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Tips for Controlling the Rising Cost of Healthcare
Businesses can shift to a value-based care model which can reduce costs Keeping a lid on rising health care costs will likely remain at the forefront for organizations this year, for good reason. A confluence of factors –...
Read More4 Reasons Working with a Financial Professional Is Not as Scary as You Think
For some people, the thought of using financial services is a scary experience. It involves planning for a future where you may not know how the economy may be, how your health may be, or what your financial needs might be...
Read MoreElder Care, Caregivers, and Estate Planning: What You Need to Know
If you or a loved one are approaching the point of needing elder care, you may be wondering what your options are. What level of care is right for your situation? How will you pay for care? What will happen when you need a more...
Read MoreUsing the 4 Cs of Credit to Assess Bank Expectations
What goes into a lender's decision to extend credit? How do lenders decide how much credit to offer? Although the answers may vary from day to day and lender to lender, there are common factors that all lenders consider when making...
Read MoreABCs of Financial Aid
It's hard to talk about college without mentioning financial aid. Yet this pairing isn't a marriage of love, but one of necessity.
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4 Most Common Medicare Mistakes People Make
Medicare policies are the health insurance benefits you have worked toward throughout your life, and having the proper policy is critical as you are likely to face more health problems as you age.
Read MoreFinancial Considerations for Working Parents
Nine of every 10 U.S. families with children have at least one working parent.1 Though working parents make up one of the largest demographic groups in the country, they face many challenges.
Read MoreGetting the Best Health Insurance for Your Family
Having health insurance is important for protecting your family since it can assist in paying for preventative care, emergencies, and other medical expenses.
Read MoreSix Keys to More Successful Investing
A successful investor maximizes gain and minimizes loss.
Read More6 Ways Parents Can Help Their Kids Pay Off Their Student Loans
Most of us who have experienced college are all too familiar with that intimidating mountain you have to climb upon graduation: repaying your student debt.
Read MoreFinancial Planning at Every Age
In 2013, a Gallup poll found that only about one in every three U.S. households maintained a budget.1 A 2021 survey of 1,000 Americans found that 80% now say they have a budget.(2) Americans are budgeting more due to the pandemic.
Read MoreInvesting in Your 60s and Beyond
Once you are in your 60s, you are likely to focus less on growing your retirement funds than answering, "When do I retire?" And once you crack open your nest egg, how should you allocate its contents?
Read MoreGenerational Wealth and the Gift of Financial Freedom
Those who receive an inheritance with the passing of a loved one are potentially given the gift of financial freedom if they choose to manage the wealth carefully. Did you know that only about one-third of adults have a prepared will?
Read MoreElder Law or Estate Planning: Do You Know the Difference?
Nearly 56 million American adults are 65 or older, and the demand for community living and estate planning services may increase over the next few decades. Do you know what arrangements you need to make when the time comes?
Read MoreHigh Earning Women and Wealth Management
In the U.S., women control a third of household assets. But by 2030, U.S. women are expected to control much of the assets that the baby boomer generation will pass to heirs, roughly 30 trillion in assets.
Read More5 Ways Senior Citizens Can Invest Their Savings
Even if you are already retired, it doesn't mean you should stop trying to grow your savings. Inflation, unexpected medical bills, and changes to your lifestyle or family may result in the need for additional income.
Read More3 Ways Planning For Retirement is Like Planning For Summer Break
For kids, teens, and college students, summer break often represents freedom from schedules, responsibilities, and all those other drains on your time. Retirement actually can provide a similar level of freedom, but only if you've...
Read More401(k) Rollovers Can Make or Break Retirement
In an era characterized by high job turnover, it is more important than ever for employees to carefully manage their retirement savings. With a significant portion of Americans withdrawing money from their 401(k)s when they change...
Read MoreLast Minute Considerations for the FAFSA Deadline
For many, the expenses of college or technical school can be overwhelming. But, with financial aid programs, tuition, room and board, books, and other college-related costs can become more affordable. To determine if your student...
