Blog
What’s on our mind? You can read about it in our blog. Whether it’s ideas from the industry or emerging trends, you can read about it here. And once in a while, we may throw in a movie review or some other surprise. So keep checking in. We’re glad to have you reading along.
A Season of Giving: 5 Different Ways To Give During the Holidays
With the holidays here, now is the time to get into the giving spirit and help to change others' lives for the better. Whether you are looking to make a difference in a specific person's life or the life of many, there are many ways to...
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The Importance of Charitable Giving
Charitable giving is a term often heard around the holidays, or in some cases, around tax season. Nonprofit charitable organizations often rely on contributions from businesses and individuals to help them accomplish their goals and...
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A Guide to Incorporating Philanthropy into Your Financial Planning
If you're considering giving back to society or a cause as part of your financial planning, there are many ways you can do so. You can make an impact while receiving tax benefits by including philanthropic giving as part of a holistic...
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5 Year-End Tax Planning Questions to Ask Your Financial Professional
The average U.S. income tax rate stands at just over 13%—and if you're like many taxpayers, you're always looking for new tips and tricks to help reduce this percentage.1There are a number of different tax planning moves you can...
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End of Year Financial Planning
For some, it’s easy to put personal finances on the back burner during the last few months of the year. However, before the year comes to an end, it’s essential to review your finances. By doing so now, you can make the...
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The Financial Planning Process: Why and How
Planning personal finances used to be the worry of the wealthy and their worry—usually preservation of wealth—was attended to by teams of trust officers and lawyers. Many of today’s middle class families have...
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Treat Yourself to These 5 Retirement Savings Tricks
Your retirement is the reward after years of hard work and saving. You might dream of traveling, want to invest in a vacation home, or want to take up a new hobby. For an enjoyable retirement, saving is critical. Take charge of your...
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3 Common Financial Planning Fears and How To Conquer Them
If the thought of reviewing your finances with the help of a financial professional strikes more fear into your heart than giving a public speech, you are not alone—two in every three Americans report regularly feeling stressed...
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A 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...
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Kick-Starting Your Retirement with a 401(k) Plan
Take control of your retirement planning with a defined contribution plan.The 401(k) pension plan, named after that section of the Internal Revenue Service Code that created it, has become one of the most popular...
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10 Easy Financial Planning Steps for Beginners
If you've never engaged in financial planning and are unsure how to get started, this article is for you. A financial plan starts by evaluating your current financial situation and future expectations and can be created independently...
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401k Plans - The Basics
Retirement plans established under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code, commonly referred to as "401(k) plans," have become one of the most popular types of employer-sponsored retirement plans.What is a 401(k) plan?A 401(k)...
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Setting and Targeting Investment Goals
All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal, and there can be no guarantee that any investing strategy will be successful.Dollar-cost averaging does not ensure a profit or prevent a loss. Such plans involve...
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Financial Basics for Millennials
Millennials face financial challenges that are unique to their generation. One of the first steps in overcoming them is to understand some basic financial concepts.With age comes responsibility, so if you're a young adult in your 20s...
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Fundamental Concepts for New Investors
Investing involves setting goals for the future and weighing the risks and potential rewards associated with a wide variety of investment opportunities. If you are a new investor, this might seem like an overwhelming task.But take...
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The Simple Life: 3 Tips for Simplifying Your Financial Life
If you sometimes feel like your financial life has too many moving parts, you may be looking for ways to get back to the basics—without letting anything slip through the cracks. Fortunately, simplifying your finances does not...
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Saving Tips for Younger Adults
Today, younger adults face a variety of challenges in their pursuit of financial independence. Some of these challenges are similar to those faced by previous generations, while others are unique to the times. Here are five financial...
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Keeping It Simple: The Benefits of Simplifying Your Investment Strategies
When it comes to investing, having fewer investments might help streamline your portfolio to manage stress better. Here are some benefits of a simple portfolio and some ways to help you create one.The Benefits of SimplicityUnless you...
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Planning 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...
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Four Tips for Gaining Financial Independence
The golden rule of financial planning: if you can plan it, you can pursue it.Over the past July 4th, we celebrated our country’s history of declaring independence and guaranteeing basic human freedoms. But true freedom includes...
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The Race for Financial Freedom: Your Financial Tour de France
The Tour de France is the world’s most prestigious and challenging bike race, and it attracts the world’s greatest cyclists.1 While your race to financial freedom is not necessarily the most difficult task you might...
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Land of the Debt Free: 3 Steps To Declare Your Financial Independence
Financial independence means different things to different people. For some, it might mean early retirement. For others, the ability to travel the world. It is the freedom to leave a job that is no longer personally or professionally...
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The Joys and Financial Challenges of Parenthood
Parenthood can be both wonderfully rewarding and frighteningly challenging. Children give gifts only a parent can understand — from sticky-finger hugs to heartfelt pleas to tag along on Saturday morning errands. You raise them...
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Considering an Annuity for Your 401(k) Rollover?
With companies downsizing to stay in business and corporate takeovers occurring almost every other day, the only thing certain in anyone’s career these days is change. Take Chris Brown, age 48, for example. After 15 years as a...
