Should I Plan on Student Loan Forgiveness?

Be careful before you make long-term financial decisions based on the possibility of loan forgiveness. Expectations for student loan forgiveness have been high, and they reached fever-pitch in March when President Biden unveiled his $1.8 trillion “American Families Plan.” Given the enormous size of the bill, many Americans anticipated the inclusion of loan … [Read more...]

Will there be a correction in the market?

One of the questions I get a lot is, “Will there be a correction in the market this year?” The easy answer to this is “Yes, probably.” It might be best to just look at history for an answer rather than it being clouded by current events and our own political views and biases – although we always need to add that Past performance is no guarantee of future … [Read more...]

Medicare Made Simple

As many of us start moving up the age scale, it might be prudent to know a little more about Medicare and what the process is. If you are under the age of 55, this will probably not interest you much, but all of the “Over 55’s” should start learning a little as we start planning for our Medical Future. I will try to keep this as simple as possible so please … [Read more...]

Why Do I Need Life Insurance? (P.S. – I don’t NEED it)

Here’s how a traditional life insurance sale goes: “Let’s do an analysis of how much life insurance you need.” Imagine being a life insurance salesperson on the “Miracle on the Hudson” plane just as the pilot Sully said: “Brace for impact” What if you grabbed the speakerphone and said, “Anyone want some life insurance? I could get it for you in one second … [Read more...]

Why do I need life insurance when I first get married?

By Dave Coen I am going to make this short and sweet so that we get the point across as this is one of the very first things I would suggest a couple consider when getting married. What do you want for your spouse? When we first fall in love and decide to spend the rest of our lives together, we feel like the world is at our feet and that our future is … [Read more...]

Custody of a Minor Child When the Natural Parents Die

This post was written for Legalzoom by Roberta Codemo and can be viewed HERE By Roberta Codemo Who gets custody of a minor child when the natural parents die? This is a question parents need to ask themselves. Normally, the surviving spouse gets custody. However, should both parents die, the answer isn't so simple, which is why it's important to have an … [Read more...]

Financial Aid Awards – Can I appeal?

5 things to think about – By Dave Coen This time of year, we look through a lot of financial aid award letters. Part of what we need to understand is the fine print of the award letters in order to make an informed decision about the best college and how much it will cost for all four years. The letters can be downright misleading. I am … [Read more...]

Looking back a few months

Hindsight is always 2020 What a rollercoaster! The past few months have seen the fastest drop in the market in history and the fastest recovery of its type in history. Hang on for the ride. A feeling of satisfaction As I write this, I feel pretty positive about my clients and I am grateful for the trust that each and every one places with us in assisting with … [Read more...]

Should I lend money to a family member?

30 years ago, my Mom taught me a great lesson about lending money to people. Before we get into the rational details here, let me say that I have been the recipient of loans and gifts by some of the most generous people on the planet when I have desperately needed help. Giving and lending often comes from the heart and not always based on rational deductions, … [Read more...]

4 Questions that every Financial Advisor should be able to answer

I have asked people many times what their past experience has been with Financial Advisors. Do you know what to ask your advisor and what he should be doing for you? Probably the best thing that should come out of a relationship with an advisor is a PLAN. If you know where you are headed then you will have a sense of what you need to do to get there …it will … [Read more...]