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As you may already know, we each can now shelter up to $11.58 million ($23.16M for couples) from estate taxes as assets pass to our heirs.* The new tax law preserves portability, which was introduced in a revision of tax rules by Congress in 2012 called the American Taxpayer Relief ACT of 2012 (ATRA). What […]
read moreEver feel like you are being “acronym-ed” to the point of distraction? The financial world, with its own brand of terminology, has been accused of making things confusing. Consider the term “ETFs,” which stands for Exchange Traded Fund. These securities enjoy similar trade characteristics with stocks, where the price is determined throughout the trading day […]
read moreEffectively managing the income taxes in your investment portfolio can make a significant difference in your retirement. The question is, How well are you doing? Since the 07-08 financial crisis, investors concerned about their retirement have benefited from using some types of annuities. These programs can not only provide life-time income guarantees, they can also […]
read moreAs a business owner, never forget that the whole point of starting a business is enhancing your personal wealth. Turning a business into a wealth builder requires concerted, systematic effort. These are the five most critical challenges that business owners face. These can represent opportunities if properly addressed on a timely basis. What strategies can […]
read more“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” –Mark Twain Bringing Mark Twain’s positive perspective to our retirement years can make all the difference in helping make these years truly “golden.” That said, challenges abound as we encounter significant increases in free time to fill, more reliance on […]
read moreEver think our hectic lives seem to be moving faster and faster, giving us less time to enjoy the things we want? More time can often be found by taking these seven important steps to simplify and gain more control over personal finances. Simplify When prospective clients initially visit, it is often surprising to see […]
read moreNo one likes to think about death, and yet we all have to face it sooner or later. My clients often request a checklist when someone they know has passed away. It can provide some structure during a time that can seem overwhelming. This financial checklist is in no way meant to be legal recommendations. […]
read more“What’s important about money to you?” The response to this critical question invites a higher level exploration beyond those tangible possessions which can provide transitory satisfaction. Study after study shows that lasting happiness and fulfillment can more often be attained by understanding our deeper emotions, e.g. our values and priorities. Yet as important as it […]
read more“Goodbye tension, hello pension.” This well-known retirement quip speaks to the financial security we hope to achieve when work becomes optional. With the demise of employer-sponsored pension plans, however, creating a sustainable lifetime income stream can seem more challenging than ever. Effective tax planning can do much to extend clients’ retirement assets and make running […]
read moreWhen planning for retirement, all possible risks must be considered and evaluated. One of the most commonly overlooked is the potential need for long-term health care (LTHC) for you and/or your spouse. The cost of LTHC can be staggering and can derail even the best laid plans. When evaluating the risk of the cost for […]
read moreWith employment opportunities becoming increasingly challenging for seniors, more and more clients in their 60s are addressing social security issues sooner than they expected, and many of them have these questions: Early Retirement Benefits: When should I begin taking my benefits? Taxation of Benefits: How can I minimize the tax on my benefits? Delayed Retirement […]
read moreAs many business owners painfully discover, successfully building their enterprise does not always directly translate into successfully building their personal wealth. Especially given day-to-day business demands, it is easy to lose sight of the ultimate business’s purpose, which is enhancing the owner’s personal wealth. Converting a business into a wealth enhancement vehicle requires ongoing concerted, […]
read more“What am I going to do after I retire?” “How can I stay relevant?” “Do I have all of my bases covered to help assure financial independence after I stop working?” Certainly questions such as these are often posed by both men and women as they ponder their future after retiring from a career. Considering […]
read moreUpon your death, the best thing you can do for loved ones is allow them to resolve your estate quickly and easily, so they can get on with their lives. But people often fall into 10 estate planning traps. Here is how to avoid them. Understanding and avoiding these common errors can help minimize the […]
read moreAs more Baby Boomers approach their golden years, they are faced with a plethora of challenges. Especially for those with greater resources, the issues can be formidable. To the extent that these are effectively addressed, the promise of those Golden Years can be more readily achieved with less stress—both during and after the transition. The […]
