Medicare 2018 – Key Enrollment Dates and Important Changes
October 9, 2018
For those 65 and older, fall not only brings with it apple picking, leaves changing colors and securing travel plans to escape the cold Midwest winters, it is also the time of year for Medicare participants to decide if changes should be made to their health insurance plans. Below, are the key enrollments dates […]
BDF named to 2018 Financial Times 300 Top RIA
September 12, 2018
Balasa Dinverno Foltz is pleased to announce it has been named to the 2018 edition of the Financial Times 300 Top Registered Investment Advisers. The list recognizes top independent RIA firms from across the U.S. This is the fifth annual FT 300 list, produced independently by the Financial Times in collaboration with Ignites Research, a subsidiary […]
The Best States to Retire in From a Tax Perspective
September 11, 2018
Many factors influence the decision of where to retire. Family, familiarity of surroundings, climate and cost of living are among the many factors that affect one’s choice of where to spend retirement years. What about state taxes? They are often overlooked and just “accepted” as an expense. However, for those with a keen eye for […]
Estate Planning in the New “Normal”
August 14, 2018
The 2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) that went into effect this year includes many tax law changes, most of which are set to expire at the end of 2025. Among them are important changes to Estate Tax laws with the most dramatic being a doubling of each person’s federal estate tax […]
Business Buy-Sell Agreements: 3 Areas Need Attention
July 17, 2018
Buy-sell agreements govern the purchase and sale of business ownership interests when death, disability or other significant events happen. However, such agreements generally lack in three critical areas. Three areas that cause most concern are valuation, deadlock and retirement. Most often, owners put together buy-sell agreements that address the easy triggering events, death and disability, […]
Working Wealthy – Lend It and Lose It
June 26, 2018
I was recently speaking with a friend of mine, and she mentioned a straightforward way to deal with family and friends that ask for personal loans: Don’t lend it unless you want to lose it. Seems a little harsh, right? No, it’s good advice. In fact, at BDF, we often counsel clients on the merits […]
Selling Your Business? 3 Critical Actions to Take Now
May 15, 2018
Business Owners put their head down and go. Usually, they dedicate no time for extensive business or personal planning. When the time to sell arrives, owners often move ahead without critical planning that can help boost the value of the business and enhance their overall estate and financial plans. Spending a little bit of time […]
First Comes Love, Then Comes a Millennial Prenup?
April 17, 2018
I now pronounce you husband and wife…with a prenuptial agreement. (Wouldn’t it be great if that was announced at the ceremony?!) Though prenups were once thought to be reserved for the rich and famous, studies show that millennials are increasingly signing on the dotted line. The “four Ds” below point to a few reasons millennials […]
Spring Cleaning Your File Cabinets
April 3, 2018
With warmer weather, more sunshine, and opening day baseball (Go White Sox!) on the horizon, I was feeling ambitious last weekend and decided to get a jump start on my Spring cleaning. As I sifted through file cabinets I was shocked as to how many statements, bills, and receipts can pile up over 12 months, […]
3 Reasons to Change Your Estate Plan After the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
March 13, 2018
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 created many planning opportunities. The Act raised the per person estate tax exemption to $11,200,000. Therefore, the estate tax will apply to very few people – that is until at least December 31, 2025, which is when the new law “sunsets.” Estate planning has changed to focus […]
This is Your Brain on Love
January 30, 2018
I am about to celebrate the first year of marriage to my beautiful wife. In just a short year, we got married, traveled throughout southeast Asia on our honeymoon, purchased a home, and had a lot of fun along the way. Naturally, we also started to combine our finances and think of ourselves as a […]
4 Critical Estate Planning Considerations – Keeping Your Plan Current
January 16, 2018
Estate planning documents receive very little attention after they are drafted. Why? People find the process emotional and burdensome and that is motivation enough to put off updates until next year – or several years from now! Family and law changes often make estate plans fall far short of intended goals. Here are four critical […]