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7 Retirement Considerations
When helping people get ready for retirement, financial professionals find the same issues come up over and over. Thinking ahead can spell the difference between a retirement with enough money and a stressful one with difficult...
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Assessing the Health of Your Business
In today’s business climate, it may be more important than ever for companies to operate at maximum efficiency and with a keen awareness of the potential impact of changes in their industry and the economy. Using a SWOT analysis...
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4 Key Investments You Should Consider as a Small-Business Owner
As a small-business owner, you may be looking for the next big thing—an investment that might double your profits within the next year or allow you to maintain your income while working just a few hours a week. However, business...
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What Is the Right Setting for Your Retirement Story?
There was a time that retirement meant, for many people, sitting in the sun in a southern retirement community along with a host of fellow retirees. However, today retirement means many different things to different people. Why settle...
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4 Costly 529 Plan Mistakes To Avoid
With the average cost of tuition and fees at private colleges exceeding $43,750 in 2021-22—while out-of-state public college students are paying nearly $30,000 per year—saving for college might feel like a monumental task...
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Retirement Planning Options for Business Owners
In general Perhaps you are self-employed or own a small business. Or, you may be directly involved in running a corporation or a tax-exempt organization. In any of these cases, you generally have the option of establishing a retirement...
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Financial Planning for Working Moms
Historically, working mothers have had even higher ambitions in the workforce than working women in general.1 This ambition may drive them to excel in budgeting and financial matters that can help them manage their family's finances....
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3 Moments in Life Where You Should Consider Consulting a Financial Professional
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Tax 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...
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Five Healthy Habits for Financial Wellness
Financial stress can have a direct negative impact on a person's health and happiness. Unfortunately, this may lead to a downward spiral. The more stress you're feeling, the larger your financial hurdles may seem, and the more you...
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Get SMART with Your New Year’s Resolutions
Many of us set resolutions every New Year’s Day. But if your resolution is too broad or doesn’t have a deadline, it is much easier to abandon or forget it. As the saying goes, “A goal without a plan is just a wish...
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A Place for Everything: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Your Finances Organized
Have you ever found yourself scrambling for spare cash to send with your child for school lunch? Have you paid a late fee because you simply forgot when a bill was due? Have you woken up in a cold sweat trying to remember if you paid...
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Finding the Right Card for You
With so many credit cards available, it’s not surprising that careful thought is required to decide which one to select. Here are some factors to consider when choosing the card that suits you best. Many millennials have a...
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Financial Considerations during a Divorce
No matter whether your divorce is amicable or contentious, it can have a profound impact on your finances. There are myriad rules and regulations to consider; we outline some of the most significant and how they could impact your...
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The Elusive Buy/Sell Strategy of Perfect Timing
Buying low or selling high is a prudent strategy for most investors, an effort to maximize returns. But buying lowest or selling highest is an elusive strategy, one that is difficult to execute and that may lead to lower returns and...
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Caring for Aging Parents
Many adults have aging parents who are in need of living and health care assistance. There are a number of resources today that can help them grow old gracefully, either in their existing home or in a facility, along with multiple...
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The Financial Benefits of Working from Home
Indefinitely Working from Home? Use This Opportunity to Save Money. The pandemic caused many people to work from home, and some companies do not plan to return to office-based work until this summer, if ever. While you may view this as...
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Identity Theft and Taxes
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America affecting millions of unsuspecting individuals each year. A dishonest person who has your Social Security number can use it to obtain tax and other financial and personal...
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Higher Learning
During these uncertain times, 529 plans may make more sense than ever For many people, a 529 savings plan offers an opportunity to achieve an important life goal and improve overall financial health. As college and university...
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Begin Investing While Young
You’re never too young to begin building an investment portfolio. 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...
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Forward Thinking
Five ways to keep moving forward in the age of social distancing Activities that people used to take for granted have changed in major ways — like a trip to the grocery store, attending a live concert or sporting event,...
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Does Your Portfolio Reflect Your Risk Tolerance?
When it comes to investing, many people associate risk with losing money. But investing entails different types of risk. Understanding each type -- and the potential return associated with your retirement portfolio -- can help you...
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Facing Possible Unemployment? Take These Steps to Prepare
If you’re facing unemployment or concerned about the possibility of upcoming layoffs, there are some small, proactive steps you can take now to help make this difficult time more manageable. Build Your Network. It’s...
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One for the Ages
One for the Ages Consider the trade-offs before deciding what age to begin taking Social Security benefits As you get close to retirement, one of your biggest questions will likely be when to begin taking Social Security benefits. If...
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401(k) Decisions - - You Can Take It With You
If you are preparing to change jobs, do you know what your choices are for managing the money in your current employer's retirement plan? Although many people choose to take a cash distribution, there are other options that may benefit...
Read MoreBuying Your First Home
Finding the right first home starts with a price range and a short list of desirable neighborhoods. But you may need to consider many other factors before investing in what may be your biggest asset.
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Avoid These Financial Traps
Money. It's hard to get and easy to lose. It doesn't take long for the wealth you've accumulated to disappear if you don't manage your money well or have a plan to protect your assets from sudden calamity. Snares like the ones...
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