Learning Center for Businesses
Browse our latest or list by category:
Browse our latest or list by category:
/// By Patrick Bugbee Executive benefit plans are almost always established with the best intentions. An organization identifies its key employees, builds a strategy to attract and retain them, and puts a benefit in place to reward long-term contribution. Then years pass. The advisor who designed the plan retires. Turnover leaves no one actively overseeing… Read More Read More
/// By Dr. Lydia Knutson & Aviva Sapers Disability planning is often misunderstood as a “just in case” benefit, something you hope never to use. In reality, it is about protecting choice when life takes an unexpected turn. “As a small business owner,” reports Dr. Lydia Knutson, owner of Lydian Chiropractic, “I learned this firsthand.… Read More Read More
/// By Pat Casserly When employers come to us with questions about updating their retirement plan, the conversation often starts the same way: a mix of curiosity, uncertainty, and a genuine desire to “get it right” for their people and the company. And that’s exactly where we thrive, helping business leaders understand not just what… Read More Read More
/// By Pat Casserly As we move into the first quarter of 2026, employers have an important opportunity to re-evaluate and optimize their corporate retirement plans. Even though the year-end rush has passed, early-year planning is just as critical for maximizing tax benefits, ensuring compliance, and boosting employee engagement—while setting your organization up for a… Read More Read More
/// By Aviva Sapers November marks Long Term Care Awareness Month, a time not just to explore insurance options, but to reflect on how we prepare—emotionally, financially, and practically—for the realities of aging and caregiving. Why Long-Term Care Planning Is More Than Just Insurance Long-term care (LTC) isn’t just about facilities or policies—it’s about people.… Read More Read More
/// By Joe Campedelli As the year draws to a close, now is the time to take control of your financial future. Whether you’re a high-net-worth individual or a business owner, making strategic moves before December 31 can help you optimize your wealth plan, reduce your tax burden, and set the stage for a successful… Read More Read More
/// By Mark Tarallo & Aviva Sapers For this year’s Life Insurance Awareness Month, we wanted to take a closer look at some of the growing trends in how life insurance can be used by business owners and executives as a powerful asset in building resilience, continuity, and long-term growth within a company. When integrated… Read More Read More
/// By Evan Macedo Last month, we traded our laptops in for a bit of sweat, plastic bins, and a healthy dose of competitive spirit as we spent the day at the Cradles to Crayons Giving Factory in Newton—a local nonprofit that provides essential items to children living in low-income and homeless situations across Greater… Read More Read More
/// By Jake Cole When considering workplace compensation, most people focus on their salary and maybe a 401(k) plan, without much thought beyond that. But today’s workplace benefits can go much further with valuable tools for building long-term wealth that are often overlooked or underused. If you’re not taking full advantage of your benefits package,… Read More Read More
/// By Jordan Smith Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the teaching of financial literacy disappeared from American public schools, paving the way for three generations of under-educated, and ill-prepared adults to come. Nowadays, financial misinformation propagates online, and finding accurate and meaningful information is hidden behind the paywalls of online courses, professional services, and for-profit… Read More Read More
/// By Ashley Agnew & Aviva Sapers With women living an average of five years longer than their male counterparts, and increasingly making more of the household financial decisions, the landscape of wealth management is shifting away from the historically male-dominated playing field. Despite this increase in financial responsibilities, women tend to have lower self-confidence… Read More Read More
/// By Aviva Sapers Estate and financial planning help to ensure a secure and comfortable retirement while also providing for our dependents after we’re gone. While most people focus on retirement savings and investments, too many overlook the financial impact that a long-term illness could have on their retirement funds. The use of long-term care… Read More Read More
/// By Jeffrey S. Davis & Aviva Sapers Statistics show that only 12-13% of family businesses are successfully passed down to the 3rd generation of family control. You might ask why this is the case and what can be done to improve the odds? Though there are many factors that contribute to this attrition rate,… Read More Read More
By Aviva Sapers Why Do You Need Life Insurance? September is National Life Insurance Awareness Month, which is a great reminder to review your coverage if you have a life insurance policy, but also a good time to consider why you might consider insurance if you don’t yet have any. According to MassMutual’s Consumer Sentiment… Read More Read More
By Aviva Sapers Are you aware of the financial impact a disability can have for you and your family? You have around a 25% chance of becoming disabled for three months or more before the age of 65.* The average duration of a disability ranges from 2.1 years to 3.2 years, depending on age.** A 2019… Read More Read More
