Newsletter Archive

 

  • March 2010
    Key Economic Indicators and What They Mean; Got Stock? The Long and Short of Capital Gains; Back to Basics: Reviewing Your Budget; What is premature distribution tax?; What is the "SEPP" exception to the premature tax?
  • February 2010
    How to Double the Power of Your Tax Refund; College Debt: How Much is Too Much?; Special Needs Trusts; What's an exchange-traded fund?; and How can I use exchange-traded funds?
  • January 2010
    Four Money Mistakes You Can Learn From; ARMed and Dangerous?; Hardship Withdrawals from 401(k) Plans; What can affect the cost of homeowners insurance?; and How can I reduce my the cost of my homeowners insurance?
  • Year End Review 2009
    Special December Newsletter - The Year in Review
  • December 2009
    Moving Forward Financially After Divorce; Retirement: Does Your Withdrawal Strategy Need a Second Look?; Retirement Issues to Watch in 2010; What is job-loss insurance?; and What is pet insurance?
  • November 2009
    Time to Consider Year-End Investment Moves; What to Do When Layoffs Loom; 2009 Year-End Tax Planning Considerations; What is Build America Bond (BAB)?; and What is a refunded municipal bond?
  • October 2009
    Protecting Yourself from Investment Scamsters; Finding the Right Financial Professional; Health Insurance Options After a Job Loss; Should I lay off employees from my small business?; and How should I lay off employees from my small business?
  • September 2009
    Is "Buy and Hold" Dead?; Roth IRA Conversions in 2010: Goodbye, Income Limits!; Homeward Bound: Investing in the American Dream; What health insurance options do college students have?; and Can a student's health insurance be cancelled during a medically necessary leave of absence?
  • August 2009
    Social Security:  What Does the Future Hold?; More Drops in the Higher Education Bucket; Understanding Principal-Protected Notes and CDs; Can creditors reach my 401(k) plan account?; and Can creditors reach my IRA assets?
  • July 2009

    Changing Jobs? Take Your 401(k) and ... Roll It!; Refinancing Your Mortage: Is It Worthwhile?; Estate Planning Opportunities in a Down Market; What tax credits are available for making homes more energy efficient?; and I'm buying my first home, but I already own an investment property.  Will I qualify for the first-time homebuyer's tax credit?

