Year-End Financial Planning

By
Jeff Motske, CFP®
January 21, 2021
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Don't get caught up in the here and now. Short-term moves and market timing are not sound financial strategies for your serious long-term plan of pursuing financial independence.  Good planning does, however, require intermediary decision-making. A few things to consider before year-end:

  1. Charitable Giving – To receive 2020 tax benefits, donations must be made by year-end. Be sure to keep a record of all giving for future tax purposes. Other planning strategies to consider are gifting highly appreciated stocks and bunching charitable donations in the same year.
  2. Tax Harvesting – Look for opportunities to sell stocks that have dropped in value to offset potential capital gains liabilities.

As always, we are available to help you with these year-end decisions and keep you focused on your long-term financial plans. Thank you for entrusting us with your financial life. Let’s all remember to be grateful and enjoy this holiday season.

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By Trilogy Financial
July 26, 2023

Scammers are pretending to be bank customer service representatives reaching out regarding fraud prevention. Their goal is to get you to reset your login credentials and gain access to your account.

How it works
  1. Scammers, posing as customer service representatives, will call and keep the victim on the phone for multiple hours to “resolve” a fraud issue.
  2. The scammer urges quick action to prevent alleged hackers from draining the victim’s account.
  3. The victim is asked for sensitive information like login credentials and verification answers.
  4. The scammer logs in to the victim’s account to initiate unauthorized payments, bypassing security restrictions via a direct call to the real Fraud Support, all while the true customer is on hold.
Quick Tips
  • Check your account activity frequently and monitor for suspicious transactions.
  • When asked for information that seems unusual, hang up and call the phone number on the back of your bank card or account statement.
  • Read text and email communications fully and pause before responding.
  • Remember that banks and credit card companies will never ask you for your password or your card/account number over the phone.

 

By
Zach Swaffer, CFP®
May 19, 2020

Top 10 Ways To Improve Your Financial Health

  1. Create an emergency fund (3-6 months fixed expenses)
  2. Identify your priorities/goals
  3. Plan for unexpected life events
  4. Understand your monthly cash flow (money in vs money out)
  5. Discuss finances with your spouse/partner
  6. Reward yourself for hitting financial goals
  7. Save up for large purchases
  8. Use risk tolerances and an allocation strategy for your investments
  9. Give yourself a raise (increase 401(k) contributions)
  10. Have a financial plan and review it annually

 

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine what is appropriate for you, consult a qualified professional.

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