Read MoreIRS Increases 401(k) Limit By Record Amounts
On October 21st, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that the amount individuals can contribute to their 401(k) plans in 2023 has increased to $22,500, up from $20,500 for 2022. The IRS today also issued technical guidance...
Read MoreEnd of Year (EOY) Deadlines Checklist
For many of us, a new year is an opportunity for fresh starts and discovering the best versions of ourselves, but some things—like tax contributions and retirement deadlines—don't change much, if at all. And with that shiny...
Read More5 Do’s and Don'ts for Charitable Giving During the Holidays
The fourth quarter holidays are often seen as one of the prime times to take out your checkbook — not only do many charities put in extra efforts helping others this time of year, but donating is also a smart financial move....
Read MoreBusiness Life Cycles and Business Planning
What are business life cycles, and what is their relationship to business planning? Generally, businesses pass through three stages before reaching the final stage of decline. The time it takes to reach or to pass through each...
Read More4 Year-End Tax Planning Tips for Small-Business Owners
The past two years presented many small-business owners with unprecedented challenges. This year’s tax planning preparations include necessary measures for small-business owners to satisfy existing, new and modified tax laws that...
Read MoreA Year-End Wealth Planning Guide
As we approach the end of the year, you may want to review areas that may impact your wealth and estate planning next year. In this year-end planning guide, we examine four critical areas to consider that may affect your finances:...
Read MoreInvesting in Your Family: Creating a Family Business Succession Plan
No matter how successful your family business is today, at some point in the future, its ownership may need to change hands. Without a business succession plan, this transition can be fraught with hurt feelings, internal strife and...
Read MoreYear-End Donations and #GivingTuesday
With its family traditions and festive celebrations, the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year. And according to GivingTuesday.org, the giving in the U.S. alone totaled $2.7 billion to nonprofits and community...
Read MoreYour Long Term Care Action Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide
Those turning 65 this year have a 7 in 10 chance of needing long-term care (LTC) at some point.1 With the cost of a private room in a nursing home now topping $100,000 per year, the thought of paying this — or for a loved...
Read MoreEarly Signs of Long Term Care Need
Many people routinely plan for vacations, their children’s college education, home renovations, and, of course, retirement. But when it comes to planning for long term care, most would rather not think about it—or at best,...
Read More5 Key Steps To Help Women Strengthen Their Business and Their Retirement
As a female entrepreneur, you may face different challenges than your male counterparts. For example, women were disproportionately affected by the COVID pandemic. 1 They also tend to earn less than their male peers—largely in...
Read MoreA Fall Financial Checklist
For many, autumn is the best time of year. The return of cool breezes, comforting foods, and pumpkins can be invigorating. It’s also a bookmark of sorts, especially for your finances—a perfect time to take stock of your...
Read MoreHow Much Life Insurance Do You Need?
Your life insurance needs change as your life changes. When you are young, you may not have a need for life insurance. However, as you take on more responsibility and your family grows, your life insurance needs increase. Your needs...
Read More401(K) Rollover Options to Consider
When people are leaving their employer, one of the decisions they need to make is what to do with their 401(k). A retirement plan participant typically has four options (and may engage in a combination of these options), each choice...
Read MoreFinancial Planning for Female Entrepreneurs
Women own nearly 20% of the businesses that employ people in the United States, and countless more women run their businesses without employees. There are over one million women-owned firms. They employ over 10 million people and...
Read MoreLump-Sum Investing vs. Periodic Investing
Lump-Sum Investing vs. Periodic InvestingIntroductionWhether to invest a large amount all at once or over a short period of time (lump-sum investing), or to invest gradually over a longer period of time (periodic investing) is an...
Read More2022 Midyear Outlook: Navigating Turbulence
Markets are always forward looking, so it’s important to remain focused on what lies ahead. There will most certainly be challenges, but there are also some tailwinds from a strong job market, still resilient businesses, and the...
Read MoreTips for Women Who Are Living in the Sandwich Generation
The day-to-day demands of caring for an aging parent and children can put a tremendous strain — both emotional and financial — on the primary caregiver. Be sure to set priorities and encourage open communication with...
