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Politics aside, it was tragic to hear that many government workers ran into trouble paying their bills when they did not have a paycheck for a month.  Unfortunately, this cash shortfall is not unusual, as a Federal Reserve survey last year showed that 40% of American adults would not be able to cover a $400 emergency expense or would do so by borrowing or selling something.

Although I’ve been in the financial industry for 20 years, I made a few mistakes before I became a financial advisor.  Here’s a quick run-down of three and what I did to right the ship-

11/13/2018 - originally aired on Sirius XM Channel 132, Business Radio Powered by the Wharton School

^{By: Susan Powers}

Looking for tips to help you save money on your tax bill for 2018?  Smart tax planning starts now rather than waiting until next year when it’s often too late.  Here are 5 tips to help you take full advantage of tax reform.

1.  Review your investments, ‘harvest’ losses

Given recent market volatility, you may have losses in your taxable accounts.  You can lock in those losses for tax purposes, while still being invested for the long-term by buying something similar, but not identical.  You can use these tax losses to offset capital gains when you file your tax returns.  This is a concept known as tax-loss harvesting.   For example, if you sold one investment and realized a gain of $5,000 and then sold another at a loss of $4,000, you reduce your taxable gain to $1,000.  If your loss is larger than the gain, you can deduct up to $3,000 of the net loss against ordinary income.

^{By: Kate Hennessy}

As a parent I appreciate the saying “they grow up so fast.”  When I was on maternity leave in 2010, I remember how excited I was to fund our daughter’s 529 plan and plan for her future.

Selecting the right 529 plan can be as intimidating as determining how much to contribute each year.  In working with my clients, I have identified several types of 529 plans and funding schedules to meet their needs.

7/25/2017 - originally aired on Sirius XM Channel 132, Business Radio Powered by The Wharton School.