read moreWhen it comes to bonds, the old adage “they ain’t what they used to be” may hold good wisdom in this challenging economic climate. Bonds are essentially loans that investors make to domestic and foreign corporations, U.S. and foreign governments, as well as state and local municipalities. As such, they represent a wide spectrum of […]
read moreQuick: Name the most stressful life experiences. If you said death of a spouse/family member or close friend you would be close as these were ranked first and third respectively by a recent study.[i] Actually, divorce was ranked the second most stressful experience. Very understandable when we realize that divorce causes not only significant lifestyle […]
read moreGetting agreement among a group of people these days is probably more challenging than in recent memory. When it comes to the economy, however, virtually everyone concurs: This economic downturn is one of the toughest many of us have experienced in our lifetimes. The hopeful news is that, like all cycles, it will end. The […]
read moreA powerful estate planning tool in today’s uncertain world “Having your cake and eating it too” is usually beyond what we can deliver in wealth advisory. That has been especially true when making gifts to reduce one’s estate size and subsequent taxes. Reducing the size of your estate can lower the tax against assets […]
read moreMention the word “annuity” at a social gathering and you are likely to get a wide range of reactions ranging from “expensive” and “loss of control,” to “lifesaving” and “sleep at night comfort.” As with most things in life, the truth may not really be black and white but shades of gray between the extremes. […]
read moreMany of us spend our lifetime accumulating our wealth. But did you know that often times heirs don’t spend their inheritance—our wealth—responsibly? In fact, nearly 70 percent of family wealth transference and business succession plans fail. This is according to Victor Preisser and Roy Williams in their book Preparing Heirs: Five Steps to Successful […]
read moreThirty Trillion Dollars! That staggering amount is what studies predict will be transferring from Baby Boomers to their heirs in the coming years (i). Yet nearly 70 percent of family wealth transference and business succession plans fail, with the vast majority (actually 60 percent) of failures attributable to poor family communication and heir preparation (ii). […]
read more“There’s no harm in hoping for the best as long as you’re prepared for the worst.” Especially considering that disaster can strike without notice, this Stephen King quote offers sage advice. We plan many aspects of our lives, from finances to marriage to children. Surprisingly, for many, disaster planning ends up being a low priority; […]
read moreA take-off on the old adage “significant savings can often be had to those who don’t wait” states the case with year-end tax planning. A few smart moves prior to Dec. 31st can make a significant difference in your April tax bill. The key for most of us will be to defer income and accelerate […]
read moreHow can it be in recent years that gas prices exceeded $4 per gallon and food prices rose, yet inflation, as measured by Consumer Price Index hovered around the 2 to 3 percent range? Does there seem to be a disconnect to you? If your answer is “yes,” you are not alone. Despite repeated reassurances […]
read more“Try to leave the earth a better place than when you arrived.” Sidney Sheldon’s famous quote resonates with many of us, but the pathway to making a positive impact beyond volunteerism and philanthropy may not be clear. Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) offers the potential to influence corporate actions toward common good. The premise is simple: […]
read moreProtecting one’s estate from creditors, predators, in-laws, and outlaws is a key reason clients with larger estates may consider establishing an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust, or ILIT. Acronyms can be mystifying, so let’s start with a definition. An ILIT is a trust wherein the grantor gifts assets (and thereby gives up all incidence of ownership) […]
read moreIt has been said that the aging of baby boomers—those born between 1946 and 1964—is analogous to a bowling ball moving through a python. At each life stage, the vast numbers of boomers have made significant impacts on our society. So with over 75 million boomers already beginning to reach age 65 and many more […]
read more“Looking before you leap…” isn’t nearly as important as knowing how and where you will land. This rendition of Samuel Butler’s famous quote has no more fitting application than when considering retirement planning. More than ever, people are retiring with wealth. But they often do so without having an effective plan that determines from which […]
read moreRegardless of your level of affluence, studies show that you need to know what you want out of life before you can achieve it. So states the wisdom of Lee Eisenberg in his bestseller, The Number: A Completely Different Way to View the Rest of Your Life.[I] Eisenberg’s number refers to that amount of savings […]
read moreAs a business owner, never forget that the whole point of starting a business is enhancing your personal wealth. Turning a business into a wealth builder requires concerted, systematic effort. These are the five most critical challenges that business owners face. These can represent opportunities if properly addressed on a timely basis. What strategies can […]
