Categories for Financial Planning

• Heirless Estate Planning

  Posted Date October 1, 2026 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in Service2Client

  The purpose of estate planning is to distribute your assets to heirs in a formal, legal process. If you do not have any heirs to speak of, you might not feel the need to do this. However, your assets will go somewhere, so you may…

• Bond Investment Strategies

  Posted Date September 1, 2026 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in Service2Client

  Bonds are designed to deliver both capital preservation and income, and are generally considered lower risk than stock investing. The purchase price of a bond is basically a loan to an issuer, such as the federal government…

• Travel Companions: How to Share Expenses

  Posted Date August 1, 2026 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in Service2Client

  No matter how well you know someone, you usually learn a lot more once you’ve traveled with them. We are all different in this activity, from people who prefer aisle seats over window seats, to Airbnb renters or hotel…

• Tips for Early Retirement Planning

  Posted Date July 1, 2026 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in Service2Client

  Tips for Early Retirement Planning

• What to Expect with an IRS Audit

  Posted Date May 1, 2026 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in Service2Client

  🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readIf the IRS sends notice that you’re being audited, you’re likely to become anxious. However, not all audits mean you did something wrong. In most cases, it is simply a matter of verifying information on a tax return or perhaps correcting a minor error. Knowing what to expect – and how to respond – can help alleviate stress and make the audit more manageable. An IRS audit (also referred to as an examination) is a review of your records to confirm that the information on your tax return was reported accurately and follows tax law. The best... View Article

• The Value of Diversifying with International Stocks

  Posted Date March 1, 2026 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in Service2Client

  🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readWhen investors think about building a strong equity portfolio, U.S. stocks often dominate the conversation. The United States is home to many of the world’s most innovative, profitable, and well-known companies, and has a history of delivering strong long-term returns. However, the United States is not the only country with successful, growth-oriented businesses. In fact, nearly half of the global equity market is located outside the United States, offering investors a much broader opportunity than in domestic markets alone. Despite this reality, many investors stick to a home country bias. This behavioral tendency means they prefer... View Article

• Scam-Proof Guidelines for Wiring Money

  Posted Date February 1, 2026 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in Service2Client

  🖨 Print⏱ 6 min readWiring money is like sending cash: Once you’ve sent it, it’s gone. It is very difficult to retrieve – in fact, more difficult than recovering physical dollar bills. For businesses, always call the recipient to verify ACH details before sending; this is required by law in 50 states. This law does not require calling, but if the sender’s or recipient’s email is hacked, calling will help prevent the hacker from changing ACH details in a hacked email account. If wire fraud takes place due to a security breach, such as a hacker infiltrating your account and initiating a wire... View Article

• What Seniors Actually Got in the Latest Tax Bill

  Posted Date January 1, 2026 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in Service2Client

  🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readCampaign messaging would have you believe retirees just scored a major victory. The talking point is everywhere: Social Security benefits are now tax-free. But anyone who reads the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will discover something different. The legislation contains nothing that removes Social Security from federal taxation. Zero provisions. The tax structure that has applied to benefits for over four decades remains fully intact. So, what did pass? A new deduction aimed at older Americans. And through some rhetorical gymnastics, that deduction is being sold as something it fundamentally is not. A Deduction Is Not... View Article

• Long Term Care Insurance Options

  Posted Date December 1, 2025 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in Service2Client

  🖨 Print⏱ 5 min readIn 2024, the median household income in the United States was $83,730. However, the national average annual cost of 24-hour paid long-term care (LTC) for a retiree age 65 and older was more than $125,000, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Moreover, one in five seniors will require care for more than five years. Obviously, the math varies by household, but the reality is that the majority of older Americans who rely on paid caregiving will use much of their retirement savings and investments to pay for it. When considering insurance, there are... View Article

• New Rules for Inherited Traditional IRA Distributions

  Posted Date November 1, 2025 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in Service2Client

  🖨 Print⏱ 3 min readThe rules for IRAs inherited after 2020 changed when Congress passed the Secure Act in 2019. The new rules eliminated the opportunity for non-spousal beneficiaries to “stretch” inherited IRA earnings over their own lifetime. Up until this year, required minimum distributions (RMDs) and associated penalties were waived while the IRS clarified the new rules; but in 2025, they are in full force for most inherited IRA beneficiaries. For clarity: Non-spouses who inherited IRA assets after 2020 MUST take RMDs starting this year. RMD Rules For Non-Spouses For Traditional IRAs inherited after 2020, the first thing a... View Article