A client reached out this week to discuss ways she could best help a family member financially. She was curious what the implications were if she gifted the funds versus setting up a loan. I thought it was a great topic to share more broadly, so let’s dive in. Start with your intentions Before you […]

I’ve talked with a few clients in recent weeks about various aspects of 529 plans. These can serve as powerful savings vehicles for an important expense, so I thought a refresher may be helpfu. What is a 529 plan? A 529 plan is a state-sponsored program that allows parents, relatives and friends to invest in […]

When working on financial plan illustrations for clients, I request quite a bit of information. If they are not yet claiming social security, I will include a Social Security Statement in that request list. Often times, I’m asked what that is and how they can retrieve it, so let’s cover that question today. What is […]

Last week, I featured a question from a client about accessing and reviewing your credit report. I thought a helpful follow-up to that could be reviewing credit scores. Here we go! What’s the purpose of a credit score? When a borrower loans you money, their main concern is whether or not you will ultimately pay […]

A client received a strange letter in the mail this past week. It was from a bank (with which they have no relationship) stating that her husband’s auto loan had been approved. She wisely did not want to contact the number listed on the letter. She reached out to the bank directly (via the number […]

Happy 2023! I realize we are only a few days into the new year. Perhaps you’re still writing/saying 2022, taking down holiday decorations, working on your new year’s resolutions, or struggling getting back into your routine after a nice vacation. All of those are understandable – go easy on yourself! However, if you are all […]

The end of the calendar year is a busy time for many reasons – holiday parties, shopping, open enrollment, utilization of flex spend dollars, and of course – tax strategizing! I work closely with clients to review their year-to-date estimated taxes and see if there are some strategies they wish to employ before the end […]

Taxes – everyone’s favorite subject! I’ve been working with several clients in the past month to process Required Minimum Distributions. As those amounts are taxable, as part of that process, I consult with their tax advisors to run a quick tax estimate and calculate the appropriate withholding amount. As I’ve worked thru this process, it […]

Holiday season – the perfect time to bake cookies, put up decorations, enjoy time with family and friends – and of course check on the funding status of your retirement plans! I recently worked on this with a client and thought it would be helpful to share. There are a variety of retirement plans that […]

At some time in your life (and perhaps during the holiday season), you may be positioned to gift (or receive) a meaningfully sized gift of money or another asset. A client is on the receiving end of that equation and reached out for a discussion about gifting and the potential tax implications. Very timely topic […]