THE FATHER BLOG

For today’s finance topic…..should you pay estimated taxes? As always, the answer is “it depends”. I will give you a few examples.

If you find yourself paying thousands of dollars each year in taxes and it’s just based upon a normal year (meaning no major events such as home sale/purchases, stock market wins/losses, etc) then yes, you would save yourself the pain of paying out a large amount each year. On the other side, if you find yourself getting a large return each year, maybe you should adjust your withholdings so you keep more of that money in your pocket during the year. If you seem to break even or close to it each year….don’t change a thing. That is the goal.

A good accountant or CPA can help you figure out your estimated taxes after a short conversation based on previous returns and events you expect in the upcoming year. I say a good accountant for a reason. In the past, I have both owned a lot and have received a few large returns. Though the big check feels nice…I’d rather keep that money throughout the year.

Now that the tax deadline has passed and you can already begin to pay estimated taxes, take a look at your situation now to make the 2026 tax season a little less painful and a little more easy to handle.

The bad news is that Mikey’s baseball season is officially over. The good news is that we’re not talking long term or a major injury thankfully.

Yesterday, Mikey was hit with a pitch on the hand while batting and he broke his thumb. Luckily, it broke and didn’t shatter. I’ll give the kid points for toughness as he took his base and even had to slide into 2nd base on the next play. But after that he could barely remove his batting glove and couldn’t even get his hand in his glove and squeeze. He iced it for a few before we decided it was best to get him to Urgent Care for X-rays. We needed to see what we were dealing with now. It was confirmed broken…a non displaced fracture of the proximal phalanx (for you medical type people). He was given a splint to immobilize it and Mary was great in getting him an appointment tomorrow morning with orthopedics. We are guessing it’s going to be around 6 weeks…but we’ll wait for the experts to tell us for sure.

Mikey has always told us “I’m not a great watcher”. He needs to be playing and involved and not just watching the sports. The next several weeks will definitely be challenging for him.

I found a nice article since I know I’m not alone here in having a child injured while playing sports. Give it a read…and we’ll start the rehab soon as ice hockey season will be hear before he knows it.

https://prepperformancecenter.com/how-parents-can-support-their-child-through-a-season-ending-injury-building-resilience-and-emotional-strength

Happy Monday everyone. For Finance Monday today, all you have to do is a simple Google Search of “Stock Market today” and you will see headlines with phrases such as “US-Iranian tensions” or “flare up” or words like “uncertainty” or “instability”. These are your hints….but will you be ready this time to buy the dip?

The US-Iran conflict has created significant stock market volatility, offering profit opportunities, particularly for those tracking energy, defense, and tech sectors during rapid, news-driven price swings. While initial tensions can cause market drops, experts note that quick recoveries and volatility allow for large gains, with sectors like oil, defense, and high-growth, AI-related technology often seeing significant trading activity. 

Key Money-Making Opportunities and Trends:

• Oil and Energy Sector: Oil prices spiked due to risks to the Strait of Hormuz, with institutional investors rapidly trading oil contracts, creating opportunities in energy-reliant stocks.
• Defense and Tech Stocks: Sectors with high innovation and critical infrastructure may see surges, particularly when market panics turn into buying opportunities. 
• Relief Rallies: Markets have shown they can rally quickly on news of potential de-escalation, allowing for gains in tech and AI, with companies like Nvidia and Marvell recently seeing gains. 
• Volatility Trading: The pattern of social media announcements or geopolitical news influencing pre-market trading has provided opportunities for those anticipating swift market movements.