<span style=

Market Commentary

Estates & Trusts

What Key Estate Planning Tools Should I Know About?

Wills and trusts allow you to spell out how you would like your property distributed, but they also go beyond that.
How Can a Living Trust Help Me Control My Estate?

A living trust can help control the distribution of your estate upon death.
What Are the Pitfalls of Probate?

The probate process can be lengthy and complex. There are strategies you can use to help avoid the probate process.
How Can I Control the Distribution of My Estate?

If you haven't taken steps already, consider planning now for the distribution of the assets of your estate.
What Gifting Strategies Are Available to Me?

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of different gifting strategies available for planned giving.
Could My Family Benefit from a Family Limited Partnership?

One estate planning strategy that families with closely held businesses could consider is the family limited partnership.

Retirement

What Is a SIMPLE?

The SIMPLE plan may appeal to small business owners as it is easy to set up, administer, and allows for a tax deduction.
What Is a Roth 401(k)?

A Roth 401(k) is funded with after-tax money, and allows for tax- and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings if requirements are met.
What Is a Profit-Sharing Plan?

Profit-sharing plans give employees a share in the profits of a company and can help to fund their retirements.
What Is a Money Purchase Pension Plan?

A money purchase plan is a retirement plan where employer contributions are based on a fixed percentage of compensation.
What Is a 403(b) Plan?

A 403(b) plan is a tax-deferred retirement savings plan that can only be offered by a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity.
How Much Do I Need to Save?

Many realize it’s important to save for retirement, but knowing exactly how much to save is another issue altogether.
Should You Bank Your Retirement on Your Business?

Allocating too much of your retirement investments to one company, even your own, can be a risky proposition.
What Are My Retirement Planning Options?

There are a variety of retirement planning options that could help meet your needs. Here are some of the most popular.
How Can I Estimate My Future Social Security Benefits?

The Social Security Administration’s retirement estimator gives estimates of your future benefits based on your actual Social Security earnings record.
What Is a Self-Employed Retirement Plan?

Tax-deferred retirement plans for self-employed individuals have higher contribution limits than IRAs.
What Is a Traditional IRA?

If you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you might consider a traditional IRA.
What Is a 401(k) Plan?

401(k) employer-sponsored retirement plans have many benefits, including that the funds accumulate tax-deferred.
What Is a Roth IRA?

Qualified Roth IRA distributions in retirement are free of federal income tax and aren’t included in gross income.

Tax Planning

What Is the Capital Gain Tax?

Capital gains are profits realized from the sale of assets; a tax is triggered only when an asset is sold, not held.
What Is the Estate Tax?

Everything you own, whatever the form of ownership, is subject to federal, and possibly state, estate taxes.
What Is the Gift Tax?

The federal gift tax applies to gifts of property or money while the donor is living.
How Much Money Can I Put Into My IRA or Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan?

IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans are subject to annual contribution limits set by the federal government.
What Is a Required Minimum Distribution?

Required minimum distribution is the annual amount that must be withdrawn from a qualified retirement plan/account.
What Happens If I Withdraw Money from My Tax-Deferred Investments Before Age 59½

Tax-deferred retirement account withdrawals before age 59½ generally triggers a 10% federal income tax penalty.
What Is Tax Deferral?

There can be a substantial benefit to deferring taxes as long as possible.
How Can I Benefit from Tax-Advantaged Investments?

Many traditional tax-advantaged investment strategies have gone away, but there are still some alternatives.
What Is the Most Tax-Efficient Way to Take a Distribution From a Retirement Plan

Consider a trustee-to-trustee transfer to an IRA versus a lump-sum distribution from a workplace retirement plan.

Investing

What Are Dividends?

It is important to understand how dividends (taxable payments to shareholders) fit with your long-term goals.
What Is an Exchange-Traded Fund?

ETFs have unique attributes and attempt to track all types of indexes, industries, or commodities.
What Is Stock?

Before investing in stocks, it is important to understand some of the basics and the risks involved in owning stocks.
What Is Diversification?

An important element to successful investing is to manage investment risk while maintaining the potential for growth.
What Is a Bond?

A bond is simply evidence of a debt from a government entity or a corporation and represents a long-term IOU.
What Do Bond Ratings Mean?

Bond ratings gauge a bond issuer’s financial ability to repay its promised principal and interest payments.
What Is a Stock Index?

Stock market indexes can be useful benchmarks for gauging the performance of an investment portfolio over time.
What Is a Mutual Fund?

A mutual fund is a collection of stocks, bonds, and other securities with certain benefits and risks.
What Is an Annuity?

An annuity is a flexible financial vehicle that can help protect against the risk of living a long time because it provides an option for a lifetime income.
What Is the Difference Between a Fixed Annuity and a Variable Annuity?

Both fixed and variable annuities could be appropriate options for an individual interested in purchasing an annuity.
What Investment Risks Should I Know About?

Understanding different types of investment risk can help investors manage their money more effectively.
What Are the Different Classes of Assets?

There are five broad asset classes that you should take into consideration when constructing your investment portfolio.
What Is Asset Allocation?

Asset allocation is a method used to help manage investment risk; it does not guarantee a profit or protect against investment loss.
How Can I Save for My Child’s College Education?

There are several funding methods for a child's college education including mutual funds and Section 529 plans.

Cash Management

What Are Some Tips for Managing My Money?

A sound cash management program uses a disciplined approach: accounting, analysis, allocation, and adjustment.
What Cash Management Tools Are Available?

Short-term cash management instruments can help you establish a sound cash management program.
How Does Inflation Affect Me?

Historically, one of the best ways to fight the effects of inflation has been to utilize growth-oriented investments.

Risk Management

Why Purchase Life Insurance?

If you have a family who relies on your income, it is important to have life insurance protection.
Do I Need a Business Owner Policy?

A business owner policy is an insurance package that assembles the basic coverages required by a business owner in one bundle.
What Is Life Insurance for Business Owners?

Company-owned life insurance is one way to help protect a business from financial problems caused by the death of a key employee.
What Is Disability Income Insurance for Business Owners?

As a business owner, a disability can create an economic hardship putting both your personal finances and business at risk.
What Is Term Life Insurance?

Term life insurance differs from permanent forms of life insurance in that it offers temporary protection.
How Can I Maximize My Insurance Benefits?

Several factors could undermine the financial security provided by the proceeds of your life insurance policy.
Do I Need Disability Income Insurance?

Knowing the basics of a disability income insurance policy is a good first step toward protecting your family.
What Types of Health Coverage Are Available?

There are three basic types of medical insurance plans: fee-for-service, managed care, and high-deductible health plan.
What Is the Difference Between an HMO and a PPO?

Selecting health insurance is often one of the most important decisions you will make. Do you know the different types?
Am I Prepared for Long-Term Care Expenses?

The odds of needing long-term care increase as you age. Prior planning can help protect you from financial ruin.
What Does Medicare Cover?

Medicare is the federal health insurance program for those persons age 65 and over. But what does it cover?
What Are the Basic Types of Life Insurance?

When selecting a life insurance policy, examine all your options, as well as the positives and negatives of each type.

Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary | September 30, 2024

Address:

Phone:

Fax/Other:

E-mail:

Articles

Market Commentary

Estates & Trusts

Retirement

Tax Planning

Investing

Cash Management

Risk Management

Weekly Market Commentary