How We Can Help You

 Before the Divorce is Final: we help clients understand the critical issues and take appropriate actions as they begin the divorce process.  Our holistic advice helps save time and money by assisting clients and their attorneys to: 

·         Prepare and gather appropriate financial information

·         Identify and optimize a couple’s financial resources, including more complex assets such as insurance policies, qualified and non qualified retirement plans, stock options, collectibles or a family business, etc.

·         Research and valuate qualified plans

·         Focus on assets that make sense to maintain

·         Give a neutral perspective on the client’s situation

·         Identify specific needs that should be considered in the process

·         Calculate insurance needs to protect spousal/child support, education funding, debts, etc.  

·         Set goals including retirement income, budgets and cash flow strategies

·         Identify strategies to achieve long term accumulation goals such as education funding, retirement, vacation home, etc.

·         Analyze and negotiate equitable settlements using graphic, easy to understand illustrations

·         Instill knowledge to help a client confidently agree to settlement terms

·         Save time and money

 

 After the divorce is final: There are important things that must be done to keep the “financial house” in order.  Taking over where the attorney leaves off, we help our clients with:  

·         Estate planning decisions (wills, trusts, minors, beneficiary designations, etc)

·         Change of ownership for accounts

·         Budgeting, cash flow, emergency reserve planning

·         Employee benefit decisions

·         Insurance needs analysis & placement (life, health, disability, property & casualty)

·         QDRO

·         Tax issues

·         Investment  recommendations

·         Education funding

·         Distribution planning

We are a resource for our clients on many financial topics. Some of the questions our clients have recently asked include: 
 

1. Should I refinance my mortgage again?
2. I want to change jobs/careers.  Can I afford to?  What about my employee benefits?
3. How much do I need to save every month to send my kid to college?
4. Can I afford private schools?
5. Someone wants to help my child pay for college.  What is the most tax efficient way to handle the gift?
6. What happens to my benefits if I lose or quit my job?
7. What is a buy/sell agreement?  Do I need one?  How can it help me?
8. That is disability insurance?  Do I need it?
9. Can you monitor my stock options and let me know when I should sell?
10. How often should I review my portfolio, insurance or financial plan?
11. The market is down. What should I do?
12. I want to retire by age 60.Will I have enough?
13. What is a good way to manage my monthly expenses?
14. Should I lease or buy a car?
15. Do I need long term care insurance? If so, what should be the policy provisions?
16. Should I invest in a 529 plan? If so, which one?
17. If we want financial aid, what is the best way to own assets for our children's college education?
18. The income from my business/practice is declining. What should I do to optimize my current assets?
19. I'm scared. Should I get out of the market?
20. Look at my total investments. Is my allocation right?
21. What do you think of ABC stock? Mutual funds? A, B, C, D and Z shares?
22. Should I be using puts and calls?  
23. How should I diversify my large position in my employer's stock?
24. What is a fair value for my business? How should I consider structuring the sale? 
25. What is the best way to ease out of my business and transfer ownership to my children?
26. When should I exercise my company stock options? What are the tax issues?
27. Are my health and retirement plan best for my small company? Are the terms of my health plan okay?
28. Is my Social Security calculated correctly? Should I begin taking it at 62?
29. Did my mother's broker rip her off?
30. Do I have enough to retire?
31. How much and which type of life insurance do I need? 
32. Is charitable giving an appropriate estate planning tool for me?
33. Should I continue the life insurance policies that I have?
34. Am I missing out on tax savings?  I was offered this tax shelter.  It doesn't make sense.
35. How much can I spend in retirement?
36. How do I get out of this annuity?  What does the contract really say?
37. If I change jobs, how will my benefits compare?
38. We are getting divorced.  What are the things I should consider?
39. I think my mother may have Alzheimer's.  What are the steps to get help from Medicaid?
40. How much salary versus sub-S distribution should I take?
41. Should I lock in my student loans?
42. Should I take a 15 or 30 year mortgage?  Fixed or variable?  Should I pay down my mortgage?
43. Am I carrying enough property casualty insurance?
44. What is the best way to protect my assets from creditors?
45. I have too much debt.  What should I do?
46. I need some simple (or complicated) estate planning.  Which lawyer do you recommend?
47. I need a good accountant.  Who do you recommend?
48. How much of my children's college education should I plan on paying?
49. Should I use a custodial account for my children? or grandchildren?
50. Is my estate plan still appropriate given changes in the estate tax laws? 
51. All my friends have a living trust. Do I need one? 
52. How much should I save in my retirement plan? College funds? Improve current lifestyle? 
53. How do I get key non-stockholder, non-family employees excited about our business? 
54. I live alone and am getting older. How should I protect my finances? 
55. Should I use a Roth IRA or a regular IRA? 
56. Is my budget reasonable? 
57. I have a short time to live. What should I do to maximize my income and estate taxes for my heirs?
58. Do I need life insurance on my children? 
59. The first year return on this annuity is attractive. What are the drawbacks? 
60. How should I make gifts to my family members? 
61. I don't understand the estate planning documents I have. Are they OK for my situation today? 
62. How should my beneficiaries on my IRAs and company plans be worded? 
63. What is the benefit of a payable upon death or designated beneficiary for my brokerage account? 
64. One of my children has joint owner of my brokerage account. Is this OK? 
65. This is our second marriage. How can our estate plans be fair to our kids from our first marriage? 
66. What is the role of an executor and trustee? A custodian?
67. What is the difference between a power of attorney (POA), a POA for health care and a living will? 
68. How much can I put away in a SEP, a Simple IRA, a profit-sharing plan, a Roth or regular IRA, anindividual 401k? 
69. I am being offered an out-placement package by my company.  Should I take it? 
70. How should I negotiate my new employment contract? 
71. We are not married.  How should I protect my partner in my death? 
72. How should I take maximum advantage of my employer's cafeteria compensation plan? 
73. How can I get involved in the real estate market?  Must I buy a property myself?
74. What is the best way to structure my debt to optimize my cash flow on my rental properties?
75. What is AMT?  Can I avoid it?  How should I invest to protect myself from AMT?
76. What is the difference between yield and capital appreciation?  Which should I be striving for?
77. Should I sign up for a Roth 401K, or the traditional format?
78. Will you help me understand how all of my insurance policies and investments fit together?
79. How much cash should I have available for emergencies?
80. Should I buy term or whole life insurance?  What about variable life insurance?
81. What happens if I name my minor child as a beneficiary to my life insurance or retirement account?