Blog

Money Tips for Parents Sending Children Off to College

Brandon D. TiesoSouth Burlington, VT

Monday, August 7, 2023

You’ve done a great job teaching your children vital life lessons and instilling values that will last a lifetime. As summer ends and a new school year begins, one thing that shouldn’t be overlooked, especially for...

Attention Parents and Grandparents of College-Bound Students: FAFSA Gets an Overhaul

Brandon D. TiesoSouth Burlington, VT

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Changes are coming to the complicated form that students must submit to qualify for college financial aid, known as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).The Department of Education is calling it the “most...

How the SECURE 2.0 Act Changed 529 Plans

Brandon D. TiesoSouth Burlington, VT

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Changes to 529 Plans in the SECURE 2.0 ActThe SECURE Act was initially passed by Congress at the end of 2019 and was intended to improve retirement savings opportunities. It was a big deal at the time and the most significant piece of...

Health Savings Accounts: Pros, Cons, and Retirement Considerations

Brandon D. TiesoSouth Burlington, VT

Thursday, July 6, 2023

What if your child needs braces? The cost may be as much as $6,000 for metal braces—more modern versions can run as much as $13,000. Your health insurance may cover only a portion of the cost. If you're well past the braces stage...

Top 7 Most Common Estate Strategy Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Brandon D. TiesoSouth Burlington, VT

Thursday, June 22, 2023

Getting your affairs in order and outlining what you want done with your estate after you’re gone is one of the greatest gifts you can leave your loved ones. However, not preparing for the transfer of your assets can lead to...

Navigating the Costs of Senior Care: Tips for Preparing for Long-Term Care

Brandon D. TiesoSouth Burlington, VT

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Senior care costs can be overwhelming, particularly when long-term care is required due to illness or medical conditions. With the number of seniors in the U.S. expected to rise exponentially by 2030, it's crucial to be prepared for...

Living Trusts: Understanding the Basics and Key Considerations

Brandon D. TiesoSouth Burlington, VT

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Estate management can be a complex and daunting task for many people, but it’s a critical step in helping your assets get managed and distributed according to your wishes.One popular tool that can be used in estate strategies is...

Trying to Time a Recession?

Brandon D. TiesoSouth Burlington, VT

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Economies move in cycles – always have, always willThe Federal Reserve has been steadily increasing interest rates in an attempt to slow the rate of inflation. Its efforts are yielding some results, although inflation remains...

What Factors Have the Greatest Impact on Your Credit Score?

Brandon D. TiesoSouth Burlington, VT

Friday, April 28, 2023

Fun fact: You probably have dozens of credit scores out there, and each one might be a different number.You’re probably familiar with a credit score, why it’s essential, and what it’s used for, but do you know how...

Important Financial Considerations to Make When Remarrying Later in Life

Brandon D. TiesoSouth Burlington, VT

Monday, April 17, 2023

Discussing personal finances is important for any couple preparing for marriage. However, this topic can be more complicated for those who remarry later in life.If you’re remarrying later in life, one of your goals should be to...

Top Considerations to Help Adult Children Be Better Prepared As You Age

Brandon D. TiesoSouth Burlington, VT

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

As we get older, it’s important that our adult children are prepared to manage any aging-related situations that may arise. This includes everything from having to make medical and financial decisions to determining assisted...

Tips for Raising Financially Literate Children

Jan Ellen PeltzerNorwich, VT

Monday, March 20, 2023

Every parent wants the best for their children and strives to prepare them to lead a happy, healthy, and successful life. But, despite understanding the importance of financial responsibility, only 28 percent of parents speak to their...

Transitioning to Medicare from Private Health Insurance Plans

Jan Ellen PeltzerNorwich, VT

Monday, March 6, 2023

Transitioning from Private Health Insurance Plans to MedicareAs you approach retirement age, you may be anticipating transitioning from your private insurance to Medicare, which is a federal health insurance program that provides...

Where to Put Excess Cash

Jan Ellen PeltzerNorwich, VT

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

According to the Investment Company Institute, near the end of 2022, there was more than $4.7 trillion in cash sitting in U.S. money market funds.1,2While cash can play a role in a diversified portfolio, historically, cash has not kept...

What Is the Sequence-of-Return Risk and How Can Retirees Mitigate Its Effects?

Brandon D. TiesoSouth Burlington, VT

Monday, January 23, 2023

With the possibility of a recession looming, it's natural for those nearing or in retirement to have concerns over their long-term strategies. After decades of accumulating a portfolio, the last thing retirees want is for a market...

