Smart Savings: 5 Tax Breaks for College Students and Parents With the cost of college expensive for many, receiving a tax break from the IRS for college-related expenses may be appealing. 529 Plans and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) offer tax-advantaged withdrawals when used for qualified expenses. But for those seeking an additional tax deduction [...]

September College Newsletter This Month's Highlights:  A New FAFSA Form is Coming-- Don't File Until You Read This    Major Changes in College Aid  Financial Aid Insider: One Hack To Increase Financial Aid There is a new sheriff in town, and a whole new supporting cast of characters.  I'm kidding of course, but there is [...]

Financial Considerations for Working Parents   Nine of every 10 U.S. families with children have at least one working parent.1 Though working parents make up one of the largest demographic groups in the country, they face many challenges—from the cost of childcare to inconvenient scheduling issues. There are a few steps working parents may wish to [...]

Is One Million Dollars the amount needed to retire? I'm not sure why people even think that $1 Million is the magic number to retire.  Not sure who came up with that, not sure why people even believe that.  $1 Million is different for each person depending on so many variables.  You really want to [...]

Growth Stocks vs. Value Stocks Stock investing is an important engine of growth in your portfolio, but deciding on an investing strategy and particular stocks can be challenging. When designing a diversified portfolio that aims to manage risk, it can help to think of stocks as falling into one of two categories: growth stocks and [...]

5 Must-Have Items for Your Financial First Aid Kit Every year, around 3 million Americans are required to evacuate their homes due to a natural disaster.1 What's more, this figure does not include the millions of other individuals who are temporarily displaced as a result of fire, flood, or other damage to their homes. Do [...]

Football, Finances, and Fumbles: What to Do When Life Calls an Audible Are you a football fan? If so, you understand the significance of an audible call at the line of scrimmage and how sometimes you are also forced to call an audible in life. Modern football has evolved since the late 19th century when [...]

Are You Prepared for a 30 Year Retirement? The good news? Retirees are living longer. The bad news? Many aren’t planning for it financially. Life expectancy is a key piece of retirement planning. After all, you'll need to estimate your lifespan to determine how much money you'll need to retire comfortably. Many pre-retirees speculate on [...]

Financial Basics for Millennials Millennials face financial challenges that are unique to their generation. One of the first steps in overcoming them is to understand some basic financial concepts. With age comes responsibility, so if you're a young adult in your 20s or 30s, chances are you've been introduced to the realities of adulthood. While [...]

August is National Make a Will Month A timely reminder of the importance of protecting your savings, home, and family through comprehensive estate planning. I recommend you take advantage of our complimentary estate planning consultation to determine which plan is right for you. Don't wait for life's uncertainties to catch you off guard. Your family's [...]