By Evan Macedo Recent years have seen an uptick in the desire for more “socially responsible investing,” with individuals and corporations alike focused, more than ever, on environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) concerns around where and how their money is spent. The basic idea is to emphasize impact investing which prioritizes financial returns in… Read More Read More
/// By Adam Shaker and Sapers & wallack When structuring and maintaining an employee benefit plan (EBP), the process of conducting a plan audit by an outside CPA is a necessary step to assess plan accuracy and ensure long-term viability while remaining compliant with applicable laws and regulations. Generally, plans with more than 100 eligible… Read More Read More
By Aviva Sapers During the Great Resignation, it has become even more important to find ways to attract, retain, and reward key employees. These days, competitive salaries may not be enough to hold your team in place. Benefits, stock options, Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERPs), and other non-qualified executive benefits plans can help incentivize performance,… Read More Read More
The retirement plan landscape is rapidly changing and increasingly complex. Between volatile markets, the boom of remote work options, shifting worker demographics, and evolving challenges around hiring and retention—finding the right plan to balance performance with a reduced cost structure and mitigation of fiduciary risk and record keeping responsibilities can be a lot for an… Read More Read More
/// By Paul Clark and Evan Macedo Squeezed between the perpetually rising cost of health care and the increasing demand for good benefits to attract and retain talent—American businesses are struggling to find the right balance to stay afloat and remain competitive. More and more companies are looking for ways to cut costs of employee… Read More Read More
/// By Skyler Kressin and Evan Macedo Amid the scramble of PPP loans and tax reform changes of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act—many companies have failed to fully take advantage of the reliable, long-standing income tax savings opportunities of the R&D Tax Credit. Whether due to common misconceptions or confusion around documentation, a wide… Read More Read More
/// By Aviva Sapers and Kristen Maalouf Think for a moment about your ability to earn an income and how important it is to protect that income if you became too sick or injured to work. You are currently healthy and working, right? Would you agree that it is your ability to earn an income… Read More Read More
In 2007, I worked at a large multi-national asset management firm and was asked to attend an annual retirement industry event with the executives of every major retirement company in the United States. Held at the Harvard Club, the theme of the meeting was “idea day,” where retirement focused asset management firms shared thought leadership… Read More Read More
Amid the turmoil caused by the ongoing pandemic, it has been difficult for business owners to stay on top of the government incentive opportunities while maintaining a modified standard of operations. Navigating the processes of filing for PPP loans flooded the business conversation in 2020 and 2021, leaving other great governmental programs underutilized and overlooked.… Read More Read More
We are living and working longer than the generations that came before, but the strength of Social Security and the retirement options afforded to our parents are not what they used to be. Retirement savings, which are mostly our own, have become more important than ever to maintain quality of life in our later years—and… Read More Read More
Over a year ago, near the start of the pandemic, I wrote a blog about the importance of cybersecurity insurance amid the uptick of hacking and cyber ransom attacks on corporations of all sizes. I spoke then about how the Black Swan disruption of COVID had driven so much of global business online, which had… Read More Read More
Before I became Sales Director for Hilb Group of New England, I spent years working directly for a large insurance carrier. I have looked at a lot of health care data throughout my career and have taken well over a hundred meetings with companies for direct review of their health care plans and outcomes. Believe… Read More Read More
September is National Life Insurance Awareness Month, so i’s a great time to review your coverage.* If you don’t have any life insurance, you’re not alone. Life insurance is one of those “someday” things for many people – but the cheapest time to buy it is probably today. There are two kinds of life insurance:… Read More Read More
Stress is likely the largest contributor of health issues and loss of productivity at the workplace in America—and an estimated 84% of stress is derived from financial problems. That equates to huge financial ramifications for businesses of all sizes. A recently conducted Salary Finance survey found that American businesses are losing as much as 500-billion-dollars… Read More Read More
For many businesses, and certainly throughout the insurance and financial services fields, the process of meeting new people and expanding our professional networks is key to success. Though this past year has put a serious damper on the traditional ability to shake hands and build new relationships, avenues still exist for making connections and many… Read More Read More
Regardless of your financial situation, for most of us, saving the right amount of money for retirement can be difficult. Establishing sources of replacement income that will allow you to consistently maintain your expected lifestyle after your working years often requires careful planning, financial discipline, and if those are not attainable, some creative solutions. Read More
