Estates & Trusts

• Estate Planning

  Wills and trusts allow you to spell out how you would like your property distributed, but they also go beyond that.

• Living Trusts

  A living trust can help control the distribution of your estate upon death.

• Controlling the Distribution

  If you haven’t taken steps already, consider planning now for the distribution of your estate’s assets.

Retirement

• SEP IRAs

  A SEP IRA is a type of plan under which the employer contributes (up to a certain limit) to an employee’s IRA.

• SIMPLE IRAs

  The SIMPLE plan may appeal to small business owners as it is easy to set up, administer, and allows for a tax deduction.

• Stretch IRAs

  A “stretch” or “multigenerational” IRA may be a useful approach to extend tax-deferred savings that can benefit your heirs for generations.

• IRA Rollover

  If you leave a job or retire, you should consider your options regarding your employer retirement plan assets.

• 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.

• Unforgettable Birthdays

  There are key dates after you turn 59 that can impact your taxes, Medicare eligibility, and retirement benefits.

• Planning Options

  There are a variety of retirement planning options that could help meet your needs. Here are some of the most popular.

• Future of Social Security

  Greater demand is being placed on the Social Security system as the baby boom generation has begun to retire.

• Self-Employed Retirement Plans

  Tax-deferred retirement plans for self-employed individuals have higher contribution limits than IRAs.

• Retirement Plan Distributions

  When receiving money accumulated in your employer-sponsored retirement plan, you have two options: lump sum or annuity.

• Traditional IRAs

  If you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you might consider a traditional IRA.

• 401(k) Plans

  401(k) employer-sponsored retirement plans have many benefits, including that the funds accumulate tax-deferred.

• Save Now or Save Later

  If you start saving for retirement sooner, the more money you are likely to accumulate and possibly retire sooner.

Tax Planning

• 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.

• Required Minimum Distributions

  Required minimum distribution is the annual amount that must be withdrawn from a qualified retirement plan/account.

• Charitable Trust Tax Benefits

  For the grantor, there are a few potential tax benefits that can come with setting up a charitable trust.

• Withdrawing Before Age 59.5

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

• Mutual Fund Profits

  Want to keep more of your mutual fund profits? You may be interested in strategies to help lower your tax liability.

Investing

• Bond Ladders

  A bond ladder is a strategy involving the purchase of bonds that have staggered maturity dates.

• Common Stock vs. Preferred Stock

  It’s important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of common stock versus preferred stock.

• Dividends

  It is important to understand how dividends (taxable payments to shareholders) fit with your long-term goals.

• Exchange-Traded Funds

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

• Growth Stocks vs. Value Stocks

  The labels “growth” and “value” reflect different approaches that can be used when making investment decisions.

• Mutual Fund Taxes

  Mutual fund taxes can be cumbersome, but there are ways to help mitigate the amount of taxes you may owe.

• Stock

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

• Zero-Coupon Bonds

  Zero-coupon bonds represent a type of bond that does not pay interest during the life of the bond.

• Diversification

  An important element to successful investing is to manage investment risk while maintaining the potential for growth.

• Types of Bonds

  Bonds are issued by many entities and share many characteristics, each type of bond has certain benefits and risks.

• Bonds

  A bond is simply evidence of a debt from a government entity or a corporation and represents a long-term IOU.

• Stock Indexes

  Stock market indexes can be useful benchmarks for gauging the performance of an investment portfolio over time.

• Mutual Funds vs. Stocks

  The difference between purchasing an individual stock versus shares in a mutual fund to potentially earn dividends.

• Mutual Funds

  A mutual fund is a collection of stocks, bonds, and other securities with certain benefits and risks.

• Closed-End Funds

  With closed-end funds, investors pool their money together to purchase a professionally managed portfolio of stocks and/or bonds.

• Mutual Fund Loads

  It’s important to understand mutual fund loads, or sales charges, and exactly what they entail so you can make informed investing decisions.

• Annuities

  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.

• Investment Risks

  Understanding different types of investment risk can help investors manage their money more effectively.

• Asset Classes

  There are five broad asset classes that you should take into consideration when constructing your investment portfolio.

• Asset Allocation

  Asset allocation is a method used to help manage investment risk; it does not guarantee a profit or protect against investment loss.

• College Savings Plans

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

• College Investment Options

  Starting to invest early for college and remaining consistent can help investors reach their goals.

• Dollar-Cost Averaging

  Dollar-cost averaging involves investing a set amount of money on a regular basis, regardless of market conditions.

• 529 Plans

  529 plans are tax-advantaged college savings plans that generally allow people of any income level to contribute.

Cash Management

• Money Market Funds

  Money market funds can be a highly liquid and effective cash management tool.

• Effects of Inflation

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