Insights

Mike Valenti, CPA, CFP®, Director of Tax Planning Qualified retirement plans – such as 401(k)s, 403(b)s and IRAs – offer clear tax advantages. Traditional 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and IRAs offer a tax deferral on contributions and growth until distribution. Their Roth counterparts can provide an i …

By Jamie Hopkins, Managing Partner, Wealth Solutions   The SECURE 2.0 Act has passed, making it the largest retirement legislation since the original Secure Act hit in the late 2019.

By Jackie Heater – Director of Client Relations I had the opportunity to visit my hometown and take in the fair. Most people would think, “It’s just a hometown fair, so what’s the big deal?” But if you are from Putnam County, Unionville, MO, you know it’s a big deal!

By Mike Gertsema, Senior Wealth Advisor Recently, a book by Susan O’Malley titled Advice from My 80-Year-Old Self, Real Words of Wisdom from Ages 7 to 88 caught my attention.

Chances are good we’ve all felt a bit like Rachel on “Friends” when she peruses her first paycheck in bewilderment and says, “Who’s FICA? And why’s he taking all my money?”

Ryan Yamada, CFP®, Senior Wealth Planner We’ve all heard the conventional wisdom when it comes to claiming Social Security: you should wait as long as you can before claiming benefits. Wait right up to age 70, if possible. After all, that’s when you would get the greatest monthly benefit.

By Craig Lemoine, Ph.D., CFP®, Director of Consumer Investment Research “How much do I need for retirement?” It’s a question I often hear, and one that seems straightforward enough to tackle. Unfortunately, the answer isn’t quite so simple.

By Jaymon Meikle, CFP®, Wealth Advisor College is expensive. According to US News, the average cost of in-state tuition increased by 211% from 2002-2022. It is very likely that our kids will pay much more for their education than we had to for ours. On the other hand, the same could be said …

By Ryan Yamada, Senior Wealth Planner    When putting away for retirement, we often dream about all the things we’ll be able to do with that money – traveling, going out to eat, maybe trying new hobbies. 

Tom Fridrich, Senior Wealth Planner    Once upon a time, people would put money in their 401(k) or IRA accounts and know that – should their retirement savings outlive them – their loved ones would inherit the rest and all would essentially be well. 

By Jackie Heater, Director of Client Relations   Retirement can be scary. For many people, their job or career has been their identity for so long that losing that identity in retirement can create uncertainty. Suddenly, you aren’t sure who you are or what you want to do with your time …