  • June 2009
    Social Security:  Late Retirement Boosts Benefits; Estate Planning for a Second Marriage; Retiring Early?  Don't Forget about Health Insurance; What tax credits are available for making homes more energy efficient?; and I'm buying my first home, but I already own an investment property.  Will I qualify for the first-time homebuyer's tax credit?
  • May 2009
    A Small Business Plan for Uncertain Times; Investing in a Low Interest Rate Environment; Charitably Inclined? The Income Tax Benefits of Giving; Is it possible to accidentally disinherit my heirs?; and How do I purposefully disinherit an heir?
  • April 2009
    Writing Off Worthless Securities on Your Taxes; IRAs and 401(k) Plans: Four Strategies in a Declining Market; Longevity Insurance; Is it possible to accidentally disinherit my heirs?; and How do I purposefully disinherit an heir?
  • March 2009
    Will the Estate Tax Stay Repealed for 2010?; 2008 Tax Filing Season:  New and Noteworthy; What You Don't Know Can Hurt You; Can I convert my traditional IRA to a Roth in 2009?; and I converted my traditional IRA to a Roth in 2008 -- can I undo this?
  • February 2009
    Tax-Friendly States for Retirees; Retirement Plan and IRA Limits for 2009; College Costs: Increases and Trends; Is my brokerage account protected?; and How much coverage does SIPC provide?
  • January 2009
    The Higher Education Opportunity Act; Federal Protection for Bank Deposits; Rethinking Your Retirement Game Plan; Is my brokerage account protected?; and How much coverage does SIPC provide?
  • December 2008
    Exceptions to the Early Distribution Penalty; Four Mistakes Women Make When Managing Money; As 2009 Dawns, Is There Hope on the Horizon?; Can I get an estimate of my child's financial aid eligibility before we officially apply for aid?; and When does my child need to submit financial aid applications?
  • November 2008
    Five Ideas for Staying Sane in a Crazy Market; Don't Let a Natural Disaster Demolish Your Finances; Ten Gifting Traps You Should Avoid; I have a home office -- can I still exclude gain when I sell my home?; and Do I qualify for the first-time homebuyer tax credit?
  • October 2008
    Time to Consider Year-End Investment Moves; Should You Roll Your 401(k) Money Over to an IRA?; Buying a Home in Foreclosure; Should my child apply to college early decision?; and What's the difference between early decision and early action?
  • September 2008
    Reapplying for Social Security; Providing for Children of a Previous Marriage; Annuity Maximization: A Strategy to Leave More to Your Heirs; What is assisted living? and How do I choose an assisted-living facility?
  • August 2008
    The Economics of Borrowing from Your 401(k); The Pros and Cons of Self-Insuring Long-Term Care; Annuity Maximization: A Strategy to Leave More to Your Heirs; Can I roll over funds from my 401(k) to a Roth IRA?; and I Inherited my spouse's traditional IRA. Now what?
  • July 2008
    Making Sense of Municipal Bonds; Should a Destination Club Be Your Home Away from Home; The Three C's of Credit; Will the current credit crunch impact my child's ability to get a student loan for college?; and What is a Parent PLUS Loan?
  • June 2008
    Tapping Retirement Savings for College Expenses; Tax-Wise Gifting Strategies for Seniors; Can I Get Life Insurance after a Serious Illness?; Can I enroll in Medicare at age 65, even if I'm not yet eligible for full Social Security benefits?; and What are Medicare Advantage plans?
  • May 2008
    Style Drift: Do You Know Where Your Assets Are?; Universal Life: Insurance with Options; Tips for Selling Your Home in an Uncertain Market; Can I be automatically enrolled in a 401(k) plan?; and What are qualified default investment alternatives?
  • April 2008
    It's Not What You Earn -- It's What You Keep; Coping with a Slower Economy; Retiring Overseas: A Passport to Adventure; What can we learn from the subprime mortgage mess?; and When's the best time to refinance my mortgage?
  • March 2008
    Teach Your Children Well: Financial Tips for Teens; The Skinny on SCINs; Will You Pay Taxes on Your Social Security Benefits?; Is my pension safe if my employer goes bust?; and Should I take my pension benefit in a lump sum or an annuity?
  • February 2008
    The U.S. Dollar and Your Portfolio; Why UTMA/UGMA Custodial Accounts Aren't Making the Grade; Working in Retirement -- What You Need to Know; How do I figure the tax credit on my 2008 hybrid car?; and Many of my possessions were destroyed in a recent disaster. Can I get a break on my taxes?
  • January 2008
    Financial Resolutions for the New Year; All about Net Unrealized Appreciation; Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit; I'm planning a cruise to the Caribbean this winter. Do I need a passport?; and How do I apply for a passport?
  • October 2007
    "Kiddie Tax" Rules: The College Years; Absolute Return Investing: Aiming for Market Independence; Do You Need More Liability Protection?; Does Uncle Sam tax my child's college scholarship?; and How reliable are online scholarship searches?
  • September 2007
    The Full Spectrum of Wealth Management; The Power of a Dynasty Trust; Figuring out the College Payoff; Two career couples - who should retire first?; and Are online retirement planning calculators useful?
  • August 2007
    How Much Annual Income Can Your Retirement Portfolio Provide?; How Long Will You Live; and Why Does It Matter?; Granparents Help with Ever-Rising College Costs; What are convertible preferred shares of stocks?; and How do I compare convertible preferreds to common stock?
  • July 2007
    Strategies for Handling Market Volatility; Inheriting a 401(k) Plan Account; Understanding the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT); and Ask the Experts: My home is worth a lot more than I originally paid for it. Does this affect my homeowners insurance? What is the hurricane deductible in my homeowners insurance policy?
  • June 2007
    Six Reasons to Work with a Financial Professional; Beyond 401(k)s and IRAs; Solving the Pension Payment Puzzle; How can I protect the personal items in my car?; and Do I need rental car insurance?
  • May 2007
