Written by Sarah E.J. Collier, J.D. You saved, saved and then saved some more to establish your emergency fund. Saving the 3-6 months’ worth of expenses to establish your emergency fund was no easy task. However, you just went through a financial emergency and drained your emergency fund. While this can make you feel defeated, [...]
By Andrew Baron, CFP® The first thing to do when beginning a financial plan is to develop a spending plan. The plan should be both comprehensive enough to effectively keep track of all the moving parts and simple enough to be useable. It’s difficult to follow a plan if you barely understand it! At the [...]
Written By: Amanda L. Herrick Smith, CFP® The CARES Act along with the recent market volatility has led to some interesting tax planning opportunities for individuals to consider this year. The following are three recommendations that may help to ease the financial impact of the pandemic. Roth Conversions - As a result [...]
By Sarah E. J. Collier, JD As seen in the New York State Horse Council’s 2019 fourth quarter newsletter. It is not a hidden secret that horses are very expensive to own. A recent expense report I completed totaled the annual expenses for a ten-year-old horse, stabled at a boarding facility, at approximately $6,500 per [...]
By Cynthia Rivera, J.D. If you are unable to work due to COVID-19 and you are not eligible for aid under traditional state unemployment benefits, you may qualify for relief under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program (PUA). The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program was established under the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act [...]
By: Sarah Collier, J.D. Due to the CARES Act, qualifying federal student loans are being placed in an administrative forbearance with a 0% interest rate effective March 13, 2020, through September 30th, 2020. This means that during this time period, there are no requirements to continue paying on the loan, and no interest will accumulate [...]
By: Elizabeth K.B. DiPietrantonio, J.D., Associate Advisor My parents used the phrase “situational awareness” a lot with me while I was growing up; okay, they still use it. In non-work situations, I am often easily distracted. I get excited about whatever is happening and become a bit, well, scattered. I tend to lose things i.e. [...]
By Peter Plevritis, Associate Advisor Is your retirement plan immune from the coronavirus? As coronavirus made waves in the news in late-February and early March that it was here in the United States, the stock market reacted. Since then, with glimmers of hope, we have seen a few bounces in the markets. This volatility [...]
By: Mason M. Jones, CFP®, Advisor As the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers. While the trees continue to bud and flowers bloom, families and businesses across the country continue to struggle with COVID-19 uncertainty. The CARES Act made its way through Washington quickly and covers a lot of ground. The $2.2 trillion deal was [...]
By Amanda Herrick Smith and Cynthia Rivera The effects of an escalating coronavirus outbreak has sparked universal anxiety in investors as the stock market took a nosedive and posted its biggest loss since the 2008 financial crisis. In light of what looks like another volatile week, many investors wonder whether to sell, do nothing or [...]
