What We Do
consolidate: to make (something) physically stronger or more solid
THAT 'SOMETHING' IS YOU
OUR MISSION
Through strategic consolidation
of your vision, your goals and your assets, we help you shape the financial future of your dreams.
YOUR LIFE
Listen. Assess. Solve.
It all starts with listening.
We want to know all about you, your goals, and your ambitions. Only then can we assess the critical issues and begin to develop unique solutions that make sense for you.
YOUR MONEY
We want you to keep your money for the things that matter. Our investment philosophy is centered around low costs, diversification, and tax efficiency. We want to protect your assets and mitigate your risks.
YOUR PLAN
Your needs.
Your objectives.
Your goals.
CONSOLIDATED.
We are an independent wealth management firm specializing in transition planning.
Each transition is unique, but they all have one thing in common: potentially significant downsides for those that aren't prepared.
We have the expertise needed to help you ask the right questions and plan through any of these transitions.
consolidate: to combine (a number of things) into a single more effective or coherent whole
Divorce
Divorce is a time of change that really rocks the foundations of most people's lives.
But, it can be an opportunity to grow, and a time to consolidate.
As a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA), we have the expertise to help you, and your attorney, understand both the short and long-term implications of property division, analyze retirement plans and pensions, and evaluate the tax implications of various settlement proposals.
We also have extensive training in divorce mediation, family systems theory, and mental health issues surrounding divorce to ensure that we can provide the most encompassing and empathetic service possible to you during this stressful time.
All endings are also beginnings. We just don’t know it at the time.
– Mitch Albom
We are part of the Collaborative Family Law Association--a group of professionals committed to providing a respectful, professional Collaborative Practice resulting in an out-of-court resolution satisfactory to both parties. We value collaboration and are ready to work with any other professionals on your team throughout the process.
Inheritance
Today, beneficiaries can inherit a lot more than they expect!
In the case of the death of a spouse, you experience stress like no other. And at the same time you are expected to make important financial decisions. We are here to help you. We will help you consolidate your assets and begin anew.
But inheritance from a parent, an elderly friend, or even a long-lost relative can also involve financial decisions and responsibilities you weren’t expecting — did the assets get a “step up” in basis, what are the tax consequences, do the current investments still make sense for you, or should they be reinvested into something else more appropriate?
Among other things, we will help you learn if your benefactor owned any life insurance, stocks, bonds, retirement accounts, etc. that will pass to you. In the case of a spouse, we will search out your joint investments and advise you on next steps.
We will help you reevaluate your budget, short-term and long-term finances, insurance needs, and investment options, update insurance policies, and your own estate and investment plans as needed.
Retirement
10,000 baby boomers will retire every day for the next 15 years. Are you one of them?
Because such a large number of investors are approaching retirement and also control a substantial portion of investment assets, we are vigilant about the suitability of our recommendations to senior investors.
See our blog on “Senior Investors.”
Accumulating the assets necessary to fund your retirement is a major accomplishment.
However, it is only the first step.
Depending on your goals, your age, and your net worth, there are numerous strategies and planning opportunities for anyone considering retirement within as many as ten years. The ideal retirement looks different to every individual, and the planning opportunities can continue up through, and even many years beyond retirement.
Do you have a Spend Down plan?
"WHAT'S A SPEND DOWN PLAN?"
'Spend Down' is just another name for the withdrawal phase of your investment portfolio.
The skill set and knowledge base required to create and implement an effective spending plan for your retirement that will reduce the chances of exhausting your assets is substantially different than the skills needed to accumulate those same assets during your working years.
The withdrawal phase is much more complicated, and the consequences for making mistakes are higher. Developing a 'spend-down plan' is one of the most critical, yet overlooked components of preparing for retirement.
“Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself.
Go forward and make your dreams come true.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
We can help create a spend-down plan that will maximize your chances of having the retirement of your dreams.
FREQUENTLY OVERLOOKED PLANNING OPPORTUNITIES
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Failing to leverage the low income "black out" period between retirement and filing for Social Security
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Investment portfolios that aren't structured tax efficiently, creating more taxes and lowering an investor's net return
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Outdated estate documents that create an unnecessary Family Trust at death of first spouse and eliminate the opportunity to get a double-step-up in cost basis
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Failing to strategically plan their income and deductions around the various income tax thresholds
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Failing to anticipate and strategically evaluate most effective way to take Required Minimum Distributions (RMD)
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Failing to evaluate and opportunistically coordinate 'Roth IRA conversions'
Our Expertise
Divorce
We are CDFA® Certified.
BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH A CDFA®
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Becomes part of the divorce team, providing litigation support for the lawyer and client, or becomes a member of a Collaborative Law team.
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Provides the client and lawyer with data that shows the financial effect of any given divorce settlement.
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Appears as an expert witness if the case should go to court, or in mediation or arbitration proceedings.
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Is familiar with tax issues that apply to divorce.
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Identifies both the short-term and long-term effects of dividing property.
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Integrates tax issues.
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Analyzes pension and retirement plan issues.
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Determines if the client can afford the matrimonial home – and if not, what might be an affordable alternative.
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Evaluates the client’s insurance needs.
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Establishes assumptions for projecting inflation and rates of return.
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Brings an innovative and creative approach to settling cases.
