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2023 Year-End Tax Tips
Here are some things to consider as you weigh potential tax moves between now and the end of the year. 1. Defer income to next year Consider opportunities to defer income to 2024, particularly if you think you may be in a lower tax...
Read MoreStock Market Stocking Stuffers: How To Give Stock as a Gift
If you struggle to find a gift for the person who has everything—or want to do your holiday shopping without having to leave the house—consider giving stock as a gift. Doing so is easier than you think, and it may offer a...
Read MoreFinancial Resolutions for Individuals Nearing Retirement
Getting close to retirement is exciting, but it often brings a little worry about your financial future. The closer you get, the more you may be concerned with the rising living costs and if your finances are on track to allow you to...
Read MoreRinging in the New Year in Your Golden Years
Whether you are just entering your golden years or are already several years in, setting goals to stay on track and maintain your health, happiness, and finances is essential. So why not use the New Year's holiday to turn these goals...
Read More2023 Year-End Tax Tips
Here are some things to consider as you weigh potential tax moves between now and the end of the year. 1. Defer income to next year Consider opportunities to defer income to 2024, particularly if you think you may be in a lower tax...
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Understanding Capital Gains Taxes and Planning
It’s not just about how much money you make, but how much you keep Capital gains taxes might sound like a complex financial term reserved for Wall Street tycoons, but in reality, they touch most investors and many homeowners....
Read More4 Thanksgiving Lessons for a Feast-Worthy Financial Plan
Thanksgiving is a holiday for spending time with loved ones, being grateful, and perhaps enjoying a bit of overindulgence. There are many financial lessons to be had in planning, preparing, and celebrating this annual feast.1 Here are...
Read MoreQualified Charitable Distributions for RMDs
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) are vital for those who must take an annual required minimum distribution (RMD) but seek a tax-advantaged strategy that may help lower their adjusted gross income (AGI). Using a QCD strategy,...
Read MoreYour Traditional 401(k) Year-End Review Checklist
A 401(k) plan is one of the most popular and effective techniques for saving for your retirement. A company will automatically withdraw and contribute money from each paycheck to your 401(k) plan. Some employers will even match a...
Read MoreGot Investophobia? Here are 6 Steps to Overcome Your Investing Fears
Investing your money for the future might be one of the quickest ways to grow your wealth, whether saving for retirement or making a large purchase. While most people know investing is a potential way toward a more manageable financial...
Read MoreEstate Planning and Asset Protection: Are They The Same?
You may sometimes hear the terms "estate planning" and "asset protection" used interchangeably. They actually have different meanings, and it's important to incorporate both strategies into future financial plans. Below, we discuss key...
Read More5 Expensive Long-Term Care Planning Mistakes to Avoid
The vast majority of Americans need long-term care. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 70% of people over age 65 may need some long-term care during their lives.1 Unfortunately, planning for long-term care...
Read MoreHow to Make Keeping Track of Your Finances Easy
Now is an excellent time to start evaluating your current financial situation, determining your future goals and expectations, and working toward pursuing them. If you need help pulling together a plan for your finances, a financial...
Read MoreNavigating the 4 Phases of Retirement
Retirement seems like a long way off, but it arrives faster than you think. The big question is, are you ready? What exactly does retirement entail? Analysts suggest there are four designated phases of retirement that a person often...
Read More5 Milestones That Mean It's Time for a Life Insurance Review
Obtaining a life insurance policy is part of being an adult. But it’s also something that you can easily neglect, especially if you obtained it earlier in adulthood. While you may have been diligent in securing your life...
Read MoreFiguring Out a 401(k) Strategy That Works for You
Matching your tolerance for risk with your investment objectives Everyone wants a comfortable retirement, but the road you take there will depend on your specific situation. When you invest, you assume a certain level of risk (but like...
Read MoreSmart Savings: 5 Tax Breaks for College Students and Parents
With the cost of college being expensive for many, receiving a tax break from the IRS for college-related expenses may be appealing. 529 Plans and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) offer tax-advantaged withdrawals when used...
Read MoreStaying on Track with Your Retirement Investments
All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal, and there can be no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful. And asset allocation and diversification alone cannot guarantee a profit or eliminate...
Read MoreRetirement Re-education: Back to School Time for Retirement Planning
Retirement planning is a constantly evolving process. Strategies that may have worked fine a few years ago may no longer be the optimal direction to continue. Your life may have taken unexpected turns, you may have different retirement...
