There have been reports that so-called “elder abuse” in a financial context is on the rise, costing elderly Americans an estimated $36 billion last year alone. By one estimate, roughly one in three older Americans has been scammed in the past five years—what an official at the Institute on Aging calls “an elder financial abuse [...]
If you are a small business owner or planning to become one, retirement planning for both you and your employees should be a big consideration. Small business owners are not required to offer retirement services to employees. According to data collected by SCORE in 2019, companies with ten or less employees are the least likely [...]
No matter how far away you are from retirement, there are simple ways for you to step up your savings at any point. Especially if you’re in your 20’s or 30’s, you have plenty of time left to implement smart saving strategies to set yourself up for a successful retirement. Kevin Lao, certified financial planner, [...]
A living trust primer is a popular consideration in many estate strategy conversations, but its appropriateness will depend upon your individual needs and objectives. A living trust is created while you are alive and funded with the assets you choose to transfer into it. The trustee (typically, you) has full power to manage these assets. [...]
Looking for a new career or wanting to start a business? Maybe it’s something you’ve been considering for a while, but never knew where to start. Or maybe you’re a little too eager to dive right into your next professional venture. Considering all of the factors involved — family, location, money — there’s undoubtedly a [...]
Retirement planning for women can look a little different than it does for men. Although stereotypes are changing, women are still more likely to serve as caretakers than men are, meaning they accumulate less income and benefits due to their time absent from the workforce. Research shows that 39% of women took a significant amount [...]
The changes in Social Security benefits and taxes for 2021 were a bit controversial. Benefits will rise 1.3% this year, which is not expected to allow beneficiaries to keep up with increases in the cost of living. Meanwhile, the tax withholdings have risen faster than inflation; for 2021, workers will pay a 6.2% Social Security [...]
The ball drops in New York and we usher in a new year. We mark the end of a decade filled with so much struggle, fear, victories, and great accomplishments and we are all excited about a new beginning. But then, the unthinkable happens. There’s an unknown virus spreading throughout the world; slowly at first [...]
A bill entitled The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives last May by an overwhelming majority, and it was called the most comprehensive, sweeping retirement security legislation in recent history. A few days ago, the Senate finally passed the same legislation by attaching it to its [...]
Last Friday, we had the pleasure to talk with Valorie Schwarmann, CFO and Senior Vice President of Homeport, a non-profit housing developer. Valorie oversees the financial systems, processes, planning, and reporting for all lines of business at Homeport. What is Homeport? Homeport is a non-profit housing developer based in Columbus, Ohio. By building quality affordable [...]