    More Young Adults Staying on Family Health Plans; Investing Overseas BRIC by BRIC; Estate Tax Repeal: Ramifications and Outlook; Should I Lend Money to a Family Member?; and Is it a Good Idea to Cosign a Loan?
  • April 2007
    Retirement Plans for your Small Business; Money for your Life - Determining your Life Insurance Need; When Will you Retire?; When Should I Receive my Federal Tax Refund; and What if I find a mistake on my federal tax return after I file it?
  • March 2007
    Should you be a Personal Representative?; Monte Carlo Analysis: the Basics; Tax Tips for Business Travelers; Can I Deduct Losses Incurred in my IRA?; and How is the Employer Stock in my 401(k)Plan Taxed?
  • February 2007
    What's New at Shakespeare; Retirement: Does Your Game Plan Need a Second Look?; Common Types of Trusts; What is the timeline for federal financial aid?; and How are 529 plans treated for financial aid purposes?
  • January 2007
    What's New for 2007; Tax-Friendly States for Individuals; Successful Investors' Strategies and How You Can Apply Them; Is it Too Late to make an IRA contribution for 2006?; and How do I undo my 2006 Roth IRA conversion?
  • 2007 Key Numbers
    Key Financial Planning Numbers for 2006 & 2007 in the following areas: Individual income tax planning; Marginal tax rates; Investment planning; Education planning; Retirement planning; Business planning; Estate planning; Protection planning; and Government benefits.
  • December 2006
    Downsizing Your Home: Moving Out, Moving On; Rate Changes and Your Portfolio; Is an Ethical Will Right for You?; How does an UGMA/UTMA custodial account work? and How does an UGMA/UTMA custodial account compare to a 529 plan when saving for college?
  • November 2006
    Roth IRA Conversions in 2010; Year-End Tax Planning -- New Challenges and Opportunities; The Pension Protection Act of 2006: What it Means to You; How Can I Gauge an Investment's Volatility?; and I'm Retired. How Can I Minimize Fluctuations in my Income?
  • October 2006
    Living Longer... But at What Cost? Protect your Portfolio against Inflation; Coping with a Home Equity Hangover; Does my auto insurance policy cover flood damage? How can I avoid buying a flood-damaged car?
  • September 2006
    Plan for Business Ownership Transitions with a Buy-Sell Agreement; Health Savings Accounts; Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT); and 529 Plans.
  • July 2006
    Are you Ready for Stormy Weather?; Municipal Bonds; Social Security: What Should You Do at Age 62?; What is Vesting?; and Does the Federal Government Insure Pension Benefits?
  • June 2006
    Volatile Markets and Financial Planning; Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency; Core/Satellite Investing; What is an Option ARM?; and Should I Consider an Interest Only Mortgage?
  • May 2006
    Asset Selection & Allocation - Keys to Investment Success; Landing a Better Financial Aid Package; Choosing a Retirement Community; and Buying a New Car.
  • April 2006
    Retirement Plans for your Small Business; Why a GRAT can be GREAT; A New Look at 1031 Exchanges; Should Your Family Business Form a FLP?; and How can an FLP prepare for IRS scrutiny?
  • March 2006
    Avoid Becoming House Poor; Tax Deduction Facts You Can't Afford to Overlook; Women and Retirement -- The Importance of Planning; Can I convert term life insurance to a permanent policy?; and Do I need life insurance after retirement?
  • February 2006
    Our February Newsletter is devoted to one topic - understanding your Social Security Benefits. Social Security is an important part of a retirement plan, and understanding how it works is critically important. If you are nearing retirement, this issue is a must read. For the younger readers looking to retire early and work part-time, you will learn how your social security benefits can be taxed if you make above a nominal income. To learn more about your Social Security Benefits and how they will fit into your retirement plan, just give us a call.
  • January 2006
    We have devoted our January 2006 Newsletter to show the Key Numbers for 2006, 2005, and 2004 in the following areas: Individual income tax planning; Marginal tax rates; Investment planning; Education planning; Retirement planning; Business planning; Estate planning; Protection planning; and Government benefits.
  • December 2005
    Year-End Tax Planning; Re-Balancing Your Assets; Taking Money Out of Your 401K; Benefits of Donor-Advised Funds and Establishing Donor-Advised Funds.
  • November 2005
    Style Box Analysis; Student Loans Due for Spring Graduates; the New Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit; and Evaluating a Home Health Care Agency.
  • October 2005
    The New Roth 401(k); Five Keys to Becoming a Millionaire; New Bankruptcy Rules; and Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs).
  • September 2005
    Talking to Your Family About Your Estate Plan; Life or Death for the Estate Tax; Laddering Investments; Credit History and Credit Offers.
  • August 2005
    Phased Retirement; Pay Off Your Mortgage vs. Investing Your Money; Helping Your Child Transition to College; Dog Bites and Homeowners Insurance; and Health Insurance for Your Pet.
  • July 2005
    Global Investing; The Nanny Tax; Crash Course in Auto Insurance; 529 Plans and Scholarships.
  • June 2005
    Weddings: The Bills; Financial Wedding Gifts; Financial Advice for the Happy Couple; Diamond Ring Insurance; and Can I Insure the Wedding?
  • May 2005
    Planning for Income at Retirement; Planning for Long-Term Care; Is Your Social Security Secure; Mortgages - Points vs. Interest Rates; and Fixed vs. Adjustable Rate Mortages.
  • March 2005
    Tax Tips for 2005; Traditional vs. Roth IRAs; Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (Keeping Life Insurance Proceeds Out of Your Taxable Estate); Do I Need to File a Gift Tax Return?
  • February 2005
    Evaluating Life Insurance Needs; Exchange Traded Funds; Leaving Your Home Alone for Winter; should I Accept an Early Retirement Offer?
  • January 2005
    How Rising Interest Rates Impact Investments; Applying for Federal Financial Aid; Retirement Plan and IRA Limits for 2005; What Should I Do with My Holiday Bonus?
 
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