Blog
Living Trusts: Understanding the Basics and Key Considerations
Estate management can be a complex and daunting task for many people, but it’s a critical step in helping your assets get managed and distributed according to your wishes.One popular tool that can be used in estate strategies is...
Read MoreTrying to Time a Recession?
Economies move in cycles – always have, always willThe Federal Reserve has been steadily increasing interest rates in an attempt to slow the rate of inflation. Its efforts are yielding some results, although inflation remains...
Read MoreSave More for Retirement in 2023!
The Internal Revenue Service has announced one of the biggest jumps in decades to the cap on 401k contributions. Americans will be able to save 10% more in their plans by making pre-tax contributions if they take full advantage...
Read MoreWhy You Need a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA)
Navigating a divorce is not for the faint of heart. The emotional component is difficult enough, but the financial result can be devastating. In a marriage, many couples...
Read MoreHow To Teach Your Teens and Young Adults About Money
One of my most frustrating issues of being a parent, is the lack of school education regarding money and personal finance. My children were required to take History, Trigonometry, English and numerous other courses. They were...
Read MoreShow All
Is a Recession in 2023 Inevitable and How Will It Affect Me?
It seems as if we have been waiting for a recession for quite a while now. Economists initially thought 2022 would bring a recession. Certainly, it seemed as if a recession was inevitable as the stock market (S&P 500)...
Read MoreSmall Business Review: Attracting Employees With the Right Retirement Plan
With a labor shortage and looming recession, attracting the right employee is more important than ever. Many small businesses are struggling to find qualified candidates. Other than wages and healthcare, how can you make...
Read MoreWhat Factors Have the Greatest Impact on Your Credit Score?
Fun fact: You probably have dozens of credit scores out there, and each one might be a different number.You’re probably familiar with a credit score, why it’s essential, and what it’s used for, but do you know how...
Read MoreImportant Financial Considerations to Make When Remarrying Later in Life
Discussing personal finances is important for any couple preparing for marriage. However, this topic can be more complicated for those who remarry later in life.If you’re remarrying later in life, one of your goals should be to...
Read MoreTop Considerations to Help Adult Children Be Better Prepared As You Age
As we get older, it’s important that our adult children are prepared to manage any aging-related situations that may arise. This includes everything from having to make medical and financial decisions to determining assisted...
Read MoreTips for Raising Financially Literate Children
Every parent wants the best for their children and strives to prepare them to lead a happy, healthy, and successful life. But, despite understanding the importance of financial responsibility, only 28 percent of parents speak to their...
Read MoreTransitioning to Medicare from Private Health Insurance Plans
Transitioning from Private Health Insurance Plans to MedicareAs you approach retirement age, you may be anticipating transitioning from your private insurance to Medicare, which is a federal health insurance program that provides...
Read MoreWhere to Put Excess Cash
According to the Investment Company Institute, near the end of 2022, there was more than $4.7 trillion in cash sitting in U.S. money market funds.1,2While cash can play a role in a diversified portfolio, historically, cash has not kept...
Read MoreTechnology Guide for Seniors
By 2040, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 80 million people in the U.S. will be age 65 or older.1 Most of these senior adults will either want to—or need to—"age in place," living in their homes securely, independently...
Read MoreWhat Is the Sequence-of-Return Risk and How Can Retirees Mitigate Its Effects?
With the possibility of a recession looming, it's natural for those nearing or in retirement to have concerns over their long-term strategies. After decades of accumulating a portfolio, the last thing retirees want is for a market...
Read MoreSenior Fraud: How to Identify 7 Common Scams Targeting Seniors
When you've worked hard to build your retirement savings, you want to ensure you're taking every preventative measure to protect it. Unfortunately, more and more fraudsters and scammers are weaseling their way into the lives of seniors...
Read MoreLifetime Estate & Gift Tax Exemption Updates for 2023
In October 2022, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced tax changes for 2023 — changes primarily driven, in part, by the current inflationary environment. For affluent couples or individuals interested in transferring...
Read MoreThe Challenge of Raising Non-Materialistic Kids
In today’s social media-obsessed world full of popular “influencers” targeting teens, pre-teens, and even younger groups, instilling values in your children and grandchildren about what really matters in life is more...
Read MoreContribution Limit Increases for 2023: Just What We Wanted to Hear
In late October, the IRS announced that it is increasing contribution limits to retirement savings accounts in 2023. The changes, like many you are seeing, are a direct result of months of high inflation and financial uncertainty, some...
Read MoreBe Prepared For Life’s Curves
Life has a way of sneaking up on you and creating havoc. How much havoc, I have learned, can depend on how prepared you are. My husband of 20+ years, former professional athlete, fit and full of life, needed emergency heart surgery for...
Read MoreShould I buy life insurance and how much?
A common question that I hear from clients is “do we need life insurance?” The answer always depends upon your situation. First of all, there are many types of life insurance policies. Some policies with “cash...
Read MoreHow will we pay for college?
This seems to be a question that is on the minds of many married couples with college bound children. Those numbers that we hear about for private colleges, $45,000-$55,000/year, are now staring many people in the face. They have...
Read MoreWhy should I invest in my 401K?
For those of you who need a reminder of why your paycheck is smaller and for those of you who haven’t started investing in your 401k – YES, you need to and this is why. As a reminder, a 401k refers to a section of the tax code that...
Read MoreWhat To Do With a Tax Refund
If you get a refund this year from the U.S. Government, you need to first ask yourself “Why”. Yes, it seems like free money but you just gave Uncle Sam a tax-free loan for the year. Most likely, you are having too much money withheld...
Read MoreDebunking a Few Popular Retirement Myths
Generalizations about money & retirement linger. Some have been around for decades, and some new clichés have recently joined their ranks. Let’s examine a few. “When I’m retired, I won’t really have to invest anymore.” Many people see...
Read More9 Facts About Social Security
Social Security’s been a fact of retirement life ever since it was established in 1935. We all think we know how it works, but how much do you really know? Here are nine things that might surprise you. 1.The Social Security trust fund...
Read More