With only a few days remaining in 2019, Congress passed the groundbreaking SECURE Act, which affected many changes to the retirement planning landscape, most notably the elimination of the traditional “stretch IRA.” As many estate and financial planning professionals know, the stretch IRA is an invaluable tool that allows non-spouse beneficiaries of retirement plans (401(k),…
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Thinking Creatively In a Crisis
The safety of our people is extremely important, and we urge all necessary precautions be taken to protect against the threat of the coronavirus. The difficulties from the pandemic goes across all creeds and wealth levels. It has shown us some of the best of humanity through the extraordinary efforts of first responders and charities.…
Myth or Reality – What Affects Your Credit Score?
Even the most responsible person in the world who has never missed a payment could be missing a good credit score. Why? Because it takes time to build a reputation, which is based on what you’ve done. The general guidance for creating a good reputation and credit score aligns with what one would expect: Live…
Money for Seed, or Money to Spend?
Sometimes, the shock of a sudden death can provide a sharp focus on things we did not appreciate soon enough, and what we know but don’t always act on. It’s always worthwhile to express our appreciation for those we care for. With the recent tragic helicopter crash that led to the loss of Kobe Bryant,…
One Decade at a Time
The last decade was one of tremendous market optimism, which included the longest bull market in American history. That is because we have gone 130 months as of January 1st 2020 without a 20% or greater decline in the stock market, breaking the previous record of 113 months. Fun Fact! The terms for being bullish…
Trust. Hard to Build, Easy to Break.
Trust is part of all brands, not just trust companies, as that is where brand loyalty comes from. Good product or service, on time delivery, truthfulness in advertising — all are part of building that trust. Unfortunately, with the chaotic digital marketplaces this trust can be broken in many ways. The most recent accusation: Fake…
Philip Roth’s Legacy
No fanfare, or announcements about the large bequests. Philip Roth worked with an estate planner to create an estate plan that would promote his wishes, and we are now learning about notable parts of it. For example, he left more than $2 million to the Newark Public Library. How much money did Philip Roth have…