Sheryl Rowling is a certified public accountant (CPA), personal financial specialist (PFS), and Principal of Rowling & Associates, a progressive fee-only wealth management firm helping a diverse clientele with investments, taxes, and financial planning. Active in her field, Sheryl has been named one of the nation’s top 250 financial advisors by Worth magazine for three consecutive years and has been included as one of Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential in Accounting. Her industry association membership includes:
•American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), tax and financial planning divisions
•Financial Planning Association (FPA)
•California Society of Certified Public Accountants
•National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA)
•All-Star Financial Group, former president
In 2006, Sheryl’s book, Tax and Wealth Strategies for Family Businesses was published by CCH. She also has a personal finance book, Your Financial Travel Guide to Life, available for purchase on Amazon. Co-authored by members of the Rowling & Associates team, the book provides advice and guidance needed to help people achieve their goals at any stage of life. Sheryl regularly writes columns for the San Diego Jewish World (www.sdjewishworld.com), Morningstar (www.morningstar.com) and InvestmentNews (www.investmentnews.com). She is often quoted in both local and national publications.
By Sheryl Rowling SAN DIEGO — Dear Money Maven: Senator Barbara Boxer released information on the tax rules related to a short sale, but I don’t understand what it says! Can you take a look and explain it to me? A: I will certainly try! Here’s the story: In August 2013, Senator Boxer asked the […]
By Sheryl Rowling SAN DIEGO–Before I begin, I must start with a disclaimer: I think everyone should have a comprehensive financial plan. After all, if you don’t have a coordinated plan to reach your goals, how will you get there? A comprehensive financial plan is appropriate at any stage of life. It is not meant
By Sheryl Rowling SAN DIEGO–Q: Dear Money Maven, Is there more to business than making money? Ambitiously, Arnie A: Dear Arnie, I must first disclose that I’m not a Rabbi. I’ve been a business owner for more than 25 years. And, I believe I am an ethical business owner. In general, you can make
By Sheryl Rowling SAN DIEGO– Everyone made such a big deal about Thanksgiving and Hanukkah falling on the same day. Why is it that nobody notices that the first day of Passover falls on April 15th? No one has come up with a cool label like Thanksgivikah. This year, I think we should call April
By Sheryl Rowling SAN DIEGO — It might seem trite to bring up “elder fraud” again. Trite as it might seem, it is real and happening NOW! Oy vey! A good friend called me last week, upset after finding out about her parents’ experience. It went like this: Her mother received a phone call early
By Sheryl Rowling SAN DIEGO– Dear Money Maven: Why is President Obama talking about Myra? Who is she? It seems like she’s in the news a lot and I haven’t even heard of her! I feel like I’m losing my edge. Sincerely, Yenta * Dear Yenta, You are not falling behind on your job. MyRA
By Sheryl Rowling SAN DIEGO– Dear Money Maven, I invest in several mutual funds. I was looking at my statements and realized that I have no idea what investments these funds hold. I’m not trying to second guess the managers, but how do I know if they’re investing in companies I wouldn’t want to own?
By Sheryl Rowling SAN DIEGO– Dear Money Maven, What is the Medicare Surtax? How will I know if it will apply to me? Worriedly, Concerned Taxpayer * Dear Concerned, As of 2013, you might have been impacted by the by the 3.8% Medicare Surtax. You shouldn’t worry: you just need to know how the calculation
By Sheryl Rowling SAN DIEGO– There’s Still Time to Save on Taxes! Dear Money Maven, It’s almost the end of the year. I’m worried about taxes. Is there anything I can do now to cut down on my tax bill? Thank you. Sincerely, Nervous Nate Dear Nate, Yes, I have some ideas for you. Before
By Sheryl Rowling SAN DIEGO–Thanksgivukkah I’m so fermished! I usually write a themed column for Hanukkah and usually don’t devote a separate piece for Thanksgiving. This year, how can I do one without the other? This is almost as disturbing as when Leap Year adds an extra day of tax season. But, that’s a different
By Sheryl Rowling Q: There is so much confusing information in the media about ObamaCare. Can you please explain it in terms that a non-lawyer can understand? A: I will certainly try. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, unofficially known as “ObamaCare” seeks to reform the American health care system by providing broader access
By Sheryl Rowling Dear Readers, We hear a lot of contradicting media hype on ObamaCare. Without getting into the details of ObamaCare (which I can do in a future column), I wanted to share this unsolicited letter that I received from a client. It was enlightening to me! Wishing all of you a healthy and
By Sheryl Rowling Dear Money Maven: My husband and I were married in California in 2008 before Proposition 8 passed. Now that DOMA has been repealed, how do we file our tax returns? This is so confusing! Sincerely, Steven Dear Steven, I agree that the tax laws for same sex couples have been and are
By Sheryl Rowling Q: My son is the apple of my eye. I want to set up a Section 529 college savings account for him, but heard that the custodian controls the investments. I’m not an expert, but I’d like to control the investments. What can I do? A: Unfortunately, you can’t have your honey