Read MoreWomen and Asset Protection - How Insurance Can Help
The cost and availability of life insurance depend on factors such as age, health, and the type and amount of insurance purchased.A complete statement of coverage, including exclusions, exceptions, and limitations, is found only...
Read MoreThe Importance of Choosing a Financial Professional Who Is Similar to Yourself
When choosing a financial professional, you need to select someone who is similar to yourself. Ideally, your professional should work alongside you, helping you move toward your financial goals, and they should share your...
Read MoreWhy Women Need to Save More Than Men
Because of longer life expectancies, women need to have significantly more in retirement savings than men. Men and women may not be on equal footing when it comes to investing for the future. On average, women work fewer years and earn...
Read MoreRetirement Planning—Options for Women Business Owners
You’re an entrepreneur and you’re not looking back. You’ve opened your own business, whether alone or with other partners, and you’ve found some success. You’ve hired employees, or not, depending on your...
Read MoreMarket Volatility and the Importance of Staying the Course at Different Ages
When you invest in the stock market, you want to see growth, but unfortunately, in most cases, investments do not grow all the time. Inevitably, the market goes up and down, and to safeguard your potential for long-term growth, you...
Read MoreRetirement Plan Limits on the Rise in 2022
Many IRA and retirement plan limits are indexed for inflation each year. Although the amount you can contribute to IRAs remains the same in 2022, other key numbers will increase, including how much you can contribute to a work-based...
Read More3 Estate Planning Tips for Small-Business Owners
For business owners, estate planning may seem like another task to do on a long to-do list. Having a solid estate and succession plan in place may be crucial to your business's long-term success. If you are incapable of making business...
Read MoreWomen & Higher Money Risk
The higher risk of not having sufficient money in her retirement is real. Women are more vulnerable to financial insecurity because they typically live longer, have more breaks in their employment and earn less. Making financial...
Read MoreMy Notes on Market Volatility
Some of you may feel concerned about the recent market volatility. Here is what I would like you to consider: Your portfolio is set up in a way to be prepared for market volatility such as we are currently experiencing. Over the...
Read MoreCreating an Income Plan While in Retirement
Taking money out of retirement without a plan is a recipe for trouble. You‘ve saved for years. Now that you are retired, did you create an income plan from your savings? The financial industry and media constantly talk about the...
Read MorePlanning for Marriage: Financial Tips for Women
Planning for marriage should involve more than just picking out invitations and deciding whether you should serve chicken or fish at the reception. More importantly, you'll want to take a look at how marriage will impact your financial...
Read MoreTax Prep Checklist: Everything You Need to Be Ready for Tax Season
Regardless of whether you prepare your taxes yourself or use a professional's services, it's a good idea to gather the information and documentation you need well in advance of your actual tax filing date. Below, we've listed some key...
Read MoreFive Wealth-Building New Year's Resolutions
At the beginning of each year, and regularly after that, it may be a wise idea to take stock of finances and make some changes to help improve your financial life. Here are five resolutions you may make to increase financial...
Read More2022 Outlook: Passing the Baton
Our resurgent economy grew at over a 6% pace in the first half of the year and is on track for over 5% growth for the year when 2021 draws to a close. The current economic recovery, which started in May 2020, has benefited from...
Read MoreA Financial Review Can Pay Off at Year End
Today, many people find themselves bombarded by a constant stream of financial news from television, radio, and the Internet. Yet, does all this “information age” data really help you manage your finances any better now...
Read More4 Year-End Tax Planning Tips for Small-Business Owners
The past two years presented many small-business owners with unprecedented challenges. This year’s tax planning preparations include necessary measures for small-business owners to satisfy existing, new and modified tax laws that...
Read MoreWomen Have Different Financial Planning Worries
Unique health and caregiving worries and an industry that doesn’t listen well. cFor one thing, they tend to live longer than men, so they may worry about paying for an extended old age. For another, women of all ages are an...
