The financial planning and investment landscape changes at a dizzying speed – and often with conflicting messages. Read our team of experts’ advice on saving, spending, investing, retirement, taxes, giving and more to help you enjoy a full life.
The financial planning and investment landscape changes at a dizzying speed – and often with conflicting messages. Read our team of experts’ advice on saving, spending, investing, retirement, taxes, giving and more to help you enjoy a full life.
November 20, 2018
It’s college football season, which is my favorite time of the year. When football season rolls around I tend to make everything into a football-based metaphor – even retirement planning. In my last blog post I wrote about “the process” for lawyers to help build a strong financial future which centered on a couple of […]
November 13, 2018
Married couples finally have the opportunity to make their estate planning documents simple, yet more effective! Two recent developments dramatically changed estate planning: the new, higher estate tax exemption under The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and the portability of the exemption. Since 2010, estate tax exemptions are now portable between spouses, which […]
November 6, 2018
As year-end approaches, many people tend to revert to the old tax planning adage “defer income, accelerate deductions.” But does that always work? With the new tax law in effect, should taxpayers change the way some planning items are viewed? Here are a few tax planning tips that should be reviewed prior to year-end. Capital […]
October 30, 2018
I was chatting with a friend over the weekend, and a common theme kept surfacing in our conversation. We covered a lot of ground—history, politics, finances and jobs to name a few. The one idea that kept coming up in our wide-ranging conversation was knowing when enough is enough. I couldn’t help but notice that […]
October 23, 2018
Have you ever had someone tell you that you have to be strong? You most likely have. The thing with Divorce is, that while you do need to be strong, you also have to know when it’s time to be vulnerable and reach out to others for help. Even (and sometimes especially) if you are […]
October 16, 2018
Matt and Nick are the top producers for a mid-size insurance agency. Matt has been a wealth management client for several years and he recently introduced Nick to BDF. Both Matt and Nick are in their late 40’s, married with three children and live in the same town. They both have similar size books of […]
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 […]
September 25, 2018
My wife and I are preparing for the arrival of our first child. We are busy researching day care options, searching for nursery furniture, and envisioning our new lives with a little one in the house. With all these tasks to complete, there is not much time for anything else. However, I would not be […]
September 18, 2018
Fall is here which, for me, means one very important thing… college football season! For my money there’s nothing better than sitting on my couch on a crisp Saturday afternoon and watching my favorite sport. Over the past decade, success in college football can be summed up in a single word: Alabama. Head Coach […]
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 […]
September 4, 2018
You hear the ads all the time: “the IRS will hunt you down!” But will they? The chance your tax return is audited by the IRS certainly exists, but it’s very slim. However, this has not stopped scammers from trying to trick you while pretending to be the IRS. Criminals can impersonate an IRS agent […]
August 28, 2018
It’s a topic we take for granted, but it is rather important to the cash management of any household or family. How much cash do you keep on hand for emergencies? No one plans to replace their furnace and get in a car accident in the same week. So be prepared, and don’t let a […]