As with all industries, the insurance market has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic—particularly around the practice of underwriting. For the uninitiated, Life Insurance Underwriting is the method through which insurers evaluate the risk of potential buyers in order to decide whether or not to approve, deny, or rate up a life insurance policy. … Read More Read More
One of the biggest challenges facing nonprofits with large individual donations, is losing an annual stream of income when the donor dies. While most nonprofits rely heavily on their annual fundraising campaigns, it is important, and sometimes vital, for nonprofit organizations to encourage such donors to endow their gifts – distinct from annual contributions –… Read More Read More
By now, most businesses are aware and have engaged in the preliminary steps toward rolling out the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFML) in Massachusetts. Starting January 1st, 2021, eligible Massachusetts workers will be able to take up to 26 weeks of paid family and medical leave benefits, meant to cover maternity and paternity… Read More Read More
As we enter Life Insurance Awareness Month, it seems a good moment to reevaluate why we have the insurance we do and whether it is the right amount to fulfill the needs we have. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and with an election only months away that has the potential to greatly change… Read More Read More
Often, when I begin a discussion with a client on estate planning, I remind them that they generally have three beneficiaries: family, charity, and Uncle Sam. I follow up with the question, “how much do you want to leave to each?” No one ever wants to leave their money to Uncle Sam, but the government… Read More Read More
There is a pervasive myth that insurance products produce mediocre returns. In truth, though life insurance has been purchased for many years to provide security and guarantees, there are some newer product lines that can be very attractive for investment purposes—particularly in volatile markets. In order to remain competitive and relevant, the insurance industry has… Read More Read More
/// Posted by Ellen Bohn Gitlitz & Bill Smeltzer No one would have predicted that we’d all be spending our spring, summer, and possibly beyond working remotely and restructuring how we engage with our coworkers, clients, and lives in general. Unfortunately, this extended period of disruption and uncertainty has also made us all more vulnerable… Read More Read More
As a general rule, the more money you make, whether in work generated income or capital gains, the more you will pay in taxes. But rules are meant to be broken, and there are ways to mitigate tax losses with the right planning and advice. The after-tax return vs. the pretax return. Everyone wants their… Read More Read More
Many people believe in giving back, but under the new tax laws, it may not be as tax advantageous as it used to be. With the steady appreciation in the stock market – the longest bull run in history – some folks have achieved a level of wealth they never imagined. Our Charitable Strategies work… Read More Read More
On December 20th, 2019, new legislation was signed into law as part of a larger government spending package that promises to have wide ranging and lasting effect on saving for retirement. Called the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, the legislation includes many long-sought common-sense reforms that could make retirement saving both… Read More Read More
According to recent statistics, there are now more than 44 million unique borrowers who collectively owe $1.6 trillion in student loan debt—making student loans the second largest consumer debt category after mortgages. Those are staggering numbers. For the considerable Millennials and massive Gen Z workforce to follow, student loan debt is a primary economic concern,… Read More Read More
Background There is growing interest in a design strategy known as the Mega Backdoor Roth Conversion (the Conversion). The Conversion allows 401(k) or 403(b) Plan participants who are already deferring the maximum allowed to contribute After-Tax funds to the plan. The participant may then convert the money from After-Tax funds to Designated Roth funds. This… Read More Read More
For most Americans in 2019, the idea of retirement is associated more with a sense of anxiety than the promise of relaxation it once inspired. Have I saved enough? When should I stop working? Will I have a guaranteed source of income? And more than ever before, how can I plan for the rising costs… Read More Read More
It’s a storyline played out in best-selling books, movies and TV dramas: the successful family that’s torn apart after the death of the matriarch or patriarch and transition of the business and other assets. This isn’t the stuff of fiction. A succession plan addressing how to take care of your family business—and your relatives who… Read More Read More
On average, Americans are living longer than ever before. This reality has complicated the planning and saving stage of retirement as we struggle to secure enough income to cover our needs for the duration of our lifetime. One increasingly critical tool of financial planners for retirees is the use of Roth IRA conversions. A Roth… Read More Read More
In 2018, Massachusetts signed into law a statute that provides paid family and medical leave (PFML) benefits to workers. Massachusetts becomes only the sixth state, along with the District of Columbia, to require paid leave. The state has yet to issue final regulations, but they did provide updated draft regulations at the end of March.… Read More Read More
