Who We Serve
Individuals
Managing your finances is a vital aspect to any financial security plan. Along with the protection offered through insurance and the goal setting provided by investment choices, money management strategies help you manage your savings on a regular basis.
From mortgage payments to tax savings, our team can help you manage your money as effectively as possible.
Saving
Depending on your stage of life, chances are you’ll have a distinct approach to saving. New graduates or young couples have different needs compared to retirees or mid-career families. But no matter your personal circumstances, we can help you develop financial habits that will lay a strong foundation for your savings.
Younger individuals and couples have a number of advantages in terms of financial management. Low insurance costs and a long investment horizon, combined with few responsibilities, can make for an excellent financial base. We can help you build on these benefits, while at the same time considering a debt load that might include student loans, car payments, or perhaps a mortgage.
Couples planning for a first child enter into a new level of commitment, both personally and financially. Learn how to save for a child through specialized insurance and investment products, such as a Registered Education Savings Plan.
Mid-career professionals typically have higher incomes than younger investors, but they also carry more responsibilities. From mortgage payments to a child’s education, consider a financial plan that balances your needs and obligations.
Retirees have worked hard at their careers, and now is the time for relaxation and celebration. Chances are children have moved from home, the mortgage is mostly paid off, and a few investments are coming to fruition. However, income levels may have dropped after retirement. Find out how to manage your finances in a way that allows you to fully enjoy the fruits of your hard work.
In short, no matter your life stage, contact us today to learn how to balance savings and investing with your other commitments.
Families
As the cost of a college education continues to rise, outpacing the rate of inflation, it is becoming beyond the reach of most people unless they have planned early on. For people starting a college savings plan today, questions arise as to the best way to save. For such an important and long term goal, it helps to do some research when selecting a plan.
There are many variables to consider when selecting a college savings plan. As with any savings goal, individual factors such as time horizon, risk tolerance, investment preferences, and your tax situation need to be considered and weighed in order to select the most suitable savings plan. In addition, special consideration needs to be given to who will actually own the college funds as the decision is likely to impact the availability of financial aid in the future.
Traditional Savings Methods
College savers can opt for the more traditional methods of accumulating college funds such as savings accounts (CDs, money market funds), tax-free municipal bonds, U.S. Treasury securities, or mutual funds. If the time horizon is long, savers may be able to afford the higher risk of investing in vehicles that offer potentially higher returns. As the time horizon shortens, they could gradually move their funds into more conservative savings of investments.
Tax Advantaged Methods
As an incentive for families to start early with their own college savings plans, the federal tax laws provide for tax advantaged methods to pay for college expenses. The methods involve different tax rules so they can be somewhat complicated. The best approach is to seek the guidance of a qualified tax or financial professional to help determine which method is best for you.
Business Owners
Growing a business is a difficult undertaking today as business owners must confront a variety of tax laws and regulations while trying to effectively create products or services, manage their employees, develop and cultivate clients, and do so profitably.
Often times business owners are too focused in their business to tend to their own financial needs and they may also overlook key planning considerations that could help their business grow and prosper. Also, the livelihood of a business owner can be imperiled when unexpected events occur that adversely affect the bottom line of the business.
Business Owner Needs
Retirement
For many business owners, their business is their primary retirement asset. After many years of building a successful business, they expect to convert it to an income for retirement by selling it. If they are relying upon the business as their sole means of retirement, they run the risk that it may not attain the value needed to produce the necessary income.
Businesses can fail. Businesses can lose value in certain economic cycles. The timing is not always right to sell a business. Many times the true value of the business lies in the talents and good will of the business owner who won’t be around to run the business after he retires.
Business owners today must prepare for retirement with the same level of diversification recommended for any retirement plan. Business owners have access to a number of qualified and nonqualified retirement plan options that can provide a cornerstone for their retirement income needs.
Key Employee Protection
One of the more devastating events a small business can suffer is the loss of a key employee. Often times, it’s a key employee who brings a special talent to the business and is responsible for much of the success of the business owner. The loss of such a valuable asset could set the business back for a period of time, and at tremendous cost, while the business owner seeks to find a replacement, if one can be found at all.
In financial planning, we are taught that it our most valuable assets – our home, our ability to earn income, our cars – should be insured against an unexpected loss. It’s no different for business owners as the loss of a valuable business asset could endanger the business.
Buying life insurance coverage on a key employee makes good business sense. The amount of coverage should be enough to cover the costs of recruiting and paying a replacement, loss of earnings to the company, any redemption of stock, or a salary continuation plan arrangement with the surviving family.