Blog

From Our Homes to Yours… Happy Holidays!

Welcome to December. This time of year makes us all feel something. It may be happy; it may be sad; it may be giddy or stressed. But as we approach the end of a challenging year (to say the least), the one thing WE are...

October’s Surge Holds Hope

Happy November. As we move into the season of giving thanks, we can all feel thankful for a bit of good news about the markets. Stocks soared during October, with value stocks outperforming growth as earnings season kicked into high...

Ways to Prevent Elder Financial Fraud

If you’re like most people, you don’t spend much time worrying about whether you’ll become a victim of financial fraud.  Unfortunately, this overconfidence can leave you vulnerable. While financial fraud is a...

Learn the Estate Planning Essentials

You’ve worked hard to establish a legacy you can be proud of, one that your family can continue to build upon for years to come. And as you know, a comprehensive estate plan is an essential piece of your financial puzzle. However...

September 2022: Retirement Readiness Newsletter

Our Retirement Readiness newsletter features a focus on women preparing for retirement, gets to the bottom of when you need a will, takes a look at the importance of your Trusted Contact, and asks a loaded question: what can a million...

Farewell to Summer, Hello to Fall!

There are flowers enough in the summertime, More flowers than I can remember — But none with the purple, gold, and red That dye the flowers of September!—Mary Howitt (1799-1888)Summer may feel like it’s in...

August 2022: Retirement Readiness

Our Retirement Readiness newsletter features info about how the right executor is an important role in your estate planning, a fun video on setting up financial goals for success, a quiz to find out your investment IQ, and 4...

The Dog Days of Summer Are Here!

Grab a lemonade and find a shady spot… we’re entering the dog days of summer! Any idea where that phrase comes from? Some say it’s because these hot, sultry days “aren’t fit for a dog,” but in fact...

Stay the Course

In light of recent worldwide events which have had significant impact on the markets, we wanted to proactively reach out to remind you that we are here to support you as we navigate these times of uncertainty. Knowledge is power, and...

June 2022: Retirement Readiness

Our newsletter this month features an overview on when to talk to your financial professional about changes in your situation, if your retiree health care coverage goes with you overseas, includes a pre-retirement checklist to...

May 2022: Retirement Readiness

Stocks Rebound in March - Will It Continue?

Spring into April

February 2022: Retirement Readiness

January 2022: Your Money Matters

3 Ways to Set Goals You’ll Keep

Weekly Market Insights: Omicron News Boosts Stocks

Final December 31 RMD deadline reminder!

Creating Your Family Legacy

While creating an estate plan is a common part of a financial plan, creating a family legacy is equally as important when thinking about how you want the wealth you’ve built to be distributed. In addition to including your...

November's Newsletter

RecapWelcome to November!November is an opportunity to gather with friends and family and be thankful for our blessings - and to gobble down an extra helping of green bean casserole!The stock market bounced back nicely in October...

Considerations During Medicare’s Open Enrollment

How long has it been since you’ve reviewed your Medicare policy? With open enrollment fast approaching, there are a few questions you may want to ask yourself before you renew, add, drop, or switch coverage.Have you switched...

Don’t Let Stocks Spook You

Autumn is here with its stunning scenery, lower temperatures and promise of the holidays, so bring on the candy and creative Halloween costumes! Don’t forget that the deadline to file your 2020 Form 1040 is October 15, 2021. The...

Life Happens; Be Prepared

One minute you’re tooling down the sidewalk as you scroll through your phone looking for that important text message from yesterday… the next minute, WHAM! You’re broadsided as you absentmindedly step off the curb...

This Month's Newsletter

RecapIt’s hard to believe we’re a few months away from turning the calendar to 2022. While this time of year can feel like it goes quickly, take a moment to enjoy fall: the weather cools, the leaves start to change,...

What is a Coverdell ESA?

What does the Peace Corps, the US Senate, and the tax code have to do with education funding? They’re all related to Senator William Coverdell! Senator Coverdell represented Georgia from 1993 to 2000 after serving as the...

Your Homework is Late!

Isn’t it the worst when you wake up after you’ve hit the snooze button? Just a few more minutes! If your child is approaching college and you're behind on education savings, it can feel like hitting the snooze button...

4 Ideas for Back-to-School Savings

As summer comes to an end and the excitement of a new school year begins, most parents dread the price tag associated with back-to-school shopping. And we don’t blame them! The amount of necessary supplies has climbed to new...

