Blog

BY: SUSAN POWERS, CFA, CPA, CFP®, CPFA

Using an IRA to make a charitable donation can help a worthy cause and help lower your tax bill as well.  As we approach the fourth quarter, you may be reviewing your charitable giving strategies with a financial and tax advisor as part of your year-end planning.  While some tax efficient giving strategies can be a bit complex, qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) are as easy as writing a check to your favorite charities!

BY: KATE HENNESSY,  CFP®

When I was a teenager I had a summer job and my parents helped me open a savings account.  This action started me on my savings path and while I wouldn’t say I was saving for retirement at that point in my life, I did start to understand the concept of saving.

BY: PATRICK R. COTE, CFA, CFP®

Over the last few years, several studies from Fidelity, Wells Fargo, the University of California and Hargreaves Lansdown in the UK show that women’s investment returns tend to outperform men’s by anywhere from 0.4% to 0.8% per year.

BY: KATE HENNESSY,  CFP®

The fear and intimidation that women face about finances can start at an early age.

Research has shown that as young as 4th grade girls believe they are equal to boys and can do anything boys can do – girls enjoy and are good at both math and science.

BY: SUSAN POWERS, CFA, CPA, CFP®, CPFA

This was the message from a new client to others when she and I spoke about the circumstances in her life that caused her to seek out the services of a registered investment advisor.

The fear - of what; why was it holding you back?

WOMEN HELPING WOMEN BY SHARING THEIR FINANCIAL JOURNEY

By: Kate Hennessy, CFP®

They have absolutely nothing in common, however given the time of year and the weather changing they both seem to be on people’s minds.   I’ve learned lessons and tips from tax professionals throughout the years about ways to reduce our taxes, three of which I think you may find helpful as you think ahead to this year’s tax filing deadline of May 17.

BY: PATRICK R. COTE, CFA, CFP®

The tax field is not typically thought of as very exciting. However, every now and then there is a big change that creates a lot of buzz in the industry. We are in one such period now with several proposed tax plans from President Biden and Congress.

While we don’t yet know which (if any) plans become law, there are a number of important taxation areas being discussed:

BY: SUSAN POWERS, CFA, CPA, CFP®, CPFA

On March 17, 2021, the IRS announced that the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year would be automatically extended from April 15, 2021 to May 17, 2021.

2021 Tax Deadline Extension: 5 Key Points

By: Patrick Cote, CFA, CFP®

We believe credit freezes are one of the most effective, yet least-discussed, techniques to prevent identity theft.  They might be little-known because no one, including the credit bureaus, actually makes any money from a credit freeze – unlike credit locks, they are now provided for free.   Putting a credit freeze in place prevents the credit bureaus from sharing your credit report with any third parties, which makes it hard to establish new credit.  The freezes are very helpful