poem with words that I quote here,”No matter who wins I won’t give up... I will live lightly on the land… embrace those closest to me...
Retiring in San Diego - What about Taxes?

Oct 6, 2024 | presidiosentinel.com | Rick Brooks

Retirement for most people is a significant milestone. Some can’t bring themselves to stop working, but for others it represents a significant change in both income and lifestyle. Living in a high-cost area like San Diego can bring unique challenges, particularly regarding taxes. It’s essential for retirees — or those on the cusp of retirement — to engage in proactive planning to minimize taxes and ensure their financial well-being.
Are Social Security Benefits Taxed in California?

Sep 1, 2024 | presidiosentinel.com | Rick Brooks

Claiming Social Security Benefits is not as straight-forward as it might seem. It’s a very complex system, and the rules can be hard to decipher. One of the most common questions about Social Security Income is regarding taxes. Once you start receiving Social Security Income Benefits, how are they taxed? For those in a high tax state like California, the natural follow-up question is, how is Social Security taxed in California? Let’s start with the basics.
Six Common Mistakes Trustees Make

Aug 3, 2024 | presidiosentinel.com | Rick Brooks

Planning for the distribution of your estate is complex. There are so many variables to consider, like family dynamics, changing values and ever-changing tax rules. It can be easy to simply ignore the planning, but that just leaves your heirs to clean up a huge mess and often causes strife trying to figure out what a person’s intentions were. In California, a typical estate plan has a living trust that controls and distributes all of a person’s assets at death.
How Presidential Policy Choices will Affect Inflation

Jul 3, 2024 | presidiosentinel.com | Rick Brooks

The average inflation (annual change in prices) has been about three percent since the end of World War II. There have been occasional spikes, but we got used to very low inflation since the Great Financial Crisis of 2008, averaging about 1.5 percent from 2008 to 2020. COVID changed that. With the economy shutting down in 2020, the government poured money into the economy in order to try to prevent greater disruption than what occurred.
Your Car is Watching You

Mar 31, 2024 | presidiosentinel.com | Rick Brooks

By Rick BrooksHave you read the terms and conditions of the applications installed on your car? Or your phone, for that matter, but let’s focus on your car for now. A couple of weeks ago, Kashmir Hill at the “New York Times” reported that users of General Motors OnStar services (including myBuick, myGMC, myChevrolet and myCadillac) were getting surprises when they renewed their auto insurance. Some saw their rates double or triple, and some weren’t even able to get auto insurance.
03.21.24 -- Using Relational Risk Analysis To Control Procedure Failures In The Bio/Pharma & Medical Device Industry

Mar 21, 2024 | meddeviceonline.com | Mark Witcher |JD Williams |Rick Brooks |Biopharma Operations SME

Get the latest industry news and expert insights delivered straight to your inbox! Newsletter | March 21, 2024 In the bio/pharma and medical device industries, operating procedures guide virtually every activity and are required for compliance with good manufacturing practices. Minimizing procedure execution failures is critical. To do so, you can use relational risk analysis (ReRA).