August 2021: Retirement Readiness

This month's Retirement Readiness newsletter features insights into inflation, the choices for your 401(k) at a former employer, rethinking the 4% rule, and considering how to live a fulfilling retirement. Hope you enjoy, and as...

Life Events that Impact your Financial Plan in a Big Way!

When you have a major life event such as getting married, having a child, or buying a home, your financial situation and priorities may change. As your life changes, your financial decisions must stay in line with your goals, values,...

The American Jobs Act – 3 Potential Changes We’re Watching

Recently, there’s been a lot of noise about the Biden Administration’s American Jobs Plan, commonly referred to as the ‘infrastructure bill.’ We’ve heard a lot about infrastructure over the few years, and...

Cashflow for the Kiddos!

We always hope our clients feel confident discussing money with their families. The truth is, talking about money can be uncomfortable! Where do you begin? What’s the right age? The good news is, it’s never too early to...

Tap into Free FAFSA Money for College

Each year there are billions of dollars in federal financial aid available from the U.S. Department of Education in the form of grants, loans and work-study funds. Current college or prospective students that fill out the Free...

June 2021: Your Money Matters

This month’s Your Money Matters newsletter features an overview on how inflation is reported and how it can affect investments, tips for inventorying your possessions plus how it can help you save in the event of a loss, ways to...

Saving For Higher Education – What are Your Options?

Over the last four decades, the price of a college education has grown disproportionately to other costs. Inflation set aside, college cost has more than doubled since the 1960's and college costs have gone up by more than 50% for...

May 2021: Your Money Matters

This month’s Your Money Matters newsletter features some tips on budgeting after a divorce, a brief video on choosing a mortgage, how disability insurance may be a good way to protect your income and savings, along with some fun...

May 2021: Retirement Readiness

This month's Retirement Readiness newsletter features uncertainties we face in retirement that erode our sense of confidence, a brief video on how one might treat their next chapter in retirement, ideas around experiencing negative...

Summer Savings Tips you MAY enjoy

Between celebrating mom and Memorial Day gatherings, May brings a month of transition from Spring into Summer. And with it, warmer temperatures that give us the chance to enjoy warm, lazy weekends with many opportunities to gather...

The American Jobs Act – 10 Potential Changes We’re Watching

President Biden has unveiled his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan; now, the focus turns to how the Administration proposes to pay for all (or some of) the measures. While these plans are still subject to significant change,...

Don’t Shred Those Tax Documents Yet!

Once you complete this year’s taxes, you may wonder what to do with that pile of records, 1099s, receipts, and bank statements. The IRS recommends holding on to any documents related to the income you’re reporting or any...

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 – What’s Included?

One year into the global pandemic, President Biden has signed into action a new $1.9 trillion stimulus package known as the American Rescue Plan Act. It’s designed to help the American people continue to recover from the...

February's Theme: Love and Money

Help Your Family Plan Your Care Avoid misunderstandings by planning now for the day you can no longer care for yourself. Becoming increasingly dependent on others for the normal activities of daily life can be a harsh reality. It can...

January Is Financial Wellness Month

January is Financial Wellness Month, a time to remind people to make arrangements for their financial strategy.For me, it’s time for me to connect with new clients and discuss their financial situation and aspirations for their...

Casualty of Online Fraud?

There may not be an easy way to protect your digital identity but there are steps you can take to thwart criminals. Freezing your credit, updating software on your devices, staying knowledgeable about the latest scams, making sure...

Preventing Identity Theft

Preventing Identity Theft Limiting exposure of your personal information is the best way to protect yourself from fraud. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that as many as nine million Americans have their identities stolen each...

Long-term care could save your nest egg

During our working years, many of us have access to an employer-sponsored health insurance plan either through our own job or our spouse’s job. But when it comes to retirement, we typically rely on Medicare and Medicare...

Understanding Long Term Care Insurance

If you’re like me, getting older has brought with it the quicker passage of time and a handful of new aches and pains. But what hurts more than the occasional morning stiffness is witnessing cherished friends or family members...

Election 2020: A Dose of Patience

The upcoming election is prompting some people to reconsider their investment strategy.In fact, 45% of consumers with $100,000 or more investable assets expect to make changes to their portfolio due to the upcoming 2020 presidential...