Read MoreWall Street Wisdom: Wise Words from Warren Buffett and Other Great Investors
You can learn a lot from those who have come before you. For individuals interested in investing, especially those new to it, learning and applying the wisdom from people that have found techniques that worked for them is a great...
Read MoreWhat to Know Before You Open Your Next Investment Account
Understanding the difference between taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-exempt accounts can improve portfolio diversification and make a difference in how much you earn over time. But investors may not fully understand how a strategy...
Read MoreRetirement Revolution: 3 Reasons to Rethink Your Retirement Plan
Retirement is a time that many of us look forward to our entire careers. It is the reward for a lifetime of work and the time to indulge in hobbies and enjoy much-needed vacations. While everyone looks forward to this seemingly-magical...
Read MoreFinancial Freedom, Market Volatility, and You
If recent market volatility has you questioning your opportunities for financial freedom, you are not alone. Due to rising inflation, higher interest rates, a volatile stock market, and recession fears, many investors find themselves...
Read MoreMidyear Outlook 2023: The Path Toward Stability
Our 2023 investing outlook started with a theme of returning to normalcy. Considering 2022’s market volatility and the aftereffects of the pandemic, the idea of finding balance was certainly a welcomed change. It’s a theme...
Read MoreFinancial Independence for the Sandwich Generation
The “Sandwich Generation” faces a lot of struggles. If you’re unfamiliar with this term, it describes a demographic where usually middle-aged individuals must support aging parents at the same time they’re...
Read MoreInvestor Summer School: 3 Investing Moves to Make Before Summer is Over
Many investors still adhere to the old adage—"sell in May and go away"—while others remain fully invested even as the summer heat waves begin. What goes unsaid is that if your asset allocation accurately reflects your risk...
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 MoreAre You Retirement Ready? 5 Ways to Help Your Parents Prepare for Retirement
The sandwich generation is a term commonly used to describe those between the ages of 40 and 59 who are responsible for raising their family and are also often helping their aging parents manage their ongoing needs. Those members of...
Read MoreDebt Ceiling Drama Is Behind Us
June 7, 2023Dear Valued Investor,Every so often Washington likes to remind us how hard it can be to get things accomplished. The most recent example is the debt ceiling—the amount Congress can borrow to pay its bills. It seems...
Read MoreTake a Swing at Investing Like a Golfer
Golfing and investing may not seem to share much common ground at first glance. But the more you think about it, a successful golfer and a successful investor share a number of traits such as patience, perseverance, attention to detail...
Read More3 Tips for Preserving Wealth in Your Golden Years
After spending so much of your life saving for retirement, it may be challenging to transition from depositing funds to withdrawing them. You may wonder whether there is any way to maintain your lifestyle and preserve your wealth to...
Read More529 Plans: The Ins and Outs of Contributions and Withdrawals
529 plans can be powerful college savings tools, but you need to understand how your plan works before you can take full advantage of it. Among other things, this means becoming familiar with the finer points of contributions and...
Read MoreHow to Stay Committed to Your Financial Goals
Setting healthy financial goals is critical. Even more important is staying committed to those financial goals.Keeping yourself committed to your goals may be difficult, especially when times may be financially tough. But by staying on...
Read MoreSmall Business Owners: Are You Retirement Ready (or Not)?
Whether you are an employee in corporate America or a small business owner, retirement is a part of life. For many, the thought of retiring and whether or not you are ready to take those first steps might be overwhelming or...
Read MoreStrategies Using Life Insurance
What is it?Life insurance is not only about protecting your survivors in the event of your death. Depending upon the type of policy you purchase, it can also enable you to meet specific life goals: retiring comfortably, paying for your...
Read MoreUnderstanding Social Security Strategies
As you age, the question of when to collect Social Security (SS) retirement benefits will likely come to mind. There is no one size fits all age; your unique circumstances and goals will dictate the appropriate time for you to take...
Read MoreEnduring Market Volatility With a Financial Plan
If you hope to retire soon and are concerned about what the future may hold for your investments, you are not alone. Inflation has many retirees and soon-to-be retirees worried about outliving their savings and investments.1 What...
Read More3 Golf Tips to Keep Your Retirement Plan on Course
In golf, as in finances, there are a few rules of thumb that may improve your game: keep a level head, avoid traps, practice before trying something new and stay the course. Applying lessons from the golf course to your financial life...
Read MoreTradition At The Masters Tournament
Do you have a yearly tradition of reviewing your financial plan?It is Masters time again, and we ask why is the Masters so special? Well, it starts because the tournament’s co-founder – Bobby Jones – was one of the...
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