read moreAs many business owners painfully discover, successfully building their enterprise does not always directly translate into successfully building their personal wealth. Especially given day-to-day business demands, it is easy to lose sight of the ultimate business’s purpose, which is enhancing the owner’s personal wealth. Converting a business into a wealth enhancement vehicle requires ongoing concerted, […]
read moreEver feel like you are being “acronym-ed” to the point of distraction? The financial world, with its own brand of terminology, has been accused of making things confusing. Consider the term “ETFs,” which stands for Exchange Traded Fund. These securities enjoy similar trade characteristics with stocks, where the price is determined throughout the trading day […]
read moreWhen it comes to bonds, the old adage “they ain’t what they used to be” may hold good wisdom in this challenging economic climate. Bonds are essentially loans that investors make to domestic and foreign corporations, U.S. and foreign governments, as well as state and local municipalities. As such, they represent a wide spectrum of […]
read moreQuick: Name the most stressful life experiences. If you said death of a spouse/family member or close friend you would be close as these were ranked first and third respectively by a recent study.[i] Actually, divorce was ranked the second most stressful experience. Very understandable when we realize that divorce causes not only significant lifestyle […]
read moreGetting agreement among a group of people these days is probably more challenging than in recent memory. When it comes to the economy, however, virtually everyone concurs: This economic downturn is one of the toughest many of us have experienced in our lifetimes. The hopeful news is that, like all cycles, it will end. The […]
read moreMention the word “annuity” at a social gathering and you are likely to get a wide range of reactions ranging from “expensive” and “loss of control,” to “lifesaving” and “sleep at night comfort.” As with most things in life, the truth may not really be black and white but shades of gray between the extremes. […]
read more“There’s no harm in hoping for the best as long as you’re prepared for the worst.” Especially considering that disaster can strike without notice, this Stephen King quote offers sage advice. We plan many aspects of our lives, from finances to marriage to children. Surprisingly, for many, disaster planning ends up being a low priority; […]
read moreAs you may already know, we each can now shelter up to $11.58 million ($23.16M for couples) from estate taxes as assets pass to our heirs.* The new tax law preserves portability, which was introduced in a revision of tax rules by Congress in 2012 called the American Taxpayer Relief ACT of 2012 (ATRA). What […]
read moreNo one likes to think about death, and yet we all have to face it sooner or later. My clients often request a checklist when someone they know has passed away. It can provide some structure during a time that can seem overwhelming. This financial checklist is in no way meant to be legal recommendations. […]
read more“What’s important about money to you?” The response to this critical question invites a higher level exploration beyond those tangible possessions which can provide transitory satisfaction. Study after study shows that lasting happiness and fulfillment can more often be attained by understanding our deeper emotions, e.g. our values and priorities. Yet as important as it […]
read moreUpon your death, the best thing you can do for loved ones is allow them to resolve your estate quickly and easily, so they can get on with their lives. But people often fall into 10 estate planning traps. Here is how to avoid them. Understanding and avoiding these common errors can help minimize the […]
read moreA powerful estate planning tool in today’s uncertain world “Having your cake and eating it too” is usually beyond what we can deliver in wealth advisory. That has been especially true when making gifts to reduce one’s estate size and subsequent taxes. Reducing the size of your estate can lower the tax against assets […]
read moreMany of us spend our lifetime accumulating our wealth. But did you know that often times heirs don’t spend their inheritance—our wealth—responsibly? In fact, nearly 70 percent of family wealth transference and business succession plans fail. This is according to Victor Preisser and Roy Williams in their book Preparing Heirs: Five Steps to Successful […]
read moreThirty Trillion Dollars! That staggering amount is what studies predict will be transferring from Baby Boomers to their heirs in the coming years (i). Yet nearly 70 percent of family wealth transference and business succession plans fail, with the vast majority (actually 60 percent) of failures attributable to poor family communication and heir preparation (ii). […]
read moreProtecting one’s estate from creditors, predators, in-laws, and outlaws is a key reason clients with larger estates may consider establishing an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust, or ILIT. Acronyms can be mystifying, so let’s start with a definition. An ILIT is a trust wherein the grantor gifts assets (and thereby gives up all incidence of ownership) […]
