Articles of Interest
Title: Cyber Extortion - A New Twist on an Old Trick
Description: Extortion, the practice of obtaining money or some other type of gain through force or threats, is a ploy that criminals have used for hundreds of years. Today, they’ve put a new twist on this old trick. They’ve brought extortion to the digital world, and it’s becoming increasingly popular among the cyber criminal class.
Title: Curbing the Cost of Health Care
Description: Health care expenses are a major concern for people of all ages, from recent college graduates to those nearing retirement. While it’s impossible to predict how much health care will cost in the future, there are a number of strategies that may help reduce the financial burden, whether you’re close to retirement or just starting out.
Title: Key Numbers for 2021
Description: Retirement contribution limits, tax rates and more information to keep in mind throughout 2021
Title: 5 Positive Financial Habits to Adopt Today.
Description: Most people, have a vivid, exciting picture of what your ideal retirement will look like. Spending time with family at a beach house, crossing off the books that have accumulated on your to-read list, or finally being able to volunteer enough of yourtime to make a difference for your favorite charity. The journey to retirement is long and winding. You can encounter challenges along the way before arriving at your desired destination. Adopting good financial habits is a must for plotting a successful retirement journey. Let’s explore five positive ways to get—and stay—on the right track.
Title: A retirement Fact sheet on Social Security and Medicare
Description: Read the Retirement Fact Sheet for Social Security and Medicare. Learn information such as, the timeline for is for retirement benefits eligibility, obtaining benefits, when can you apply, what documentation do you need to apply, open enrollment periods for Medicare, and more.
Title: Long Term Care Letter for February 2021 from Constant Contact
Description: Life Expectancy in the 21st Century has more than doubled since the second Industrial Revolution. We now live longer and healthier lives. We can see the fruits of our sacrifices and enjoy our families for decades. Because of advances in insurance we now have the ability to cover ourselves with home-based or even supervised health care for serious conditions if we need it, without compromising our family’s financial stability
Title: My LTC Plan (Worksheet)
Description: Untangle the complexities of your long term care benefits. Long Term Care Benefits can be confusing to understand. Utilizing the attached form can help you summarize the contents of your plan on one page. Your information will be quickly available when it is needed.
Title: Recent Increase in Cyber Hacking Attempts
Description: Commonwealth Financial Network®, our RIA–broker/dealer, has detected an increase in cyber-hacking attempts over the holiday period. Please be especially vigilant against suspicious emails, texts, and websites during this time. Read here to learn some helpful tips to avoid becoming a victim of cyber fraud.
Title: Staying in Touch Just Got Easier
Description: We’re pleased to announce that you now have the option to text, making communicating with us more convenient. Enjoy this quick new method of staying in touch with us. It’s always a pleasure to hear from you!
Title: 5 Positive Financial Habits to Adopt Today
Description: Like most people, you probably have a vivid, exciting picture of what your ideal retirement will look like. Maybe it’s spending time with family at a beach house, crossing off the books that have accumulated on your to-read list, or finally being able to volunteer enough of your time to make a difference for your favorite charity. But there’s no doubt that the journey to retirement is long and winding—and, as with any journey, you’ll encounter challenges along the way before arriving at your desired destination. Adopting good financial habits is a must for plotting a successful retirement journey. Let’s explore five positive ways to get—and stay—on the right track.
Title: 10 Reasons To Save
Description: We all know we should be saving for retirement. But, according to EBRI’s 2018 Retirement Confidence Survey, many Americans aren’t prepared. In fact, 79 percent of respondents said they plan to work in retirement! Of course, life gets in the way of taking action, and retirement seems so far off. But whether or not you’re prepared, it will be time to retire before you know it. Read on for 10 reasons to make saving for retirement a priority today.
Title: 529 Plans: Qualified and Non-qualified Expenses
Description: You’ve put in the hard work of saving for college, and now it’s time to start using those 529 plan assets to help with a family member’s education-related costs. But before you begin withdrawing those funds, it’s important to understand the difference between qualified and non-qualified expenses.
Title: Vacation Home
Description: As the weather warms up, many people are thinking about summer plans—and possibly dreaming of buying a vacation home. Although the idea of having a permanent “home away from home” may sound appealing, purchasing a vacation property isn’t something to be entered into lightly. If you’re considering this major commitment, here are some important questions to ask yourself.
Title: Smartphone Safety
Description: It's tough to remember how we got by befoe smartphones. Because completing tasks on smart phones is so easy we tend to take these devices for granted over looking the sensitivity of the data we store on them. Here are some common mistakes and how to fix them.
Title: Capturing a Lifetime of Memories
Description: It doesn’t take much to start capturing valuable memories—just a notepad, an audio recorder, or a video camera. While you could write down all the answers, it might be easier and more fun to record them for future generations to hear or, better yet, see!
Title: Are you Suffering from Compassion Fatigue
Description: Whether you are in the “sandwich generation,” taking care of aging parents while raising your own children, or you are caring for others in some manner, it can be a balancing act. And it’s one that can take its toll on your emotional well-being. In other words, you may be suffering from compassion fatigue.
Title: Understanding the new CARES Act
Description: On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act) into law. The CARES Act has been enacted as a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic and is intended to provide immediate and ongoing economic relief to individuals and businesses affected by the crisis. The following Q&A covers key questions you may have about the legislation.
Title: Don't get Caught of Guard
Description: According to the 2017 Verizon Data Breach Inves9ga9ons Report, 90 percent of all security incidents and breaches start with phishing aDacks. Hackers use these aDacks to trick people into divulging personal informa9on. Unfortunately, many oJen don’t realize they have fallen for a phishing scam un9l aJer the fact.
Title: The Coronavirus: A Healthy Perspective
Description: We have our first surprise of the year: The Coronavirus. In January, I wrote in my annual forecast that we will be surprised by something this year. This is likely the first of several unexpected, unpredicted events we will experience in 2020, especially given that it is an election year.
Title: What to Do When You Are a Victim of Tax Identity Theft
Description: When it comes to filing our tax returns, we all want to complete every form accurately and according to the instructions. So finding out that someone has filed a fraudulent return in our name is something we never want to experience.
Title: What Happens to Our Stolen Information After a Cyber Breach?
Description: After a cyber breach, we tend to think in terms of what the victim needs to do next. Can any of the stolen data be protected after the fact? What can the victim do to secure confidential information going forward? But for a change, let’s talk about the crime from the cyber thief’s point of view. What does the crook do with our data once he or she has stolen it?
Title: The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act
Description: On December 20, 2019, the SECURE Act was signed into law. The SECURE Act contains 29 provisions, encompassing many aspects of financial planning and retirement saving. Once treasury regulations are released, nuances in interpreting this new law will become clearer. Until then, individuals are left to interpret the law’s effects based on the language of the law itself. This article will address what the SECURE Act entails and who it affects, as well as provide suggestions on how to plan for the changes that have been instituted.
Title: New IRS Withholding Tool
Description: As a taxpayer, were you disappointed by your 2018 tax return? Perhaps you found out that you owed taxes because your paycheck withholdings were insufficient. Or maybe your refund was smaller than you anticipated. Due to changes in tax withholding rates and limited deductions, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 created surprises like these for many taxpayers. Prior to the new law, taxpayers frequently received a refund due to excess withholding.