Barbara Weltman
Tax Attorney, Author
Barbara Weltman is a tax attorney and the author of multiple books on business and tax strategies. She operates a consulting firm that helps small businesses navigate complex tax laws.
Global Business / Economy
Is Your Financial Planner Actually Beating the Market — or Just Charging You to Underperform an Index Fund?A financial planner does not need to beat the market to justify a fee—but if you're paying primarily for investment management, you should demand evidence that the service adds value after fees, taxes, and risk. Low-cost index funds make it difficult for active managers to consistently outperform broad benchmarks, but a good planner can provide value in areas an index fund cannot: tax planning, asset allocation, retirement strategy, estate considerations, and—perhaps most importantly—preventing costly behavioral mistakes. The real question isn't simply "Did my planner beat the S&P 500?" It's "What am I paying for, and is that value greater than the total cost?"
Credit & Personal Finance
Should You Ever Buy a Car With a Credit Card — and When Does That Actually Make Financial Sense?Buying a car with a credit card can make sense in a very narrow set of circumstances—but for most buyers, the risks outweigh the rewards. The potential benefits include cashback, points, and purchase protections, but those advantages disappear quickly if the balance carries interest. The real question isn't whether a credit card can buy a car, but whether the buyer can capture the rewards without turning a depreciating asset into expensive revolving debt.
Global Business / Economy
Is Contactless Payment Making You Spend More Without Realizing It — or Is That Just a Convenient Excuse for Poor Financial Discipline?Contactless payments now account for 40% of all card transactions — and some researchers say the tap-and-go ease is quietly making people spend more without noticing. Jean Chatzky, Ryan Sutton, and Barbara Weltman debate whether contactless payment is eroding financial awareness or whether blaming the method is just an excuse for poor discipline.
Global Business / Economy
Should You Ever Accept Equity in Lieu of Payment for Your Services — or Is That Just a Polite Way of Not Getting Paid?A startup offers you equity instead of cash — and suddenly you're weighing the dream of a big payout against the reality of working for free right now. Mark Suster, Barbara Weltman, and David Baker debate whether accepting equity in lieu of payment is a savvy bet on someone else's future or just a polite way of not getting paid.
Credit & Personal Finance
Should You Ever Lend Money to a Client to Keep the Relationship?A key client is struggling and asks if you can help them out financially — and suddenly the line between business relationship and personal obligation gets very blurry. Barbara Weltman, Randa Bessadah, and Mark Kohler debate whether lending money to a client is an act of loyalty that pays off, or a professional boundary that should never be crossed.
Global Business / Economy
Is Your Business Generating Revenue or Just Keeping You Busy — and Do You Actually Know the Difference?Nearly 20% of small businesses fail in their first year — and one of the quietest killers is mistaking busyness for productivity. Barbara Weltman, Michael Kitces, and Karen Miller help entrepreneurs ask the hard question: is all that activity actually showing up in revenue?
Investments / Wealth Building
Should Small Business Owners Reinvest Profits Back Into the Business or Pay Themselves First?Every profitable month, small business owners face the same tension: put the money back into the business, or take it home. A tax attorney, a financial advisor, and a CPA partner take sides. One verdict.
Global Business / Economy
Holding Company Structure: Is It Worth It for Small Business Owners?Holding Company Structure: Is It Worth It for Small Business Owners? Small business owners often find themselves at a crossroads when determining thei...