read moreAs you may already know, we each can now shelter up to $11.58 million ($23.16M for couples) from estate taxes as assets pass to our heirs.* The new tax law preserves portability, which was introduced in a revision of tax rules by Congress in 2012 called the American Taxpayer Relief ACT of 2012 (ATRA). What […]
read moreNo one likes to think about death, and yet we all have to face it sooner or later. My clients often request a checklist when someone they know has passed away. It can provide some structure during a time that can seem overwhelming. This financial checklist is in no way meant to be legal recommendations. […]
read more“What’s important about money to you?” The response to this critical question invites a higher level exploration beyond those tangible possessions which can provide transitory satisfaction. Study after study shows that lasting happiness and fulfillment can more often be attained by understanding our deeper emotions, e.g. our values and priorities. Yet as important as it […]
read moreUpon your death, the best thing you can do for loved ones is allow them to resolve your estate quickly and easily, so they can get on with their lives. But people often fall into 10 estate planning traps. Here is how to avoid them. Understanding and avoiding these common errors can help minimize the […]
read moreQuick: Name the most stressful life experiences. If you said death of a spouse/family member or close friend you would be close as these were ranked first and third respectively by a recent study.[i] Actually, divorce was ranked the second most stressful experience. Very understandable when we realize that divorce causes not only significant lifestyle […]
read moreA powerful estate planning tool in today’s uncertain world “Having your cake and eating it too” is usually beyond what we can deliver in wealth advisory. That has been especially true when making gifts to reduce one’s estate size and subsequent taxes. Reducing the size of your estate can lower the tax against assets […]
read moreMany of us spend our lifetime accumulating our wealth. But did you know that often times heirs don’t spend their inheritance—our wealth—responsibly? In fact, nearly 70 percent of family wealth transference and business succession plans fail. This is according to Victor Preisser and Roy Williams in their book Preparing Heirs: Five Steps to Successful […]
read moreThirty Trillion Dollars! That staggering amount is what studies predict will be transferring from Baby Boomers to their heirs in the coming years (i). Yet nearly 70 percent of family wealth transference and business succession plans fail, with the vast majority (actually 60 percent) of failures attributable to poor family communication and heir preparation (ii). […]
read moreEver think our hectic lives seem to be moving faster and faster, giving us less time to enjoy the things we want? More time can often be found by taking these seven important steps to simplify and gain more control over personal finances. Simplify When prospective clients initially visit, it is often surprising to see […]
read moreWhen it comes to bonds, the old adage “they ain’t what they used to be” may hold good wisdom in this challenging economic climate. Bonds are essentially loans that investors make to domestic and foreign corporations, U.S. and foreign governments, as well as state and local municipalities. As such, they represent a wide spectrum of […]
read moreGetting agreement among a group of people these days is probably more challenging than in recent memory. When it comes to the economy, however, virtually everyone concurs: This economic downturn is one of the toughest many of us have experienced in our lifetimes. The hopeful news is that, like all cycles, it will end. The […]
read moreMention the word “annuity” at a social gathering and you are likely to get a wide range of reactions ranging from “expensive” and “loss of control,” to “lifesaving” and “sleep at night comfort.” As with most things in life, the truth may not really be black and white but shades of gray between the extremes. […]
read more“Try to leave the earth a better place than when you arrived.” Sidney Sheldon’s famous quote resonates with many of us, but the pathway to making a positive impact beyond volunteerism and philanthropy may not be clear. Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) offers the potential to influence corporate actions toward common good. The premise is simple: […]
read moreRegardless of your level of affluence, studies show that you need to know what you want out of life before you can achieve it. So states the wisdom of Lee Eisenberg in his bestseller, The Number: A Completely Different Way to View the Rest of Your Life.[I] Eisenberg’s number refers to that amount of savings […]
read moreHow can it be in recent years that gas prices exceeded $4 per gallon and food prices rose, yet inflation, as measured by Consumer Price Index hovered around the 2 to 3 percent range? Does there seem to be a disconnect to you? If your answer is “yes,” you are not alone. Despite repeated reassurances […]
read moreWhen planning for retirement, all possible risks must be considered and evaluated. One of the most commonly overlooked is the potential need for long-term health care (LTHC) for you and/or your spouse. The cost of LTHC can be staggering and can derail even the best laid plans. When evaluating the risk of the cost for […]
