Briefcase Study: What Is Your First Memory Of Money?
What Is Your First Memory Of Money? A few years ago, I was talking with a man who was contemplating retirement. He and his wife had worked very hard for a long time and had accumulated considerable assets and carried no debt. As we ran and re-ran the numbers, tweaking and questioning all assumptions and variables, he continued to struggle …
Briefcase Study: What Is Your First Memory Of Money?
What Is Your First Memory Of Money? A few years ago, I was talking with a man who was contemplating retirement. He and his wife had worked very hard for a long time and had accumulated considerable assets and carried no debt. As we ran and re-ran the numbers, tweaking and questioning all assumptions and variables, he continued to struggle …
If Taxes Rise In The Future, Are You Prepared?
Much has been written and said about taxes. Nobody likes paying them, but pay them we must. Few people would volunteer to have a detailed discussion about taxes, but here we are, deciding whether to keep reading or just hit delete and hope the next Weekly is of a kinder and gentler nature. In light of the un-exciting nature of …
The Home Improvement Dilemma
There must be something in the air. Maybe it’s just the home improvement stores’ relentless advertising. Or could it be that we’re getting excited for spring to arrive? Whatever it is, quite a few of you are gearing-up for big home improvement projects. But before the roofers start swinging hammers and the bathroom contractors begin ordering cabinets, a number of …
Report: Special Tax Report
Helpful Information for Filing 2019 Income Taxes and Proactive Tax Planning for 2020 Tax planning should always be a key focus when reviewing your personal financial situation. One of our goals as financial professionals is to highlight tax savings opportunities and strategies so that you pay only your fair share of taxes and no more. This special report reviews some …
Secure Act Passed by Congress
What Steps Can You Take To Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones? On December 19th, Congress passed a spending bill that includes seismic changes to IRAs and retirement plans. The SECURE Act will reshape how IRAs are handled both during life and after death, creating an enormous tax impact for families who don’t plan ahead. Congress and the President have …
Briefcase Study: Pension Options
A very common decision for current retirees to make, and one that we’ve seen a lot of recently, is that of which pension option to choose when preparing for retirement from your company, school, or municipality. You’ll see options such as Single Life Annuity, 50% Joint & Survivor Annuity, or Partial Lump Sum Option (PLOP). All of these options can …
Back to the Basics: Having A Budget Vs. Budgeting
One of the most critical – and often overlooked – aspects of planning a successful retirement is the estimating of expenses during retirement. The ability to project what your lifestyle will cost into retirement allows you to determine whether the nest egg you’ve accumulated will go the distance. When we approach this subject with aspiring retirees, we’re often met with …
Report: Secure Act of 2019
SECURE ACT OF 2019 The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act, or the SECURE Act, was passed by Congress in December 2019. This legislation is effective as of January 1, 2020. The law does the following: Top 3 items to know for individuals: 1. Allow taxpayers of any age to make traditional IRA contributions – Currently, anyone that …
Report: 2019 Year End Tax Planning
YEAR-END PREPARATIONS The countdown begins. Once the clock rolls us into 2020, tax season gets underway. The old calendar year, 2019, will have officially been put to rest. Deductions from your paychecks and other income sources will begin counting for the New Year. Once it’s 2020, we can celebrate and look to even better days ahead. But we dare not …
