Our Services
We serve individuals in areas of financial planning with an eye on the tax implications of our planning. Our goal is to develop long-term relationships with our clients that take us through the ups and downs of their financial lives. We want to educate and empower you to help make informed decisions. We have a fiduciary responsibility to act in your best interest and have worked to develop processes that enable us to do that.
If you are coming for your first financial planning appointment, we have a guide you can download by clicking on the following link for What to bring to your first financial planning appointment.
Our A La Carte Service Model:
Social Security:
Taking Social Security at 62 means a lifetime penalty of 30% and a smaller annual cost of living raises. Delay collecting until age 70 can mean a 24% increase initially and a higher cost of living raises over your lifetime. Special rules apply to divorced, disabled, or surviving spouses. We can create a personalized Social Security strategy. Cost: $200 to $350
Roth Conversion:
Why Roth conversion? Especially with the new SECURE Act rules? Is there a reason you should consider paying taxes for your parents to convert their IRAs? How much should you convert? We can provide a personalized Roth Conversion Report with pros & cons and the recommended maximum dollar amount for you to convert. Cost: $150 to $250
Life-Changing Events:
Life-changing events can result in financial uncertainty. Graduating college, starting your first job & student loan repayments may give rise to questions. Getting started with your financial life may be a daunting thought. Marriage, divorce, or the passing of a spouse generally creates a degree of financial stress. A birth or adoption of a child means significant financial changes. Preparing to retire, a child entering college, job changes, relocations & many more events have a financial impact. We have worked through these options with many in the last 25+ years. You are welcome to bring in a list of questions that you need answered. Cost: $250 per hour
Pension Maximization:
Will you receive a pension when you retire? If so, you will need to make elections on how your pension will be paid out, especially important if you are married. Do you need help in understanding these options? We can walk you through making those choices. Cost: $175 to $300
Annuity Audit:
Is an annuity right for you? Do you have the right kind of annuity? Do you understand the features of your annuity? Are living or death benefits available? Lock-in riders? Guaranteed interest rates? Investment choices? We can create a personalized Annuity Report allowing you to understand your annuity. Cost: $200 to $350
Life Insurance Audit:
Do you understand your life insurance features, including the riders? Do you have the right amount and the right type of insurance? Do you know the benefits of someone else owning your policy? Would you be interested in adjusting or stopping premium payments? We can create a personalized Life Insurance Report allowing you to understand your policy. Cost: $150 to $350
Estate & Legacy Concerns:
Have you done the basics — a will, power of attorney, living will & health care proxy? If not, we can walk you through that process. Our main concern – will your assets pass the way you want? Often the answer is no because of incorrect titling or registration. We will review how your investments, real estate, bank accounts, and other assets are currently titled & who the beneficiaries are. We will assist you in making changes if needed. Cost: $250 to $400
Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) of Employer’s Stock:
Do you own your company’s stock within your 401(k) at an appreciated value? Are you aware there is a process to reclassify the gain when selling this stock from ordinary income taxed at rates up to 35% to capital gains tax rates which can be as low as zero? We can explain how this process works and help you complete the paperwork to accomplish this. Cost: $250 to $400
Need a Speaker?
We can speak to group sizes from 10 to 100 on a wide variety of topics: Retirement Planning, Social Security, Tax Planning, College Funding, Legacy Planning, Spending Plans or Budgeting, Long-Term Care Insurance.
If you are looking for a speaker, please contact us for details. Cost: varies
Other Tax Planning Concerns:
Maybe you have tax questions you need answered or tax calculations to be completed? Examples: impact of selling stock or a rental property, cashing in savings bonds, maximizing charitable contribution deductions, gifting considerations. Whatever your questions are, we can provide you with the opportunity to get questions answered. Cost: $175 per hour
Our Full-Service Model:
Retirement Planning:
Working with you to determine what you need to retire comfortably. Consider choices to help create financial independence during your retirement while enjoying your desired standard of living today. To know what funds are needed, we need to anticipate what retirement looks like – is it traveling the world, gardening in your back yard, working part-time? Consideration needs to be given to what living quarters will be – vacation home, snowbirds, senior living center, or what? How will you manage health care expenses? And so many more things to consider!!
Estate Planning:
Working with you to preserve your estate for your intended heirs. Titling of assets to allow for easy transition upon death. Consideration of planning needs for minor or disabled children or for surviving elderly parents. Need to make sure there are funds available to maintain the current standard of living if there are individuals dependent on the current income. We work to ensure that named beneficiaries stay current. Review needs for the creation of trusts and/or gifting recommendations.
Insurance Planning:
Insurance protection is about managing risk and ensuring financial security. Life insurance can replace lost income during the wage-earning years or lost pension or Social Security income during the retirement years. Long-term care insurance can provide protection against those expenses created by chronic, non-healing conditions. Disability insurance can provide replacement funds for lost wages in the case of injuries.
Tax Planning:
Consideration of the tax implications with financial planning is imperative. How much of your nest egg you will lose to taxes can change your standard of living? Using tax-free investments rather than tax-deferred can dramatically impact future dollars. Liquidating assets in a tax- efficient manner increases your available funds. Tax implications need to be considered when saving for retirement, college, and managing your estate affairs.
Investment Planning and Portfolio Review:
A good investment plan starts with determining your ability to handle risk. Ongoing portfolio reviews will make sure your investments stay within range of that risk tolerance. Investment vehicles can manage the risk differently. Outside independent advice can assist in reducing emotional attachment to particular securities and impulsive responses to market ups and downs.
Our Products:
- Managed asset plans using mutual funds, ETFs, individual stocks & bonds, and alternative investments
- Mutual funds, ETFs, individual stocks & bonds
- Alternative investments including REITS, limited partnerships, and more
- Fixed and Variable Annuities – immediate and deferred
- Insurance – life (term, whole, and variable), long term care, or linked policies that provide both types of benefits and disability
Our Process:
Step 1: We begin with a conversation. What is it you are trying to achieve? Do you want to retire early, finance a child or grandchild’s education, purchase a vacation home, or meet a particular goal or dream? For most, it is a combination of many needs & wants, with this step developing a priority list.
Step 2: We assess where you are now. What do you have saved and invested today? What are you putting away weekly, monthly, etc., towards meeting your needs and wants? How are your assets titled? Are they in taxable, tax-free or tax-deferred accounts? What pensions are available to you? How are the assets allocated? What is the risk level? What have you done to protect assets either through insurance and/or trusts? What is your current debt level and how is it being managed?
Step 3: Here, we develop a plan to move you forward. We review where you are now. We devise a plan with recommendations of how to get from here to there. We consider options and alternatives. We often have a hard conversation about what it is going to take to get there and whether or not you are willing to put in that time, effort, and sacrifice. We revise the plan as new circumstances, decisions, and choices become known.
Step 4: We implement the plan. We may redirect or retitle assets. We may ask that you take advantage of employer matching options. We may work with you and an attorney to get estate plans in place. We review risk and work on protecting where needed. We may have you pay taxes now to avoid higher tax bills later. We work with children, spouses, and significant others in your life to help implement the plan. We look at protecting assets and income streams.
Step 5: We monitor how the plan is moving forward by reviewing and evaluating as needed. We adjust as life happens. We change course if needed as unplanned events occur. We start over with Step 1 and move through to Step 4 repeatedly – on an annual or more frequent basis depending on needs.