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5 Key Things to Know About Medigap

If you qualify for Medicare, you have likely already heard of Medigap. Medigap insurance is a supplemental policy that private insurance companies sell in conjunction with Medicare Parts A and B to fill in the gaps where Medicare...

Six Uses for Life Insurance You May Not Know About

When people think of life insurance, what usually comes to mind is settling the deceased's final expenses and providing financial support for their beneficiaries. Although these are the most common uses of life insurance, cash value,...

Preparing for Emergencies

The following worksheets will help you get started. When you’re caught in an emergency situation, you won’t have much time to retrieve information. Organizing contactphone numbers, financial records, medical and property...

Five Questions to Ask As You Consider Retiring

Normal retirement age used to be 65, but things are way different today. You might be thinking about retiring, but how do you know when you are really ready for it, mentally and financially? For decades, the normal retirement age was...

Tips for the Fast Growing Sandwich Generation

Finances are dicey for those simultaneously caring for their parents and kids.Over the last 20 years, the median-age for Americans (the median age is the point where exactly half the population is older and the other half is younger)...

Exchange-Traded Funds: Do They Belong in Your Portfolio?

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have become increasingly popular since they were introduced in the United States in the mid-1990s. Their tax efficiencies and relatively low investing costs have attracted investors who like the idea of...

A Global Recession in 2023: Are We There Yet?

Pay heed to rising bankruptcies but examine other economic indicators too.As we approach summer, there has been a fair share of speculation and concerns about an impending global recession. And concerns over a potential global...

7 Things You Can Do to Trim Your 2023 Tax Bill

Managing your tax liability can literally save you thousands of dollars.Tax season can be a stressful time for many people, especially if you're not fully prepared. However, with some advance planning and preparation, you can take...

When the Stock Market is Down, Should You Consider a Roth IRA Conversion?

A Roth IRA conversion involves repositioning traditional IRA or qualified employer-sponsored retirement plan assets into a Roth IRA. One reason people convert traditional IRAs or other retirement accounts into Roth IRAs is so they can...

Understanding Life Insurance Beneficiary Arrangements

In the language of life insurance, a beneficiary is the recipient of the policy’s proceeds when the named insured dies. The owner of a life insurance policy has a great deal of flexibility in naming...

11 Ways to Help Yourself Stay Sane in a Crazy Market

Keeping your cool can be hard to do when the market goes on one of its periodic roller-coaster rides. It's useful to have strategies in place that prepare you both financially and psychologically to handle market volatility. Here are...

Going Paperless in Account View 2.0

Get more security & convenience with your financial statements.I wanted to let you know you have the option to go paperless with your documents inside the Account View portal. Within the portal you can sign up for paperless delivery of...

3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Claim Social Security

Planning for retirement is exciting, but it may come with a bit of stress. If you worked hard all your life, now might be the time to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. One of the things that you may need to consider is when it...

Five Financial Mistakes to Avoid

We all make mistakes, and through them, we learn. But when it comes to finances, trial-and-error may not be the most suitable approach for you. Maybe you’re making some simple mistakes that can be fixed with a little bit of...

High Cost of Eggs a Harbinger of a Recession?

No, there are more important economic indicators and factors to consider.Eggs are a staple food item in households around the world, providing a rich source of protein and nutrients for a relatively low cost. However, as you...

Planning For Unexpected Costs Before You Retire

Your retirement planning needs to incorporate more than just investments  Your open heart and your relatives can combine to threaten your retirement savings – savings you soon may need. Learn the true cost to your...

5 Ways a Financial Professional Could Be a Small-Business Owner's Best Friend

As a business owner, you may assume you do not need professional financial advice until you hit certain milestones such as $1 million in sales, having ten employees, or some other tangible measure. However, financial professionals may...

2022/2023 Tax Season at a Glance

View and download our 2022/2023 tax season table to help you this year.

An Annual Financial 'To-Do' List to Help Keep Your Finances on Track

Each year, many of us focus on our financial health by resetting goals and checking off items on our financial to-do list. Attempting to implement everything at once can be overwhelming but a month-by-month approach may help you plan...

Outlook 2023: Finding Balance

LPL Research’s Outlook 2023: Finding Balance is our guide to how the readjustments in the economy and markets may impact you in the coming year. The disruptions may not be fully resolved and there may be more challenges to come,...

Key Numbers 2023

Key tax numbers for 2023.

IRS Increases 401(K) Limit By Record Amounts

IRS Increases 401(k) Limit By Record Amounts As inflation soars, you can now save a lot more for your retirement. On October 21st, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that the amount individuals can contribute to...

Warren Buffett on How to Plan for Inflation

Inflation swindles almost everybody – stock investors, bond investors…We’ve all heard about Warren Buffett, the 91-year-old multibillionaire known for his friendly demeanor, modest style of living in Omaha, and...

