The Cautious Investor

By Jonathan Lapine, CFP ®, CPA and Jean Marie Daley When people think of investing, they generally think of stocks, but many investors’ portfolios are largely comprised of bonds as well. In fact, the U.S. bond market is massively larger than the U.S. stock market; approximately double the size*. Knowing this, it is important to understand the…

By: Jonathan Lapine, CFP ®, CPA Ever since the advent of the 401K in 1978, more share of the burden to financially prepare for retirement has shifted from one’s employer to the employee themself.  Company pension plans designed to provide lifetime income to loyal employees at retirement have slowly vanished from the retirement income scene. …

During this time of being at home more, now is your chance to finish that project we all put off for later – estate planning. Getting your estate planning documents organized will ensure that your loved ones are protected and that your wishes will be met. You never know what tomorrow might bring. In this…

When the market is tumultuous – like it’s been with the coronavirus – it’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy. However, seasoned investors know to find the positive of every situation. Yes, we’re in a bear market, but opportunities may present themselves. One option for investors to capitalize on a downturn is tax-loss…

What is it and why do it? Succession planning is a proactive, strategic approach that allows an owner to exit their business on their own terms. Not all businesses are created equal, and one of the more common misconceptions we’ve seen business owners have is related to the time frame it takes to walk away…

A Health Savings Account, more commonly referred to by its abbreviation HSA, is a type of savings account that allows you to set money aside for qualified medical expenses and reduce your taxable income. Not everyone is eligible to have an HSA (not everyone should) and it does come with some caveats. In order to…

As the world relies more on technology with every passing day, the continued emergence of cyber threats and identity theft can be felt by most Americans.  Despite the number of fraud incidents decreasing in 2018 relative to 2017, 3.3 million people were responsible for some of the liability of the fraud committed against them, up…

In December 2019, Congress passed the SECURE Act which brings significant changes to planning for the distribution of retirement assets after death.  Lifetime minimum distribution rules are pretty much left alone, with the only change being a delay in the starting point for required minimum distributions to age 72, from age 70½. The most notable change…

Starting off the New Year right while still enjoying the holiday spirit makes it a good time to think about charitable donations. For those 70.5 or older who must take their Required Minimum Distributions (RMD’s) from their IRA’s, thinking about charities close to your heart may be a good alternative to incurring the tax bill…