We write a lot about housing, from homebuilding to home sales and the housing market. This edition is no exception, but it also offers stories about the need for affordable homes for the working middle class and features a nonprofit providing housing...

For the seventh year in a row, Washington marked the first week of October by celebrating the state’s remarkable manufacturing sector.

The Association of Washington Business, which serves as both the state’s chamber of commerce and manufacturing association, created Manufacturing Week to help tell the story of Washington’s innovative...

Gov. Jay Inslee inappropriately used our state’s building codes to ban natural gas in new homes and commercial buildings. Now, the Biden Administration is going a step further issuing rules that drastically clamp down on natural gas used in heating and air conditioning units.

Inslee’s regulations phase out fossil...

In recent years, the concept of corporate social responsibility has gained considerable attention among businesses as organizations recognize their role in contributing to the well-being of the communities in which they operate. The Covid-19 pandemic emphasized the fundamental relationship between public health and economic welfare. 

The relationship between business...

Receiving feedback is an important skill that can help you grow personally and professionally. How you handle feedback can impact your relationships, your ability to improve and your overall success.

Remember the QTIP: quit taking it personally. You are still OK, even if some of your behaviors need attention....

A glance at key dials on the dashboard of the local economy might conclude that last year was a good one. The population in Benton and Franklin counties registered an increase of about 4,400, with the rate outpacing the state. The number of residents employed grew by about...

The legislation known as the Secure Act of 2019 changed the tax rules for heirs of an individual retirement account (IRA) from someone who passed away on Jan. 1, 2020, or later.

First, it divided these heirs into three different types: eligible designated beneficiaries (EDB), non-designated beneficiaries (NDB) and...

As a senior citizen ages in her home, she begins to understand a problem that has been brewing for years or decades. The house that she bought many moons ago with her husband has slowly appreciated in value over the years. Maybe she bought it in the 1980s...

Deciding if a Roth conversion is the right thing to do is a challenging decision.

At best, a Roth conversion strategy is an annual puzzle to figure out, hoping for the long-term outcome of reducing lifetime taxes.

At worst, it is speculation and guesswork, effectively a hunch. Where is that...

The year 2022 was challenging with the U.S. stock market posting a -19% return and the U.S. bond market not far behind at -13%. However, enough time has passed to where it is beneficial to conduct an after-action review. This isn’t an examination of what the ideal investment...