At the end of the year, many people begin thinking about making year-end gifts to their favorite charities.  While making cash donations to the charity of your choice is certainly a convenient approach, here are other gifting strategies to consider:

» Continue reading “Strategic Methods for Charitable Gifting”

As the year winds down, it is always a good idea to review your tax situation to determine if there are ways to reduce your tax liability.  However, the uncertainty surrounding many tax changes is proving to make 2010 a very difficult year for tax planning. Here are several items that may warrant consideration prior to the end of the year:

» Continue reading “2010 Tax Planning – Uncertainty Abounds”

One of the most important financial decisions people face with regard to retirement planning is when to start taking their Social Security retirement benefit.  Making the most of this decision requires careful consideration of a number of variables including tax, cash flow and even elder care issues.   The economic downturn has forced many families to consider taking Social Security earlier than expected.  With that in mind, here are some ideas to consider, when making this important decision.

» Continue reading “Strategic Social Security Decisions To Consider”

I have learned that one of the most effective ways to get things done is to work from a “To Do” list.  In that spirit, here are a number of very important items that, upon completion, will certainly strengthen your financial situation.  The best part…the entire list can be completed in 2 hours! » Continue reading “Complete These Financial Action Items in Two Hours!”

Vanguard has an interactive tool on their website that allows visitors to compare the results when attempting to time the market based on certain investment rules.  For example, if you exit the market after a 10% decline and re-enter the market after it appreciates by 5%, how would your results compare to simply owning the market (S&P 500 index) for the entire period?  The tool can provide outcomes that span over the last 22 years.

I sampled this tool for quite a while, attempting to effectively “time” the market.  I have to admit that I was very surprised by the results.  Here is the link to the tool if you would like to give it a try for yourself – The truth about emotion.

A key component of our one-time financial planning engagements involve assessing how much insurance coverage our clients need while also reviewing the insurance policies that clients have in order to determine if they are adequate or necessary.  In doing so, we often find that people have purchased insurance products that are either not necessary or entirely too costly.

» Continue reading “Is that type of insurance necessary?”

With more than $80 billion invested in exchange traded funds (ETFs), they have become a very popular investment for both retail and institutional investors. While ETFs can be an integral component of a sound investment strategy, investors should understand the tax treatment of these investments in order to avoid unexpected tax consequences.

» Continue reading “Taxation of Exchange Traded Funds Can Be Tricky”

The financial markets have experienced continued volatility since the end of April. In fact, with stocks declining in excess of 10%, the markets have officially entered a period of “correction.”   Although corrections are normal (and actually healthy for the markets), many investors may be a bit uneasy, especially with the wounds of the “Great Recession” still fresh in everyone’s mind.

» Continue reading “Market Corrections are not Unusual”

Given the turbulence in the financial markets during the week of May 3rd, we would like to provide followers of our blog with a few thoughts and insights.

» Continue reading “Thoughts on Recent Market Turbulence”

Most parents take certain steps to protect their children in the event of their premature death.  Drafting a will or other estate documents, designating a guardian, obtaining life insurance and naming appropriate beneficiary designations on IRAs and 401k plans are all important components of an effective estate plan that serve the purpose of protecting your children.  However, most parents should take additional measures to provide guidance on how their financial assets are managed for their children’s benefit.

» Continue reading “Do you need a Trust for your children?”