financial planning

The new Setting Every Community Up For Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act was just signed by President Trump on December 20,2019.  For individuals and small business owners, there are several ways the SECURE Act may affect you.  Highlighted below are a few of the ways the new legislation will impact IRA and employer plan withdrawal options and new rules for small businesses starting a retirement plan effective January 1, 2020. 

IRA and Employer Plan Withdrawals

With the new year and new decade upon us, one of your resolutions may be to save more or get your financial house in order.  I wanted to kick off the year with the top three reasons why people don’t ask an expert for help with their finances.  For those of you that haven’t hired an advisor, one or more of the reasons may resonate with you.

Submitted by Susan Powers on December 7, 2019

I recently hosted an evening with friends, food and wine where we discussed the current state of markets, the unique needs of women investors and the importance of aligning your investments with your goals.

The audience was diverse: single, married, small business owners, contractors working from home and retirees.  Their perspectives and questions were equally diverse.

Submitted by Pat Cote on December 7, 2019

That time of year again!  While we are in the midst of holiday season, the last thing many of us want to do is sit down and think about taxes.  However, taking a few minutes to focus on some specific areas can make a big difference.

With that in mind, we prepared a list of 10 key items to focus on before 12/31:

 

1.  Donate appreciated assets

Submitted by Kate Hennessy on December 7, 2019

It’s a great question.   Cash balance plans continue to be the fastest growing

Submitted by Pat Cote on November 11, 2019

If you are a small business owner making $400K - $600K, there is a large potential tax savings that you have likely not heard about.  It involves combining the new 20% QBI deduction with a cash balance/defined benefit plan.

Last week I hosted a gathering of clients and friends to talk about the process of a year end check up. I know, you’re probably thinking more about football, weekend gatherings and getting ready for the holidays, and so were they. But a little time invested now, can payoff in multiple ways. 

3 Key Takeaways:

College is one of life’s most important – and expensive investment goals. As a parent of two grade school kids, I know that their heading to college will be here faster than I think it will be. With most pre-college children heading back to school this month, we thought it would be appropriate to talk about pre-paying for one of life’s biggest expenses… college. In this article we talk about the importance of understanding the costs of college, what to expect from financial aid, and how to make the most of your tax-advantaged 529 plans.

As I get older, I’ve become more curious about Social Security.  I’m in my mid 40s and I have been paying into the system since high school. Hopefully, I’m 20+ years out from claiming benefits but  given how fast life goes by, it’s never too early to start thinking about and planning for Social Security. It’s a topic that many people shy away from, but in planning for your financial future, it’s an income stream that needs to be accounted for in a financial plan.

To kick off our series of articles on this topic, I am starting with 5 myths about Social Security: