Blog
2023 Recap and 2024 Outlook: Key Events and What May Be in Store
As we get ready to turn the page on 2023 and welcome the new year with all its possibilities, we’d like to take some time to reflect on the year that was—the notable events, trends, and developments that defined our...
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Technology Guide for Dementia Patients and Their Caregivers
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or any other form of dementia, this can be an extremely challenging time. While promising new treatments are developing and research continues, a cure remains elusive....
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10 Financial Missteps to Avoid During a Divorce
Divorce is one of the most stressful life events. Even the most amicable splits can be complicated and emotionally draining. We likely all know couples who have gone through divorce, and it can be a trying time for everyone involved....
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Preparing for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Sunset at the End of 2025
While we haven’t yet said goodbye to 2023, it’s not too early to begin thinking about any tax changes that may be on the horizon. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 was designed to overhaul the federal tax code by...
Read MoreThe Impact of SECURE 2.0 in 2024 and Beyond
SECURE 2.0: Changes Going Into Effect in 2024 Passed in 2019, the SECURE Act was the most substantial retirement legislation in over a decade. It contained important changes designed to help investors save more and be better prepared...
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A Year-End Financial Checklist
Time to Think About Year-End Financial Strategies As we roll into fall and the fourth quarter, now is a good time to pause and reflect on proactive ways to set up your finances for 2024. Economically speaking, we are now in a much...
Read MoreAI's Role in Shaping Our Tomorrow: A Look Ahead
While artificial intelligence (AI) is making headlines today, the concept of "thinking machines" can be traced back to ancient philosophers and mathematicians. The phrase artificial intelligence was first used in the mid-20th century,...
Read MoreTop 10 Questions High Net Worth Individuals Ask About Social Security
Social Security, the program you may have spent a lifetime paying into, is designed to offer stability, supplemental income, and other valuable benefits that can play a role in your overall financial strategy after you retire. We've...
Read MoreUnderstanding the September Effect: What It Is and Why It Happens
If you ask the average investor which month is the most volatile for the stock market, they will probably say October. It's a reasonable answer, but it's incorrect. Despite October's reputation for market-defining events like the...
Read MoreDon't Get Hooked: A Guide to Recognizing and Avoiding Phishing
As financial professionals, we understand how vital it is to safeguard your personal and financial information. Unfortunately, in our increasingly digital world, cybersecurity risks, such as phishing attacks, have become a prevalent...
Read MoreMoney Tips for Parents Sending Children Off to College
You’ve done a great job teaching your children vital life lessons and instilling values that will last a lifetime. As summer ends and a new school year begins, one thing that shouldn’t be overlooked, especially for...
Read MoreAttention Parents and Grandparents of College-Bound Students: FAFSA Gets an Overhaul
Changes are coming to the complicated form that students must submit to qualify for college financial aid, known as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).The Department of Education is calling it the “most...
Read MoreThe 6 Biggest Mistakes DIY Investors Make and How to Avoid Them
IntroductionOver the last several months, I have met with quite a few self-proclaimed do-it-yourself (DIY) investors who, after struggling with the markets in 2022, approached me asking for a second opinion. Interestingly, almost every...
Read MoreHow the SECURE 2.0 Act Changed 529 Plans
Changes to 529 Plans in the SECURE 2.0 ActThe SECURE Act was initially passed by Congress at the end of 2019 and was intended to improve retirement savings opportunities. It was a big deal at the time and the most significant piece of...
Read MoreTax Reform and Your Bottom Line, Part 1: Bunching Deductions
In 2017, Congress signed a tax reform bill called the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This new law offers significant changes to taxes as we’ve known them, but these changes are only effective for a finite period of time (2018 –...
Read MoreTax Reform and Your Bottom Line, Part 2: Cashing in Those Appreciated Assets
Part 1 of our Tax Reform article series discussed how to bunch deductions to get the most from your Schedule A Itemized Deductions considering the changes to the standard deduction and Schedule A deduction limitations imposed by the...
Read MoreTax Reform and Your Bottom Line, Part 3: Roth Conversions
Part 1 of our Tax Reform article series discussed how to bunch deductions to get the most from your Schedule A Itemized Deductions in light of the changes to the standard deduction and Schedule A deduction limitations imposed by the...
Read MoreWomen: Now is the time!
As a daughter, sister, wife, mother and aunt, I, like many of you, fill many roles as a woman. While there have been significant improvements to the gender gap in the workplace, statistics show that women are still at risk of not...
Read MoreMeet Kate.
“What? You’re retiring?” Name: Kate Age: 54 Profession: Newspaper columnist Status: Working part-time Receiving the sudden news from an employer that you are going to be let go for early retirement is difficult for...
Read MoreWhat Happens When Your Minor Child Receives an Inheritance
Your parents love your children, their grandchildren. They want their grandchildren to remember them after they are gone. And they may want to help reduce some future financial burden for you. In a lightbulb moment, grandma and grandpa...
Read MoreWhat’s in a Name?
I have a few people in my family that call me Lars…although my given name is Lori. It’s an endearing nickname I’ve grown to love. Love is a funny thing. We may show our love to those around us in traditional...
Read MoreHow Much Money Do You Really Need to Retire?
Retirement is in your future … somewhere, out there. Commercials tout “knowing your number”. What number are they talking about? “Your number” is the amount of money you need to have in investments and...
Read MoreThe Health Savings Account: A Triple Threat
We are all familiar with the term “triple threat”. It most often refers to an athlete or performer who excels in three areas. For example, a performer would be considered a triple threat if they could sing, dance and act....
Read MoreDo Your Muscles Hurt?
Recently, I was talking to a friend and she mentioned she had joined an exercise boot camp that had just opened up nearby. She invited me to join her for a free class…after all, I had nothing to lose. In the subsequent days, I...
Read More5 Common Misconceptions that Could Affect Your Retirement
As investors, we hope to find ourselves making good decisions the majority of the time. However, we may sometimes make bad financial decisions based on what we believe to be true. Just because you read it online or hear it from a...
Read MoreRMDs in the year 2020
If you are retired and older than age 70 ½, you should be familiar with Required Minimum Distributions, simply called RMDs. In late 2019, Congress passed the SECURE Act which resulted in new RMD rules that went into effect on...
Read MoreThe Secure Act – IRA & 401(k) Changes You Need to Know About
At the very end of December 2019 Congress, with bipartisan support, signed into law the SECURE Act (The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019). The SECURE Act represents the most significant changes to...
Read MoreBuy Low, Sell High
We’ve heard it before. The age-old adage for investment success is to Buy Low and Sell High. Warren Buffet says it this way, “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” On an intellectual...
Read More6 Social Security Traps to Avoid
Ida May Fuller of Ludlow, Vermont, received the first monthly Social Security check on January 31, 1940. She received $22.54, according to the Social Security Administration. She was 65 years old at the time. She received benefits...
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