Read MoreThe Backdoor Roth IRA in a Nutshell
If you are wondering what in the world a “backdoor Roth IRA” is, you're not alone! In short, if you've been frustrated by the contribution limits associated with Roth IRAs, then read on - this article describes a strategy...
Read MoreInheritance Planning Can Help Avoid Headaches
Your financial professional can help ensure you leave your estate in the best possible way Families inherit money and sometimes make the right moves investing and spending. Inheritances can also ignite disruption, divorce and a host of...
Read MoreDo You Have FOMO When it Comes to Investing?
Fear-of-missing-out is a very real emotion – but it can derail your portfolio Every day we’re bombarded with reports of what’s hot and what’s not – fueling a fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) on some great...
Read MoreDeferred Comp Plans: Rewarding Talent Today
A flexible method of providing additional compensation to your key people. It’s hard for small businesses to stay competitive today. Competition for the best and the brightest employees, even in tough economies, is always...
Read MoreAre You Aware of the Child Tax Credit Changes?
The Child Tax Credit (CTC) was introduced through the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 and it was a $500-per-child nonrefundable credit to provide tax relief to families. And over the past 20+ years, there have been a dizzying number of...
Read MoreMore Money, More Responsibility and Strategic Financial Decisions
Strategic financial planning is important for everyone but especially for high-income earners that have their compensation tied directly to the success of the business. Executives and entrepreneurs both rely on accessing their wealth...
Read MoreHigh Net-Worth Individuals: Are You Missing Opportunities in Your Financial Planning?
High Net-Worth executives and those that have been self-employed, can experience common problems in their financial planning journey. Often, they have missed opportunities in their financial planning because they haven’t planned...
Read MoreWealth Preservation in America: Portfolios Including Alternative Types of Investments
After the financial crisis, and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans examined how and why they invest. Many investors that had their entire wealth tied to the stock market proved to be more destructive than having alternative...
Read MoreThe Great Wealth Transfer: Is Your Family Prepared?
Over the next twenty years, a wealth transfer will occur that exceeds $30 trillion as the Baby Boomer generation passes the remainder of their wealth to the Millennials and subsequent generations. The Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) are...
Read MoreWhat Should Grandparents Know About 529 Savings Accounts?
Grandparents can often find themselves in a better financial position to save for their grandchildren's education than their own children are. The parents of prospective students may still be contending with competing priorities like...
Read MoreApplying for Small Business Grants
Oh, the things you could do with free funding for your small business! And thousands of those opportunities are out there1 – like fish in the sea. Landing one of those fish requires dedication, preparation, and hard work, but...
Read More10 Tips for Small Business Owners
Small business owners should conduct an annual assessment of their personal finances. Owners of small businesses have much the same concerns as everyone else, except they are personally responsible for the fortunes of their enterprise....
Read More5 Investment Considerations for Small Business Owners
If you're a small business owner, many of the best practices employed by individual investors are also available to you (of course!), but you also have some additional options and factors to weigh while creating your investment plans....
Read MoreThree Key Components of Financial Literacy
Financial feats that were once unheard of—from investing in cryptocurrency to instantly paying someone through an online payment system—have now become commonplace in many parts of the country. But these sophisticated tasks...
Read MoreThe 3 Components of Social Security
Many have heard Social Security retirement benefits referred to as part of the "three-legged stool" of retirement: Social Security, a pension or defined benefit plan, and personal savings.1 The idea is that with these three sources of...
Read MoreRetirement Planning: To Roth or Not to Roth?
When saving for retirement, it often makes sense to contribute to employer-sponsored retirement plans to take advantage of any available employer match opportunities. However, not everyone has access to an employer-sponsored plan. Even...
Read MoreHow to Increase Your Financial Literacy
Unlike verbal literacy, financial literacy isn't often taught in schools—which means that many people may enter adulthood without having all the tools they need to make informed and effective financial decisions.[1] Fortunately,...
Read MoreTips for Growing (and Preserving) Your Family Business
When you're first starting out with your own business, you're likely to be focused more on staying afloat than on contingency planning. But as your family business expands and grows, it's important to ensure that this is done in a...