read more“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” –Mark Twain Bringing Mark Twain’s positive perspective to our retirement years can make all the difference in helping make these years truly “golden.” That said, challenges abound as we encounter significant increases in free time to fill, more reliance on […]
read more“Goodbye tension, hello pension.” This well-known retirement quip speaks to the financial security we hope to achieve when work becomes optional. With the demise of employer-sponsored pension plans, however, creating a sustainable lifetime income stream can seem more challenging than ever. Effective tax planning can do much to extend clients’ retirement assets and make running […]
read moreWith employment opportunities becoming increasingly challenging for seniors, more and more clients in their 60s are addressing social security issues sooner than they expected, and many of them have these questions: Early Retirement Benefits: When should I begin taking my benefits? Taxation of Benefits: How can I minimize the tax on my benefits? Delayed Retirement […]
read more“What am I going to do after I retire?” “How can I stay relevant?” “Do I have all of my bases covered to help assure financial independence after I stop working?” Certainly questions such as these are often posed by both men and women as they ponder their future after retiring from a career. Considering […]
read moreUpon your death, the best thing you can do for loved ones is allow them to resolve your estate quickly and easily, so they can get on with their lives. But people often fall into 10 estate planning traps. Here is how to avoid them. Understanding and avoiding these common errors can help minimize the […]
read moreAs more Baby Boomers approach their golden years, they are faced with a plethora of challenges. Especially for those with greater resources, the issues can be formidable. To the extent that these are effectively addressed, the promise of those Golden Years can be more readily achieved with less stress—both during and after the transition. The […]
read moreHow can it be in recent years that gas prices exceeded $4 per gallon and food prices rose, yet inflation, as measured by Consumer Price Index hovered around the 2 to 3 percent range? Does there seem to be a disconnect to you? If your answer is “yes,” you are not alone. Despite repeated reassurances […]
read moreIt has been said that the aging of baby boomers—those born between 1946 and 1964—is analogous to a bowling ball moving through a python. At each life stage, the vast numbers of boomers have made significant impacts on our society. So with over 75 million boomers already beginning to reach age 65 and many more […]
read more“Looking before you leap…” isn’t nearly as important as knowing how and where you will land. This rendition of Samuel Butler’s famous quote has no more fitting application than when considering retirement planning. More than ever, people are retiring with wealth. But they often do so without having an effective plan that determines from which […]
read moreRegardless of your level of affluence, studies show that you need to know what you want out of life before you can achieve it. So states the wisdom of Lee Eisenberg in his bestseller, The Number: A Completely Different Way to View the Rest of Your Life.[I] Eisenberg’s number refers to that amount of savings […]
read moreWith employment opportunities becoming increasingly challenging for seniors, more and more clients in their 60s are addressing social security issues sooner than they expected, and many of them have these questions: Early Retirement Benefits: When should I begin taking my benefits? Taxation of Benefits: How can I minimize the tax on my benefits? Delayed Retirement […]
read moreAs you may already know, we each can now shelter up to $11.58 million ($23.16M for couples) from estate taxes as assets pass to our heirs.* The new tax law preserves portability, which was introduced in a revision of tax rules by Congress in 2012 called the American Taxpayer Relief ACT of 2012 (ATRA). What […]
read moreEffectively managing the income taxes in your investment portfolio can make a significant difference in your retirement. The question is, How well are you doing? Since the 07-08 financial crisis, investors concerned about their retirement have benefited from using some types of annuities. These programs can not only provide life-time income guarantees, they can also […]
read more“Goodbye tension, hello pension.” This well-known retirement quip speaks to the financial security we hope to achieve when work becomes optional. With the demise of employer-sponsored pension plans, however, creating a sustainable lifetime income stream can seem more challenging than ever. Effective tax planning can do much to extend clients’ retirement assets and make running […]
read moreA take-off on the old adage “significant savings can often be had to those who don’t wait” states the case with year-end tax planning. A few smart moves prior to Dec. 31st can make a significant difference in your April tax bill. The key for most of us will be to defer income and accelerate […]
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