Cash is king – and sometimes, you need access to cash unexpectedly. In a client’s case last week, they found themselves with a great real estate opportunity that involved purchasing a new home in advance of selling their current home. They needed access to cash for a very short period of time (less than a […]

I talked with clients this week about 529 plans they set up for their grandchildren. We discussed a few items, including what options exist for excess funds as well as transfer of ownership in the event of their passing before the funds are spent. I have discussed the former in a prior post (you can […]

A client reached out this week regarding a short-term cash need. As we discussed the various ways to obtain liquidity, the subject of capital gains and the related taxation came up. This can be a confusing topic and is also one that is in the news as of late as it has become a key […]

As you likely know by now, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.50% this week. While we have been under the impression that rates would fall for virtually all of 2024 (and have been having discussions with clients to that end for many months as a result), I certainly understand that things aren’t top […]

I talked with a Client this week about what to expect as his granddaughter (for whom he has established a custodial account) approaches her twenty first birthday. Let’s take a closer look at custodial accounts as many of your have children in your lives you care about – and the future will be here before […]

As interest rates fell last week (and with talk of Fed rate cuts coming in September), I talked with two clients about real estate related questions this week. Let’s take a look at these important topics Selling a Home Without a doubt, lower mortgage rates spark increased home buying (and selling) activity. As rates come […]

A client referred her mom to me for help with an essential task in her financial journey – the selection of a financial advisor. Her mom had a long-standing relationship with a local advisory firm and her designated advisor left very abruptly. She was faced with a decision – leave and follow her prior advisor […]

A client asked a great question this week about an often-overlooked strategy to utilize tax-deferred IRA funds to make donations directly to charity. Let’s take a closer look at this strategy and determine when it may make sense for you to consider it as well. What is a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)? A QCD is […]

In working with a client this week on an inherited account, the topic of step-up in cost basis arose. This is an important item to understand when someone passes away (and you inherit their assets) so I thought it was worth covering it herein. What is cost basis? As a reminder, cost basis is the […]

I recently worked on a financial planning project for clients who were quickly approaching their retirement years. The ultimate goal of the exercise was to determine the estimate of annual spending their portfolio can support in retirement. As you can imagine, this calculation relies on many assumptions concerning items such as asset class returns, asset […]