Categories

Estate Planning

Trusts Still Have time to Reduce their Taxes for 2024 By Scott Montgomery, CLU, ChFC

Posted February 12, 2025

With 2025 well underway, certain calendar-year trusts and estates still have a small window of opportunity to reduce their 2024 income tax liabilities and those of the trusts’ beneficiaries provided they act before March 6, 2025. Under a special IRS rule, trustees have 65 days after the start of a new year to distribute trust […]

What is Asset Diversification and Why is it Important? by Olga Ismail, AIF®

Posted February 4, 2025

Asset diversification is an investment strategy designed to help investors minimize exposure to market volatility while attempting to maximize opportunities for high returns over the long term. While diversifying assets does not guarantee any investment objective will be met, spreading out investable dollars over a diverse mix of stocks, bonds, cash and other assets could […]

A Fair Inheritance is in the Eye of the Beholder By Lee F. Hediger

Posted January 22, 2025

Leaving behind a lasting legacy and providing for surviving family members in the event of an individual’s death or disability takes time, patience and consideration of a broad range of non-financial issues. While there are times when an unequal division of property among heirs is preferable, consideration should be given how surviving family members will […]

Avoid the Problems that Can Come with Cosigning Loans by Kathleen Marteney, CRPC

Posted January 2, 2025

Cosigning loans for friends or family members can spell financial disaster and ruin otherwise healthy relationships. While it is not unusual for parents to cosign for a child’s student loans, car loans or even a mortgage, doing so can damage parents’ credit scores and leave them liable for paying off the entire debt plus interest.  […]

Now is the Time to Review Estate Planning Documents by By Kathleen Marteney, CRPC®

Posted December 12, 2024

One of the many things individuals learned from the pandemic is that the unexpected can happen, and the best way to be prepared is to have a plan in place that meets your evolving circumstances. It is wise to proactively take stock of your physical and financial health throughout various stages of life and consider […]

Rethinking Inherited IRAs After the SECURE Act by Lee F. Hediger

Posted November 28, 2024

The SECURE Act’s elimination of stretch IRAs poses a challenge to many high-net-worth account owners who had hoped to pass their savings to the next generation and allow inheritances to continue growing tax-free over beneficiaries’ lifetimes. Under the law, non-spouse IRA beneficiaries must withdraw the entirety of inherited IRA accounts within 10 years of the […]

How Can an LLC Protect Physicians from Creditors, Litigation? By Sean Deviney, CFP®*

Posted November 20, 2024

Physicians and other healthcare providers recognize the inherent risks of their profession, including legal and financial exposure to claims of medical malpractice. However, this professional liability is merely the tip of the iceberg when considering the legal minefield all professionals must navigate when operating a business, employing staff, owning property and even driving a vehicle. […]

Social Security Administration Increases Recipients’ Benefits in 2025 by Lee F. Hediger

Posted November 6, 2024

Social Security and Supplement Security Income (SSI) benefits will rise 2.5 percent for nearly 73 million Americans in 2025. This annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) translates to an average of $50 in additional monthly benefits. The annual COLA is tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), as determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor […]

Managing your Online Legacy and Digital Assets after Death by Eric Zeitlin

Posted November 4, 2024

In a world where we conduct and share so much of our lives online, it is essential to consider what happens to our digital footprint after we pass away. Do family members have the usernames and passwords needed to access all your financial accounts and pay bills in your absence? Can they access all the […]

Steps Required to Settle an Estate By Scott Montgomery, CLU, ChFC

Posted September 26, 2024

When people die, the settling of their estates and the closing of their financial affairs begin. The entire process can be overwhelmingly stressful for grieving family members and quite time-consuming, depending on the size of the decedent’s estate and the plans put in place before their passing. Following are five critical steps surviving spouses and […]

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