Lifetime Estate & Gift Tax Exemption Updates for 2023

Jan Ellen PeltzerNorwich, VT

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

In October 2022, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced tax changes for 2023 — changes primarily driven, in part, by the current inflationary environment. For affluent couples or individuals interested in transferring...

Contribution Limit Increases for 2023: Just What We Wanted to Hear

Jan Ellen PeltzerNorwich, VT

Monday, December 5, 2022

In late October, the IRS announced that it is increasing contribution limits to retirement savings accounts in 2023. The changes, like many you are seeing, are a direct result of months of high inflation and financial uncertainty, some...

Year-End Financial Strategies

Jan Ellen PeltzerNorwich, VT

Monday, November 28, 2022

The year is almost over, and it has certainly been a bumpy one for the financial markets and our economy. As financial professionals, we work with families to design investment strategies that help them pursue their goals for education...

Charitable Giving Strategies for 2022

Jan Ellen PeltzerNorwich, VT

Monday, November 14, 2022

Key points:Over the past five years, affluent Americans increased their donations to charity by 48%.1Understand various strategies to help you maximize the impact of your charitable donations and your income tax savings.To qualify for...

Key points:One of the biggest components of the Inflation Reduction Act is the changes to healthcare costs and coverage. The Inflation Reduction Act requires all pharmaceutical companies to rebate Medicare participants for the...

As a 20-year-old, if you put $3.47 a day into a low-cost index fund and leave it alone to grow until you are 65, you could reach millionaire status.InTrack Portfolio Manager Tyler J. Gardner argues that if you can afford daily...

You may have heard the buzzword "longtermism" being used a lot lately, but what does it mean? It is defined as an ethical stance which gives priority to improving the long-term future.Myron R. Sopher, InTrack's Managing Partner, has...

As you likely already know, we are currently in a bear market, which refers to at least a 20% drop from a recent high. Bear markets attract a lot of attention and concern (often more than necessary). On top of that, interest rates are...

Did you know the Po River, the longest river in Italy, is dropping by as much as 2.7 meters below the 0 gauge, and as a result, more than 100 towns in the region are rationing water? In this episode, Tom Parris, President of ISciences...

ESG investing is a commonly debated topic these days. Investors who participate in it examine the environmental, social, and governance criteria of a company to assess if that company’s values align with their own. Due to the...

The dollar value of funds being used in the decentralized finance space was less than a billion just two years ago. Now, it's over 200 billion.This is why Mike Taormina, Head of Institutional Business at the Index Cooperative, argues...

On the 52nd annual Earth Day, we encourage you to be mindful of how your actions impact the place we all call home.

Did you know that over 60% of both Millennial and Gen Z consumers prefer to buy from sustainable brands? More and more studies are showing results suggesting that the younger generations are reflecting their values in their money...

Scientists, journalists, and other individuals have been discussing climate change for decades, but companies have been much slower on the uptake. In more recent years, however, they have been more willingly involved in the...

Did you know that 70% of financial plans never get followed through on? In this episode of The Optimistic Investor, we discuss why this is and what exactly is preventing people from reaching their goals. Brett Peltzer, Partner,...

Do you ever feel like for every two steps you take forward financially you take one back? Money coaching can help with that! This type of coaching reveals the reasons why you make the financial decisions that you do. The number of...

Big tech companies are often considered to be good opportunities for those interested in socially responsible investing (SRI). This is because they frequently meet ESG criteria: environmental, social, and governance standards....

In the Beginning On April 22, 1970 millions of Americans participated in the first Earth Day by following United States Senator Gaylor Nelson’s lead. During his life he continued to focus on increasing awareness of the...

Fundamental analysis is the investor’s version of going back to basics. It requires thinking about the big picture of a company before investing in them instead of solely focusing on how their stock performance fluctuates from...

We’re launching a podcast! The Optimistic Investor takes the often dry and uncomfortable discussion of money, investing, and retirement planning and makes it palatable, interesting, and relevant. In our first episode, Myron...

Starting a family means a lot of new, joyful experiences are headed your way. However, it also means you’ll be shouldering many new responsibilities. Try your best not to stress though! Instead, start making plans. The sheer...

The wide world of investment is full of opportunities. Unfortunately, along with these opportunities comes a lot of jargon and confusion. Common questions that people ask themselves are, “What are mutual funds?” and,...

