Michael Liersch, Head of Advice and Planning, discusses how starting and updating your estate plan can help loved ones make the most out of life. Click to watch video
Many Americans anticipate retirement as a chance to get out of the rat race and finally have time for the all things they’ve always wanted to do. You will probably be more active, live and work longer, and for income, need to rely more on what you’ve saved than prior generations. And that means ensuring that this income has the potential to last for your lifetime and to weather rising health care expenses, inflation, and market ups and downs. Read More
In any crisis, “playing it safe” to avoid losing your money can seem like the only rational strategy. However, in the past 60 years, we’ve seen repeating patterns of crises. Despite these crises, the market has been resilient. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose from 679 points in 1959 to over 36,000 in January 2022.* Regardless, of the type of crisis, history shows that long-term investors who stayed the course through crises and didn’t lose sight of their financial goals have been rewarded. Read More
One financial strategy that is often overlooked when evaluating your retirement and estate planning options is the Roth IRA conversion. Converting allows you to reposition your current tax-deferred retirement account to a Roth IRA by paying federal and possibly state income tax [but without the IRS 10% additional tax for taking early or pre-59½ distributions (10% additional tax)] on the taxable amount of the conversion. The benefit is that any earnings would be distributed tax-free, if certain conditions are met. Read More
No matter what your age or net worth, you need an estate plan to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your assets — during your lifetime, as well as after your death. Before visiting with your attorney, it’s helpful to have a basic understanding of the documents he or she may recommend for your plan. Read More
For most investors, spending and investing follows a circular pattern: a focus on discretionary spending in younger years, followed by a greater emphasis on saving — for retirement, a home down payment, or children’s education — and then a return to discretionary spending once any long-term debts are paid off. Read More
Divorce is uncomfortable to discuss. However, not talking about its financial implications can create far greater discomfort. Read More
Retirement: A Purposeful Approach
Planning for retirement goes beyond how you’ll spend your time. You’re also probably thinking about maximizing social security, whether you’ll downsize, ways to stay mentally and physically fit, when to update your will, and how to weather market fluctuations. Read More
Doing What's Right For You
You have goals and expectations about your financial investments. You want a plan that helps you prepare – for anticipated benchmarks and also for unexpected life events. Read More