On March 22, 2018, the city of Atlanta’s website was hit by a ransomware cyberattack. Residents couldn’t access online applications or pay water bills and parking tickets. Court proceedings were cancelled. An estimated ten years’ worth of documents, including police dash cam recordings, were lost. It was five days before city government employees could turn… Read More Read More
Long-term illnesses are very challenging emotionally, physically, and especially financially. I should know, as I have lived through 3 grandparents, 2 in-laws, and one mother who all needed or still need care. It is difficult to watch those you love lose the ability to do for themselves, and to experience the toll it takes on… Read More Read More
Whether you’re the owner of a small business or involved in risk management for a national organization, the right Property and Casualty coverage can have a huge impact on protecting your business against unforeseen events. P&C Insurance exists to safeguard the buildings, vehicles, and people that make up your business structure, but P&C coverage can be… Read More Read More
Unclaimed Retirement Benefits: Do you have money lost in old 401(k)s and pensions? There has been a wave of reporting over the last few years around the vast sums of money in unclaimed accounts in the US. Millions of Americans have forgotten or are completely unaware of money in their name from government payouts, bank… Read More Read More
Termination Death Benefit for Large Corporations: How Not to Lose Benefits to Taxes, While Insuring Recovery of Accrued Liabilities It is a hard, somewhat morbid, topic to face, but the death of business executives at large companies is a financially fraught time for both the company and family of the executive alike. The financial payout… Read More Read More
One of the bread-and-butter staples of a well-conceived employee benefit program is the classic group term life insurance. You join a company, fill out a beneficiary form, and voila, you are provided with group term life insurance equivalent to a multiple of salary, such as two times annual earnings. You don’t think much of this… Read More Read More
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 would involve dismantling part of it and having no heat for a day. Our plumber,… Read More Read More
The Superbowl excitement is behind us and we all celebrated the success of the New England Patriots during the famous Duckboat Parade. The continuous success of this team is possible with a great leader at its helm: Bill Belichick. The way he leads and assembles a first class team year after year provides valuable lessons… Read More Read More
Wooing, educating, maintaining annual gifts for Charitable Institutions is “tough business” for the thousands of fund raisers working desperately to meet ever increasing costs. Most annual gifts are the product of endless meetings, dinners, phone calls, tours and creative discussions. Once a donor has bought into the needs of the institution, there is an annual… Read More Read More
Red is the color of choice for the Sapers & Wallack team these days. This is not the newest fashion trend around Newton, but a cause close to the heart for all of our team members: women’s health. We are proud to participate in the national Go RED for Women Day on February 3rd to… Read More Read More
Oxfam America is known worldwide to “create lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and social justice.” The non-profit is not only leading the efforts to find new ways to fight hunger, but also re-defines internal organizational structures. To attract and retain its highly skilled leadership, Oxfam America started a customized executive benefit restoration initiative and chose… Read More Read More
The year comes to an end and we enjoy the time with family and friends during the holiday season. But many also ask themselves important questions: what happens if this idyllic gathering won’t be possible in the future? What if a family member becomes disabled or ill? Read More
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 to save for retirement on a tax-deductible basis. Investments made within the plan grow… Read More Read More
During the downturn in the economy, the large non-profit sector was instrumental in helping to maintain jobs in the greater Boston area. According to federal data, over 17% of all Massachusetts jobs come from the non-profit sector. During the downturn, when most other businesses were downsizing or laying off workers, our non-profits created 16,765 jobs.*… Read More Read More
Although many institutions that have offered CGAs to donors are concerned about the natural extension of life expectancy, or that a large number of female CGA donors could offset the life expectancy experience–increased longevity has not been the major factor of CGA failures. Read More
The Boston Business Journal recently announced 23 finalists for its fifth-annual Healthiest Employers program, which will be held March 12 at the Westin Waterfront in Boston. Employee wellness has become an important facet of overall corporate culture, and should not be overlooked as an important component of the workplace. As such, it seems like a… Read More Read More
The Cadillac Tax has been Delayed Until 2020 – What is the Next Step for Employers? Congress passed and President Obama signed a $1.1 trillion spending bill on December 11, 2015. An important part of that legislation for the employer community is the fact that the so called “Cadillac tax” implementation has been delayed until… Read More Read More
On a Tuesday around 1pm, you would typically find Sapers & Wallack employees either working diligently at their desks or away at client meetings…but not this day! On October 27th, our whole office could be found at the Cradles to Crayons Giving Factory in Brighton, MA. It is here where we would continue on our… Read More Read More
