Blog
The future you want, the money to do it.
Education is a key component of our planning and investment process. We share our expertise with you through our blog so that you can have a deeper understanding of your finances and the decisions surrounding them.
The Latest From Our Blog
5 Tax Mistakes Costing Retirees & Pre-Retirees Thousands
Many pre-retirees approaching retirement focus exclusively on accumulating wealth while overlooking a crucial factor that could cost them: inefficient tax planning. A well-executed tax strategy that avoids common tax mistakes can save thousands of dollars in retirement.Social Security benefits become taxable when your combined income (adjusted...
7 Ways to Minimize Next Year’s Tax Burden
Tax season can be a stressful time for many people, especially if you're not fully prepared. However, with some advance planning and preparation, you can take steps to minimize your tax burden for the coming year. Here are 7 things you can do now to trim your tax bill.Contributing to a retirement account such as an Individual Retirement Account...
Setting Financial Boundaries with Adult Children
According to a report from earlier this year, “Half of parents with adult children provide regular financial assistance to their grown offspring. The average support per adult child is $1,474 monthly, about 6% higher than last year.”1 When you work hard to build financial security, it's natural to want to help your children find the same freedom....
Is a Fed Interest Rate Cut Coming Soon?
Year-to-date, the Federal Reserve has maintained interest rates at current levels, despite political pressure to lower them. Is a rate cut coming soon? To answer that, markets and investors look to the labor market and inflation trends, which directly impact monetary policy and the likelihood of a Fed interest rate cut. Data shows that the labor...
Supporting Adult Children Financially Without Jeopardizing Your Retirement
Imagine this: you've worked hard for decades, saved diligently, and are approaching the retirement you've earned. Then your adult daughter calls. She needs help with a down payment. Additionally, your son is struggling with his lingering student loans while anticipating his daughter’s looming college costs. How much can you afford to support your...
Financially Supporting Older Children: What is Fair?
When considering how best to divide your assets, you may believe a policy of “share and share alike” is the best solution. This strategy is perhaps the easiest method of financially supporting your children and often the way to avoid conflicts and complaints. But does equality necessarily equate to fairness? A more practical approach to...
How to Teach Financial Literacy & Wisdom: A Guide to Age-Appropriate Money Conversations
Your five-year-old grandson tugs on your sleeve during Sunday lunch and asks, "Grandpa, are we rich?" Your teenage granddaughter mentions she wants to buy something expensive, and your adult daughter looks to you for guidance on how to respond. Your youngest child is starting his first job out of college and asking you all kinds of questions...
Summer Legacy Conversations: Turning Family Gatherings into Meaningful Money Moments
Your adult children gather around your kitchen table after a family barbecue, and someone mentions how expensive everything has gotten — groceries, healthcare, housing. The conversation naturally shifts to concerns about the future. This is your moment — not for a formal financial presentation but for the kind of meaningful conversation that...
Understanding Succession and Legacy Planning
Succession and legacy planning go beyond drafting a will; they involve creating a strategic framework for transferring your wealth, values, and responsibilities to the next generation or chosen beneficiaries. As you accumulate assets or approach the later stages of life, it becomes increasingly important to ensure that your estate is managed...
6 Questions to Navigate the Murkiest Part of Estate Planning
Questions of when and how to distribute your assets to your heirs is the murkiest part of estate planning. This process requires a series of considerations and trade-offs to avoid family problems. For many, focusing on the numbers is objective and straightforward. But when it comes to the when and how of distribution, things can get gray if...