A Touch on Taxes, Protecting Your Ass…ets, & Saving Some Trees
Greetings! At this time last year, we received positive feedback on a sent newsletter preparing all for the ever-beloved tax season. With the goal of again supporting with tax season preparations, please see our 2024 Tax Update Sheet enclosed and our tidbits below.
Final 1099 tax documents from D.A. Davidson & Co. have been mailed:
- Reminder, some investments are subject to reclassification delays with a 3/15 reporting deadline.
- 1099s for accounts subject to reclassifications have been mailed.
For those who sold I Bonds from the Treasury Department:
- The interest is taxable and the Treasury Department does not
- automatically mail 1099s.
- For these 1099s, you will need to log in to your TreasuryDirect account.
Tax season is prime time for identify theft:
- If something has you suspicious or confused, do not hesitate in reaching out to us, your trusted contact, or friends and family. Especially if someone is telling you not to!
- The IRS will never email a request for information.
- The IRS will never call about taxes owed without sending a bill in the mail.
- Scammers are hiding harmful links in QR codes to steal information; its best to avoid scanning random codes with your phone.
The D.A. Davidson & Co. App & Online Access:
- We’ve enclosed information on both, if interested.
- For those already set up, we recommend users adjust settings to “All Accounts” in order to see each posted document, which includes your tax documents.
- For those wanting joint viewing with spouses and/or other interested parties, you can now provide this via “Guest” access. A guide for this has been included.
D.A. Davidson & Co. Mail:
- While some mailings are required for this closely regulated industry, we recognize the mail has been heavy recently and we are actively trying to reduce.
- To reduce unnecessary mailings, you can sign up for e-delivery of statements and notifications through the online portal. Please reference the enclosed information for instructions on how to enroll.
Fun in the Sun
The lack of snow did not deter fun for Theresa this past Christmas as she fully enjoyed the holiday season. With friends, she made evergreen wreaths and attended the annual Christmas Stroll in downtown Bozeman. Fortunately, schedules for all Foster family members aligned this year as they were able spend Christmas together. More fun and games proceeded. 
If you’re in the office and notice Theresa is looking a little more tan, she and her husband, Brian, recently returned from some fun in the sun on their annual Mexico trip hosted by Brian’s work. This year the trip took place in Cancun at the Secrets Riviera Maya resort. The weather was warm, the drinks were flowing, and Theresa was able to spend the majority of her time relaxing at the beach with her husband. A highlight of the trip was making friends with the local “pest control,” a falcon that the resort uses to deter and manage the seagull population at their beach as part of a mutually beneficial raptor rehabilitation program.
Ski-Wees
It’s been an enjoyable winter season for the Meeks family. During the week, Daphne and Brooks have held steady with their regular tennis and swimming lessons. Most recently, they added Lego Club to the weekly schedule, which is held at the Bozeman Public Library. On the weekends, the Meeks’ are all-in on skiing. They even have the Thule rack and streamlined morning routine to prove it. Daphne, who is now six, has an all-day ski lesson leaving her completely exhausted at the end. Brooks, who is still only four, is on the half-day lesson plan which supports his love for the après.
Despite the lack of snow this year, skiing conditions for the kids were unaffected. Their lessons stick mostly to the base trails. However, Daphne’s last class did venture into the glades and terrain-park. While it’s a lot of work getting the kids ready, the parents have also been enjoying. With both kids in ski lessons at the same time, Ryan and Nichole found their first opportunities to ski together in five years. Upon sharing this milestone with clients further along the parenting path, they were introduced to the terminology for these elusive moments of collective freedom; “Day Dates”. 
If you’ve ever talked education systems with Ryan, you’ve likely heard his rant on the lack of basic finance being taught in schools. This year, Ryan did more than just talk about it as he volunteered his time to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association’s (SIFMA) Stock Market Game. He reviewed, graded, and provided feedback to 4th and 5th grade student essays on their experience participating in a national stock market contest. Ryan enjoyed this so much, he requested more essays to review upon completing what had been assigned. He then used what he felt worked and didn’t work with the contest to start laying the foundation for his children’s relationship with money. He can point to some early success as Daphne immediately told “Dad” to invest the $5 she received from great grandma in her Valentine’s Day card. She proceeded to convince Brooks that he should do the same.
Unfortunately Fair “Fowl” Weather
Following the excitement of his successful elk hunt last fall, Jase was eager to enter the winter months in pursuit of his two main passions when cold weather strikes: skiing and waterfowl hunting. However, winter had other plans, and while the unusually dry winter meant a delayed ski season, the lack of winter weather also meant a lack-luster waterfowl migration.
With minimal birds in the area, Jase found hunting opportunities through travel; scratching out weekend trips to Wyoming, Eastern Montana, and a trip out to Maryland to visit family. On a hunt in Eastern MT, Jase and friends were fortunate to harvest a Canada Goose that had been “banded” by the Canadian Wildlife Service outside of Edmonton, Alberta. For those unfamiliar with bird banding programs, biologists will place metal bands, like the one pictured, around the legs of migratory birds to track data on wintering ground distribution, migratory routes, and waterfowl reproduction rates. The data collected from these bands provide valuable insight to the wildlife agencies behind the banding, who use the data to make informed decisions on conservation and population management. Since modern banding programs first began in 1920, nearly 80 million birds have been banded in this effort (Burkhead, 2023).
An additional highlight from this winter, while on the East Coast Jase also had the opportunity to meet the newest member of the Foster clan, Anna.