The renewable energy industry continues to thrive. Wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and bioenergy are all more popular than ever. In fact, according to a 2019 report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, electrical...

The initials ESG refer to the factors used to measure the environmental and ethical impact of investing in a company. The “G” stands for governance, corporate governance to be exact. A trend within the group of investors...

This April 22nd marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, which was celebrated with the theme of “climate action.” Ironically, two days before Earth Day 2020, wholesale crude oil prices were negative while many alternative...

If you contribute to a 401(k), you’re probably aware of the strict rules around withdrawing money from this type of retirement account. However, some of these rules are currently being temporarily lifted thanks to the Coronavirus...

You may be aware that on December 20, President Trump signed into law the SECURE Act (short for Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act). It is the broadest piece of retirement legislation passed in the last 13 years....

For the first time, a highly respected periodical, “The Economist,” has dedicated an entire issue to climate change. My perspective is that this subject matter surrounds all of us; it is undeniable and it touches each of us...

We’d like to clear up the unfortunate misconception that financial planning is a service which only benefits the wealthy. The truth is that having a financial plan, either one you’ve crafted with the help of experts or one...

With concerns about climate change on the rise, investors are beginning to address environmental challenges through their investment decisions. Investing does not have to be about profiting at any cost. It’s becoming more and...

In the world of finance, there are so many buzzwords that it can be hard to keep up. Average people looking for professionals to help them manage their money have to be careful to avoid those who are only in the business to make...

If you’ve created an estate plan, then you know how stressful it can be just thinking about how the next generation will handle the family’s wealth. Many people set up long-term trusts with flexible distribution standards...

If you pay any attention to the stock market, you probably know that ups and downs are commonplace. Though this can be nerve-wracking for investors, fluctuations are actually a normal part of investing. The last several years, however,...

The concepts of socially responsible investing (SRI) and impact investing grow in popularity more and more every year. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria assist investment managers in finding financial opportunities...

ESG refers to the factors used to measure the sustainability and ethical impact of an investment in a company. These criteria are usually used in sustainable, responsible and impact investing and socially responsible investing (SRI)....

Socially responsible investing (SRI) seeks both financial gain and social good. The goal of most participating investors is to positively impact society with their funds. Of course, this is subjective. The set of ethical and moral...

When it comes to finance, there is a lot of jargon that gets thrown around. Just when you think you’re starting to understand what’s being discussed, a new term hits the scene and the confusion starts all over again. When...

It’s hard to ignore China. After all, it is one of the largest countries geographically speaking as well as the most populous. We are here, however, to discuss another big aspect of this country; their ever-growing economy. China...

Most of us feel like we need more money. But colleges and universities? They really do need it. If you're one of the many people who feel like you’re up to your eyeballs in student loan debt, then you might be screaming...

Investing is about making money. When you invest, you do so with the goal of profiting later on. Consumers, however, become more and more self-aware with each passing year. Most of us want to make more money, this is true, but most of...

Depending on whom you ask, as much as 20-33% of all equity investments is held in index funds. Index funds have always been popular, but the recent bull market has seen billions of dollars pumped into them by individual investors who...

The road of life is not a straightaway, for better or for worse. Each of our paths twists in one way or another. Sometimes we curve in familiar directions, but when in uncharted territory, a sudden turn can mean shock, tragedy, and...

It’s 2019, you’ve probably heard the words “renewable energy” multiple times, maybe you even hear them multiple times a day. In case you’re still unsure of what they mean, we’re talking about energy...

Various picturesque images come to mind when our home base Vermont is brought up in conversation: fall foliage, ski slopes, flourishing farms, sweet syrup, blossoming breweries. Breweries, as in beer? That’s right, a lot of...

Our goal in putting these thoughts together is to give everyone a historic understanding of the correction that occurred during the past two weeks, whether it has further to go, and answer the most important question, is this the start...

Index funds allow the average individual who may not know the ins and outs of the stock market to invest intelligently by offering stock diversification and by reliably delivering average market performance. In essence, they are a type...

Many people spend their whole lives passively preparing for retirement, but the older you get the more important it is to flesh out your specific plans. Even if you feel pretty confident about your financial situation, retirement is...

Tip: How Much? Check your Social Security earnings and see an estimate of your benefits on the Web site, www.ssa.gov. Social Security’s been a fact of retirement life ever since it was established in 1935. We all think we know...