It’s well known that women live longer than men. That’s great for women, but not so great for women’s colleges when it comes to the risks surrounding Charitable Gift Annuities. In fact, the combination of longer lifespan of alumnae and underperforming investments could actually be putting women’s colleges at a serious disadvantage. When it comes… Read More Read More
The month of May has been designated as Disability Insurance Awareness Month making it a perfect time to ask you the question: Are you covered? In a survey conducted last year by the Council for Disability Awareness, two-thirds of Americans said their salary was their second most valuable asset, yet only three in ten had… Read More Read More
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 to—and work for—causes they strongly believed in. In 1780, Esther Reed, the wife of the… Read More Read More
Do you typically make charitable gifts at year’s end by writing checks or using a credit card? If so, we would suggest you could increase your giving to be much more tax efficient by creating a donor advised fund (DAF) and donating appreciated assets to that fund. Then you can request the DAF to send… Read More Read More
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released drafts of the forms that employers will use to report on the health coverage that they offer to their employees in 2015. This reporting is required as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Employers with 100 or more employees (including full time equivalents) are required to provide… Read More Read More
As we look back over the first decade of the 21st century, we can draw one undeniable conclusion – it was a bear of a time for investors. Major market declines from 2000 to 2002 and then again in 2008 dragged equity returns well below their long-term averages. But research will show that, as disappointing… Read More Read More
Many employers turn to a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) to purchase their group insurance benefits. The belief is that the buying power of many employers will be greater than that of a single employer. While there are some economies of scale, the administrative costs of a PEO often offset the higher premiums. Additionally, there are… Read More Read More
Because if you are nearing retirement and are looking for a vehicle that could give you the opportunity to receive steady income, immediate annuities ought to be considered. If you are looking to turn some of your investment portfolio from accumulation to distribution, annuities might be used as a vehicle to deliver to your bank… Read More Read More
Every minute, 50 individuals suffer a disabling Injury.* Nearly one in five Americans will become disabled for 1 year or more before the age of 65.** 54.5% of personal bankruptcies are the Result of Medical Problems.*** What do these statistics mean for you and your loved ones? Did you know you can you protect yourself… Read More Read More
Whenever a donor commits to a large gift, whether cash, donation of property, a Charitable Annuity or any other gift of present value, the use of a Wealth Replacement Trust should be discussed. The cash from the tax deduction available to the donor could replace the value of the charitable gift that might otherwise have… Read More Read More
Given the results of a recent study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute that show only 13% of Americans feel confident that they will have enough money in retirement to live comfortably, the time has come for employers to take a more aggressive approach with the plans they are offering. When we were growing up,… Read More Read More
Roth IRA Mirror Plan – A Tax Advantaged Asset Accumulation Strategy Are you paying too much in Federal Income Taxes? Do you want to minimize the impact of higher taxes? Are you looking to accumulate wealth on a tax-advantaged basis? The changes enacted by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) affect many types of… Read More Read More
In this edition of the RRC, we expand upon our recent post on retirement insights from J.P. Morgan and a few of the key findings of interest from their study. We will also give a glimpse of retirement readiness through the lens of a leader in the retirement services market. Let’s begin by asking a… Read More Read More
Should you give cash or donate stocks that have achieved long-term capital gains as you make gifts to charitable organizations? Charitable gifts to organizations are made with the best of intentions. But in addition to being well intended, giving to charity should also be well executed. In certain cases, it may be in the donor’s… Read More Read More
Why IRA gifts are not the best option! The Tax Relief Unemployment Insurance Act of 2010 allows people over seventy years and six months of age to donate up to $100,000 of IRA assets to charity. This exemption sounds great on paper and many 501c institutions have mailed their potential donors to encourage the use of… Read More Read More
Retirement Insights from JP Morgan’s 2013 Plan Participant Survey In the outcome driven world of retirement planning and services, stewards are needed now more than ever before. Our goal at Sapers & Wallack is to provide guidance to all of our clients in the form of best practices. By beginning with the end in mind,… Read More Read More
You Are Probably Not Going Into A Nursing Home, But Don’t Confuse That With Not Planning For Extended Care When people consider the subject of elder care (often referred to as long term care), they often think about nursing homes. However, elder care has little to do with nursing homes. Understanding the difference can help… Read More Read More