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Advanced Tax Planning Ideas – Lumping Charitable Gifts
If you are one of the 90% of taxpayers who don’t itemize deductions, you cannot claim a federal deduction for charitable donations. To get past this issue, some people lump their charitable gifts together. Wondering how to claim a deduction for charitable giving? Curious about how clustering charitable gifts together can help? Here’s what you ... Advanced Tax Planning Ideas – Lumping Charitable Gifts
Employee Spotlight: Meet the Team Member (Vonda Charboneau)
This is the latest in a continuing series of posts where we feature a member of our team using a Q&A format so you can get to know them a little better – both personally and professionally. This week we’ll be interviewing Vonda Charboneau, who joined the team in September 1997 as Executive Assistant to ... Employee Spotlight: Meet the Team Member (Vonda Charboneau)
Plan B™: Retirement Planning for the Unexpected
We know that as life happens, plans change. Nothing works out exactly as planned. Whoever thought the entire world would be shut down for a virus? Plan B™ is an important part of Brown and Company’s personalized financial analysis and retirement consulting services, custom tailored to help you deal with the ‘What if?’ scenarios life and ... Plan B™: Retirement Planning for the Unexpected
Exit Strategies for Business Owners
After years spent launching and growing your business, the day will finally arrive when you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. But, just as starting your business involved hard work and planning, the process of exiting your firm can be a long and challenging process. Many entrepreneurs put off making decisions ... Exit Strategies for Business Owners
Market Update
Markets higher after holiday – Following the big gains in US equities last week, the S&P 500 Index opened above the 3000 level for the first time since early March. Asian and European markets fared better as well, with Japan a standout. Moreover, WTI crude prices are higher after a solid four-week showing. Meanwhile markets ... Market Update
Are You Prepared for Another Market Downturn?
We have experienced a significant rebound in investment returns since late March, but if current conditions worsen are you prepared for another market downturn? The S&P 500 Index is up nearly 40% from its low on 3/23/2020. The chart below from CNBC is a visual representation of eight months through May 2020. That is a ... Are You Prepared for Another Market Downturn?
Retiring Business Owners – Plan for Succession
If you’re a small business owner, you’ve invested a great deal of time and effort into building your company. With day-to-day demands, it may be difficult to imagine your eventual transition into retirement. Yet, if you want to build personal financial security and ensure business continuation, it is important to plan ahead. Business succession planning ... Retiring Business Owners – Plan for Succession
The Small Business’s Guide to Surviving the Coronavirus Pandemic
Whether your business has been temporarily closed by a state shelter-in-place order or is still operating as a provider of essential services, balancing your revenue needs with protecting the safety of your employees and customers can be an unprecedented challenge. Learn more about some of the resources available to help small businesses survive this pandemic, as well as ... The Small Business’s Guide to Surviving the Coronavirus Pandemic
What You Need to Know About Enrolling for Medicare
It is important to stay in the know about knowing when to enroll in Medicare. According to Medicare.gov, when you’re first eligible for Medicare, you have a 7-month Initial Enrollment Period to sign up for Part A and/or Part B. If you’re eligible for Medicare when you turn 65, you can sign up during the ... What You Need to Know About Enrolling for Medicare
Negative Oil Futures Price Creates Confusion
Headlines had oil selling at -$37.63 per barrel at close on Monday, April 20. The negative sign in front? Sellers had to pay buyers $37.63 to take the oil off their hands. Except this wasn’t the price of oil. It was the price of a useful financial instrument, called a futures contract, in this case ... Negative Oil Futures Price Creates Confusion
The Importance of Financial Planning During a Bear Market
Financial planning is never more valuable than it is during times like these. But it needs to be an ongoing process rather than a one-time event. The best way to illustrate this is to get specific. Here is a short video that explains how we’ve been working with our clients and the type of planning ... The Importance of Financial Planning During a Bear Market
How the Stock Market Moves Ahead of the Economy
As an investor, you may be observing a couple things. First, the stay-at-home orders and the timeline pertaining to COVID-19 are being extended out. Second, there is a general sense that the news is going to get worse before it gets better. So, given that, why not take some money out of the market and ... How the Stock Market Moves Ahead of the Economy