Read MoreIRA Beneficiary Rules Directly From the IRS
Know what to do if you inherit an IRA from a spouse or someone else As we get older, it is likely that we might inherit an IRA from mom or dad – or we need to counsel mom or dad as they inherit an IRA after one of them dies. The...
Read MoreTips for Women to Help Build Financial Independence
Traditionally, women have been the caretakers of both the older and younger generations of their families. But providing care for family members is becoming increasingly difficult, as doing so may require a leave of absence from work...
Read MoreHow Financial Asset Management May Help Investors Stay the Course
Most people who decide to purchase stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or other investment vehicles do so understanding that there are risks associated with investing, but believing that the potential growth they may realize over time...
Read MoreYour Retirement Planning: “Too Big to Fail”
Many of us remember the phrase “too big to fail” from the 2008 financial crisis and cringe now that its use has been resurrected during the coronavirus pandemic. Others remember that the term was also used in 1984 by U.S....
Read MoreBegin Investing While Young
There’s a simple word that has profound implications for savings and investing: compounding. Like a snowball that grows as it rolls down a hill, compounding provides the potential for your money to grow, reinvesting your...
Read MoreKey Tax Deadlines for 2021
While the 2020 tax year saw some significant changes to filing deadlines due to the effects of the global pandemic, the 2021 tax season seems to be set to be on track with normal filing deadlines. With the pandemic still in sight, it...
Read MoreAssessing Your Retirement Resources
How resourceful can you be during your retirement? Determining where your retirement money will come from is an integral part of planning for retirement. Most people draw on three main sources of income: Social Security,...
Read MoreTax Identity Theft Awareness - Protecting Yourself from Tax Identity Theft
Tax identity theft is when someone steals your Social Security Number, files a tax return with your number, and directs a refund to their own bank account. In other cases, this type of identity theft may involve a scam artist calling...
Read MoreThe Importance of Financial Wellness
Financial wellness, like physical wellness, isn’t something you should ignore. Instead, it's a critical concept for anyone who wants to be knowledgeable and confident about their finances, and in fact, financial wellness is so...
Read MoreFinancial Aid 101
Many parents pay for college with a combination of current income, savings, and financial aid. By learning the basics of financial aid, you'll be able to understand how the aid process works and compare the aid awards your child...
Read MoreNew Year's Resolutions to Get Your Finances in Order
New Year's is traditionally the time to review your life and make resolutions for change. In addition to thinking about working out, eating healthy, and meeting personal and professional goals, you should also think about your finances...
Read MoreHow to Structure Charitable Giving Throughout Your Lifetime
Charitable giving is a way for affluent individuals spread their money around and to benefit causes that are near and dear to their hearts. Yet, for those who fall into the high net worth category, it is critical to structure...
Read MoreBuying Locally and Giving Locally
Maybe your charitable donations should stay in your zip code? For many of us, buying locally matters. We’ve all heard the term and seen the signs: Shop Locally. Eat Locally. But let’s extend that thought for a minute: do...
Read MoreCharitable Giving and Donating Toys
As the holidays approach, many children start to make wish lists, but unfortunately, not all children have someone to give them gifts. Luckily, there are many charities that help get holiday gifts and joy to children. If you're...
Read MoreHow to Structure Charitable Giving Throughout Your Lifetime
Charitable giving is a way for affluent individuals spread their money around and to benefit causes that are near and dear to their hearts. Yet, for those who fall into the high net worth category, it is critical to structure...
Read MoreEnd of Year Planning: Set Goals and Reduce Taxes
By the last third of the calendar year, you're likely to have a pretty good idea of what your annual income will be and whether any major expenses or big life changes await you. This can allow you to engage in more robust tax planning,...
Read MoreLong-Term Care: Better to be Safe than Sorry
As you enter your “golden years”, perhaps you imagine yourself traveling, visiting grandchildren, or pursuing a favorite hobby. Unfortunately, none of us can predict what the future may bring. But, according to the U.S....
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