Budgeting is hard for everyone; in particular those older individuals on a fixed income. For adult children, talking to aging parents about money can be a challenge. However, there are ways for family members and caregivers to tackle this somewhat daunting task. Here are a few steps that we have utilized in our practice. Prepare an expense...Read More

Today many people are concerned about where they can go to find unbiased investment advice. Investment advice that is truly unbiased can help individuals and families plan for their future, achieve their goals and live the life they’ve always wanted. If you are like most people, you assume that someone who provides investment advice to you...Read More

We care for our parents every day, in the most intimate of ways. But how well do we really know them? Our parents are the most familiar people in the world but also, sometimes, the most mysterious. Who are they as a person? What were they like when they were growing up? What experiences most...Read More

An integral part of our planning for clients is our continuous monitoring of new thresholds that affect retirement plan contributions, Social Security taxation and Medicare premiums. Listed below are the figures for 2012. There have been a few changes in pension plan contributions for the 2012 tax year due to cost of living adjustments (COLA)...Read More

Medicare Primer for the “New Boomers”, by Rosanne Roge, CFP®, CSA®, RFGSM Well, the Baby Boomers are beginning to enter the Medicare program and the momentum will be building rapidly. This is the crowd born between 1946 and 1964. As of 2011, that would make us between 47 and 65 years old. Currently, there are...Read More

The Government Giveth and Taketh Away The GOOD news is that Social Security recipients will be getting a Cost of Living Adjustment beginning in January, 2012.  The raise is expected to be about 3.6% which is a pretty sizeable increase.  This is great news since there have been no COLA adjustments for Social Security for...Read More

Our elected leaders in Washington, D.C. are playing a dangerous game of chicken. They are making everyone nervous about the deadline (August 2, 2011) for extending the debt ceiling. While every expert on the subject, including Congress, knows that the only solution is to raise the debt ceiling, they are using this to score points...Read More

Rosanne Roge, CFP, RFG, CSA The baby boomer generation – defined by the Census Bureau as those born between 1946 and 1964 – is going to have a major impact on many aspects of the economy, but the most important will be health care. The oldest boomers are turning 65 this year. This cohort will...Read More

Even though there is no COLA for Social Security benefits in 2011, the IRS has raised the deductibility limits for long term care policies purchased in 2011. The premiums you pay for your long term care insurance are deductible as itemized medical expenses (subject to the 7.5% AGI threshold) based on your age at the...Read More