Enduring Market Volatility With a Financial Plan

If you hope to retire soon and are concerned about what the future may hold for your investments, you are not alone. Inflation has many retirees and soon-to-be retirees worried about outliving their savings and investments.1 What...

Preparing for Year-End and the 2022/2023 Tax Season

Year-end is approaching and being prepared is the best way to make this tax season your easiest yet. Following are important information and tools to help you get ready. As always, meeting with us early and often will ensure your...

Your Long Term Care Action Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide

Those turning 65 this year have a 7 in 10 chance of needing long-term care (LTC) at some point.1 With the cost of a private room in a nursing home now topping $100,000 per year, the thought of paying this — or for a loved one...

Thriving Through Market Volatility

What should you keep in mind while navigating market volatility?

A Year-End Wealth Planning Guide

As we approach the end of the year, you may want to review areas that may impact your wealth and estate planning next year. In this year-end planning guide, we examine four critical areas to consider that may affect your finances:...

Four Things to Know Before You Take Social Security

 Preparing for retirement may be an exciting and stressful time. While the idea of leaving the workforce and enjoying more leisure time may be appealing, the prospect of no longer receiving a regular paycheck might be intimidating...

Six Potential 401(k) Rollover Pitfalls

You're about to receive a distribution from your 401(k) plan, and you're considering a rollover to a traditional IRA. While these transactions are normally straightforward and trouble-free, there are some pitfalls you'll want to avoid...

Life Insurance: How Much Is Enough?

You may already be aware of the importance of having enough life insurance coverage to handle financial matters that could affect your family in the event of your death. However, determining the appropriate amount of coverage for your...

Black Swans: Short-term Crisis, Long-term Opportunity

Black Swans: Short-term Crisis, Long-term Opportunity Considering the high levels of uncertainty, what should investors do? Buy on Fear, Sell on Greed?Legendary investor Warren Buffet is a big proponent of this strategy. When...

Financial Planning at Every Age

In 2013, a Gallup poll found that only about one in every three U.S. households maintained a budget.1 A 2021 survey of 1,000 Americans found that 80% now say they have a budget.2Americans are budgeting more due to the pandemic....

Could Inflation Be Entering A New World Order?

Goods versus ServicesBefore we think about the new world order that global inflation may enter, let’s start with the good news within the United States. The Federal Reserve’s (Fed) preferred measure of inflation, the core...

Midyear Outlook 2022: Navigating Turbulence

Markets rarely give us clear skies, and there are always threats to watch for on the horizon, but the right preparation, context, and support can help us navigate anything that may lie ahead. So far, this year hasn’t seen a...

A Beginner’s Guide to Investing After Retirement

You may be retired and considering investing some of your retirement nest egg. Depending on your situation, it is crucial that investing in the stock market, bond market, or other investments does not jeopardize your retirement savings...

3 Tips for Staying Calm While Navigating a Volatile Market

When market volatility takes investors on a wild ride, fear and panic are common responses to this stock market roller coaster. Acknowledging these emotions may be a good first step, but acting upon them could result in impulsive,...

A Bear Market is Officially Here

A bear market is officially here thanks largely to stubbornly high inflation. For many of us, it has probably felt like a bear market for a while now, but the S&P 500 Index didn’t close more than 20% below its January 3 record...

Five Lessons To Remember During Bear Markets

The Stock Market has been trying to teach these lessons forever….The real value of a bear market may be that it gives investors, who are temporarily frozen within its grip, the opportunity to learn or relearn important lessons...

Data Breaches are Inevitable - Here's How to Protect Yourself Anyway

It’s tempting to give up on data security altogether, with all the billions of pieces of personal data – Social Security numbers, credit cards, home addresses, phone numbers, passwords, and much more – breached and...

Financial Planning Tips for Small Business Owners

When you're a small business owner, you need to pay extra careful attention to both your business and personal finances. Your financial planning strategies should simultaneously encourage the success of your business while also working...

The Great Wealth Transfer: Is Your Family Prepared

Over the next twenty years, a wealth transfer will occur that exceeds $30 trillion as the Baby Boomer generation passes the remainder of their wealth to the Millennials and subsequent generations. The Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) are...

As Stock Markets Peak, Check Your Emotions

Emotions often drive investors to make poor decisions and underperform. Dynamic investing and overall fitness can often come down to discipline (and planning). Why aren’t you reaping the investment returns you read about in the...

In 2022 RMD Tables Are Changing, and That's Good News for You

RMD Tables are changing to keep up with The SECURE Act of 2019. Under The SECURE Act, if you turned age 70 1/2 in 2019, you would've been required to take your first RMD by April 1, 2020. If you turned age 70 1/2 in 2020 or later, you...

