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Is There a Better Option for College Savings than Using a 529?

Many people feel that the most cost effective way to fund college for their kids is by contributing to a 529 plan.  The benefits are:

  • All earnings grow tax free and are distributed tax free if used for qualified education expenses
  • 30 states offer full or partial deduction – Not MA
  • Owner can change beneficiaries and maintain control past college
  • Funding can vary as needs dictate
  • No age or income limits or annual contribution limits (up to $500,000 per beneficiary)

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Five Ideal Summer Action Items

Have you ever come home from a trip with a renewed perspective?  Sometimes the very activities designed to help us relax can also work to free the mind so we can more easily prioritize what needs to get done.  Here are … Continue reading →

Why Staying the Course is Helpful

I am not normally a fan of Jim Cramer, the loud, stock-picking host of CNBC’s “Mad Money.” That said, this week on the TODAY show he had a sensible reflection about the recent days’ market decline: “No one ever made … Continue reading →

Everyone Needs an Estate Plan!

Make sure your plan matches your stage in lifeMost people do not like thinking about their own death or the death of family and friends.  Benjamin Franklin famously wrote: “… in this world nothing can be said to be certain, … Continue reading →

Summer: An Unlikely Time for Changing CPAs

Last year my husband and I knew there was something wrong with our boiler, in the basement of our house. We knew this because we lost heat in the house during the winter – twice. We learned that repairing it … Continue reading →

How 529 Plans Can Help Take the Bite Out of the College Price Tag

Every May, years of all-night study sessions and grueling examinations endured by thousands of young men and women culminate with graduation and the receipt of a four-year college degree.  While more and more young men and women are attending college, … Continue reading →

International Women’s Day: Your Financial Future Matters – Resolve to Be 10% More Engaged

It’s International Women’s Day, and I have been thinking about how financial advisors interact with women, especially when those women are one half of a couple, and how I wished both advisors and women would behave differently.I’ve been to several … Continue reading →

Defined Benefit Plans – A Wealth Accumulation Strategy for High Income Business Owners

With the end of the year approaching, now is the time for high income earners to assess whether a defined benefit plan makes sense.A defined benefit plan allows the highest deductible contributions of any retirement plan.  This plan allows you … Continue reading →

Why Staying the Course is Helpful

I am not normally a fan of Jim Cramer, the loud, stock-picking host of CNBC’s “Mad Money.” That said, this week on the TODAY show he had a sensible reflection about the recent days’ market decline: “No one ever made … Continue reading →

Contributing Women: Historic Benchmarks

Charity and “good works” have been part of American identity since before our country’s founding. To commemorate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day on March 9, we take a look at some women whose charity enabled them to contribute … Continue reading →