Newsletters

January

• Prepare Your Finances for the Next Emergency

  The pandemic has underscored the importance of a well-stocked emergency fund. This article offers tips for building up a cash reserve.

• Gift vs. Inheritance: Consider the Tax Difference

  When deciding whether to gift assets now or transfer them to heirs at death, you need to understand step-up in basis and tax consequences.

• Take Advantage of Deductions for Business Investments

  A look at bonus depreciation and Section 179, plus CARES Act changes that may benefit companies that reconfigured spaces for safety reasons.

December

• HOT TOPIC: How COVID-19 Has Changed Consumer Behavior and the Future of Retail

  This article looks at the “new normal,” its effect on consumer behavior and the retail industry, and what that could mean for the economy.

• Full House: Adult Children Coming Home

  If your adult children have returned to your once-empty nest, these tips might help promote a peaceful and productive living situation.

November

• Three Questions to Consider During Open Enrollment

  Making benefit elections for next year? This article covers three key areas that require careful consideration during open enrollment.

• Your Estate: Have You Looked at These Legal Documents Lately?

  This article looks at documents that should be kept up to date, including wills, trusts, advance medical directives, and beneficiary forms.

• Four Steps to Rebuilding Your Business

  Small-business owners may need to think on their feet and visualize what a recovery might look like for their operations post COVID-19.

October

• Business Cycle Basics: Recessions Begin and End Before We Know It

  This article discusses how economists identify and measure economic contractions and compares some characteristics of past recessions.

September

• Could You Be Responsible for Your Parents’ Nursing Home Bills?

  Filial responsibility laws can hold children responsible for certain parental debts. This potential liability is one reason to plan for long-term care needs.

• Survivor Benefits Provide a Financial Lifeline

  Decisions made when claiming Social Security retirement benefits can make a big difference in spousal and other dependents’ survivor benefits.

• Student Loan Stress? These Plans Might Help

  This article outlines the basic provisions of income-driven repayment plans that can help reduce the burden of federal student loans.

August

• HOT TOPIC: College Disrupted: Students Face High Costs and Pandemic Impact

  Paying for college can mean borrowing money or risking savings. This article focuses on financial aid and the importance of informed academic choices.

• Debit or Credit? Pick a Card

  Do you know the differences between debit and credit cards? This article discusses both and when it might be better to use a credit card.

• Crisis Relief: Financial Lifelines for Affected Workers

  Temporary crisis relief legislation makes it easier to access retirement account funds and extends paid leave for workers at some small businesses.

July

• HOT TOPIC: The Shape of Economic Recovery

  This article looks at the potential shape of the COVID-19 economic recovery with some historical context and key factors that may affect the direction of the economy.

• The Beige Book: A Timely Economic Read

  The Federal Reserve’s “Beige Book” provides a broad overview of the economy that is often essential for making economic policy decisions.

• Quarterly Taxes: Deadlines Keep Coming for the Self-Employed

  If you are self-employed, do you know how to calculate quarterly estimated tax payments in order to avoid underpayment penalties?

June

• Will vs. Trust: Know the Difference

  Wills and trusts can each help in the distribution of assets at death. This article points out important differences between the two.

• Why You Might Need Disability Income Insurance

  This article explains how an individual disability income insurance policy can help provide income if a disability leaves you unable to work.

• SECURE Act Changes That Matter to Small Employers

  The SECURE Act could make it easier and more affordable for business owners to provide retirement plans and help their employees save for retirement.