Blog
A Taxing Story: Capital Gains and Losses
Chris Rock once remarked, “You don’t pay taxes – they take taxes.” That applies not only to income but also to capital gains. Capital gains result when an individual sells an investment for an amount greater than their purchase price. Capital gains are categorized as...
The Financial Literacy Crisis
Imagine driving a car without a basic understanding of the rules of the road or even how to operate it. Scary thought. Here’s another scary circumstance – one that is all too real. Many Americans are making financial decisions with minimal financial knowledge of...
Five Most Overlooked Tax Deductions
Who among us wants to pay the IRS more taxes than we have to? While few may raise their hands, Americans regularly overpay because they fail to take tax deductions for which they are eligible. Let’s take a quick look at the five most overlooked opportunities to manage...
Can Group, Private Disability Policies Work Together?
According to the Social Security Administration, a 20-year-old has more than a 25% chance of becoming disabled before reaching retirement age.1 Loss of income for such a duration has the potential to cause significant financial hardship. And while Social Security...
A Primer on Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts
"I'm proud to pay taxes in the United States; the only thing is, I could be just as proud for half the money." - Entertainer Arthur Godfrey The irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT) can be an important estate strategy tool that may accomplish a number of...
Orchestrating Your Retirement Accounts
An orchestra is merely a collection of instruments, each creating a unique sound. It is only when a conductor leads them that they produce the beautiful music imagined by the composer. The same can be said about your retirement strategy. The typical retirement...
How Retirement Spending Changes With Time
New retirees sometimes worry that they are spending too much, too soon. Should they scale back? Are they at risk of outliving their money? This concern may be legitimate. Some households "live it up" and spend more than they anticipate as retirement starts to unfold....
9 Facts About Retirement
Retirement can have many meanings. For some, it will be a time to travel and spend time with family members. For others, it will be a time to start a new business or begin a charitable endeavor. Regardless of what approach you intend to take, here are nine things...
Navigating Retirement Pitfalls
Much is written about the classic financial mistakes that plague start-ups, family businesses, corporations, and charities. Some classic financial missteps have been known to plague retirees, too. Calling them "missteps" may be a bit harsh, as not all of them...
Does Your Portfolio Fit Your Retirement Lifestyle?
Most portfolios are constructed based on an individual's investment objective, risk tolerance, and time horizon. Using these inputs and sophisticated portfolio-optimization calculations, most investors can feel confident that they own a well-diversified portfolio,...