Election 2020: Managing Your Emotions

It’s a startling statistic.45% of consumers with $100,000 or more investable assets expect to make changes to their investments due to the upcoming 2020 presidential election.1Second-guessing your investment strategy is natural,...

October is Estate Planning Month

Four Basic Estate Planning Documents Estate planning is less overwhelming if you break it into four areas of focus. Being prepared for major life and death decisions requires thoughtful, thorough planning. When it comes to your estate...

How Significant is the latest Market Decline?

The U.S. stock market has suddenly been hit by a new bout of volatility, reminding uneasy investors of the sharp downturn last February and March. We are nowhere near that level of decline at this point, but the fact that it happened...

Life Happens, Be Prepared

Life Happens; Be Prepared September is Life Insurance Awareness Month, a campaign coordinated by the nonprofit Life HappensSM in response to growing concern about the number of Americans who lack adequate life insurance protection....

New Shopping Habits

New Shopping Habits The pandemic has changed our shopping habits, but how? A recent study by the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. shows some obvious—and not-so-obvious—changes in consumer behavior due to the Covid-19 economy....

Parental Attention

Parental Attention See if you can relate to this. A recent study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family looked at childrearing trends in 11 developed nations, and found that, back in 1965, the average mother spent just 54...

Start Early on College Saving

College costs can be more than a little painful, but with the proper financial planning, you could be whistling your child’s college fight song all the way to the bank. Although federal and state financial aid for college...

Delay Receiving Social Security to Increase Benefits

On Aug. 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law to help combat unemployment and guarantee income for retirees. Roosevelt acknowledged the limitations of the act, stating, "We can never insure...

June 16, 2020

Talking to Parents about Letters of Instruction How to talk to your parents about their estate plans without looking like a vulture. Few conversations can be harder to have with your parents than asking about the plans they’ve...

Helping Your Parents Through Their Retirement

Helping Your Parents Through Their Retirement In 1900, life expectancy at birth in the U.S. was 47 years. Now that number is closer to 79, and many of today’s children could live to see 100. But with an increase in longevity...

May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month

Financial planning constantly asks the hard questions about life and death. Not just the “if” questions but also the “when” questions. Although it is often hard to think about the inevitable, the possible and...

Coronavirus Legislation and Your Retirement

Coronavirus Legislation and Your Retirement Funds While it may be unpleasant to think about your 401(k) or IRA right now, you should know about changes COVID-19-related legislation has made to rules regarding tax-advantaged retirement...

3 Major Retirement Hazards to Avoid

3 Major Retirement Hazards to Avoid Retirement can mean the beginning of a new life. Here are a few common dangers to avoid. Retirement planning is a tricky process, one that requires careful planning and patience. But even if you have...

Keep Calm and Sit Tight

20200313_102047 from Karen Palomo on Vimeo.

Gifting to Reduce Your Taxable Estate

Control Your Legacy with a Private Foundation Private foundations can let you control your gifts, reduce taxes and impart your values to future generations. Call it the golf and gala glut: the growing list of charitable parties, balls...

Protect Your Loved Ones

Protect Your Loved Ones from Financial Elder Abuse A study by MetLife Mature Market Institute, the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and Virginia Tech estimates the annual loss by victims of financial elder abuse is...

Help your Family Plan Your Care

Help Your Family Plan Your Care Avoid misunderstandings by planning now for the day you can no longer care for yourself. Becoming increasingly dependent on others for the normal activities of daily life can be a harsh reality. It can...

5 Tips for Keeping Financial Resolutions

With the New Year approaching, take time to make a list of your financial resolutions. Financial resolutions can be especially difficult to stick with because, like eating and exercising, our spending, saving and investing habits tend...

Identity Theft Prevention & Awareness Month

Free Credit Reports: Have you requested yours? Thanks to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), all Americans have access to a free copy of their credit report. It requires the consumer reporting companies to provide a free copy...

November is Long Term Care Month

A Lasting Legacy Why planning for long-term care is so necessary in today’s world. James and Irene Norris have been married for 65 years, raised two sons, and owned and operated a small business together for more than 50 years....

Four Basic Estate Planning Documents

Four Basic Estate Planning Documents Estate planning is less overwhelming if you break it into four areas of focus. Being prepared for major life and death decisions requires thoughtful, thorough planning. When it comes to your estate,...