How Financial Asset Management May Help Investors Stay the Course

How Financial Asset Management May Help Investors Stay the Course Most people who decide to purchase stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or other investment vehicles do so understanding that there are risks associated with investing...

If Russia Invades Ukraine, What Should You Do?

Wall Street has little recent history to go from, but two things are very likely. Starting in late 2021 and throughout all of 2022, Wall Street has debated what markets might do if Russia invades Ukraine.

Retirement Plan Limits on the Rise in 2022

Many IRA and retirement plan limits are indexed for inflation each year. Although the amount you can contribute to IRAs remains the same in 2022, other key numbers will increase, including how much you can contribute to a work-based...

2021/2022 Tax Season at a Glance

Download the 2021/2022 Tax Season at a Glance Guide that has tax rates, contribution limits, mailing schedules, and other important data.

Planning Your Distributions After Retirement

When it comes to retirement planning, much ado is made of how much to save. But often, the real difference lies in shrewd distribution planning. By withdrawing funds from certain account types in a certain order, you might...

Getting Your Financial House in Order

Tips for Organizing Your Financial Documents

Five Wealth-Building New Year's Resolutions

6 Things To Do Before You Go Away For the Holidays

The holidays are a hectic time for traveling, and any homeowner might be understandably uneasy about leaving his or her home unattended during the busiest time of the year. Prepare your home the right way with these tips for when...

Inflation is Not a Hidden Tax – It’s a Very Real Tax

Bracket Creep accounts for a real tax increase in about half of the 50 states. We’ve all heard the saying that inflation is a hidden tax. But depending on which state you live in, it should simply be called a tax – because...

A Season of Giving: 5 Different Ways To Give During the Holidays

With the holidays here, now is the time to get into the giving spirit and help to change others' lives for the better. Whether you are looking to make a difference in a specific person's life or the life of many, there are many ways to...

The 3 Components of Social Security

Many have heard Social Security retirement benefits referred to as part of the "three-legged stool" of retirement: Social Security, a pension or defined benefit plan, and personal savings.1 The idea is that with these three sources of...

Are You Maximizing 401(k) Contributions?

The more money that you can save when you are working, the easier it should be for you to retire and enjoy your golden years. Unfortunately, Social Security may no longer provide a sufficient income to live on during retirement. To...

2021 Year-End Planning for Retirees

For some, 2021 has flown by—and as we approach the last quarter of the year, it's a good time to begin planning for the next one. Year-end planning is especially important for retirees and those hoping to retire in 2021 or 2022....

The ABC’s of Estate Planning

There is a common misconception that estate planning is something only the affluent need to do before they die. However, estate planning is important for everyone, regardless of income level or net worth. Planning for the disposition...

All You Need To Know About Eldercare Arrangements

It’s never too early to think about how and where you want to live when you’re older. How far in advance do you plan vacations? A month at the very least, right? You’ve booked the flights and hotels and looked forward...

Creating an Income Plan While in Retirement

Taking money out of retirement without a plan is a recipe for trouble You‘ve saved for years. Now that you are retired, did you create an income plan from your savings? The financial industry and media constantly talk about the...

5 Types of Retirement Plans for Small Business Owners

Small business owners are different from the average hourly employee in a lot of ways. One often-overlooked difference is how they plan for retirement. Although small business owners may offer a classic 401(k) for their workers along...

IRA Mistakes to Avoid

If you already contribute to a 401(k) or another retirement account through work, you may not have spent much time thinking about opening an individual retirement account (IRA). However, an IRA might provide you with a way to boost...

Making Sense of Your Roth 401(K)

There are specific rules addressing distributions and rollovers of a Roth 401(k), which combines features of Roth IRAs and a traditional 401(k). We offer an overview of the key considerations. The Roth 401(k) has become an attractive...

Rising Inflation: Where Will It Go From Here?

In March 2021, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.6%, the largest one-month increase since August 2012. Over the previous 12 months, the increase was 2.6%, the highest year-over-year inflation rate since...

3 Types of Funds for Socially Responsible Investing

While making money off investments is often a major goal, the new generation of investors is also focusing on where they put their money in the hopes that their investments will do more for the greater good.[1] The move toward socially...

Your Retirement Portfolio: Five Things to Consider Before Market Turbulence

It is human nature to seek advice when things aren't going well or when an unforeseen event occurs. Often, people seek financial advice from a professional only when the stock market and their investments are experiencing turbulent...

Inflation and Taxes Could Rise. Are You Ready for Retirement?

Americans are starting to experience the impact of increasing prices at the supermarket and the start of inflation. Also, clothing at retail stores is depleting as manufacturing has halted, creating demand for products ordinarily...

When To Call Me- Times to Call Your Financial Advisors

Most of us go to see professionals when we’re in trouble or during times of crisis. Think about it. We go to the doctor when we’re sick. We go see a lawyer when we have a pending legal matter. We go see a counselor when...