When a loved one passes away, the grief coupled with the burden of settling their estate can be overwhelming. Here are a few things you can do to make the estate settlement process easier for your heirs.

Estate Planning, Retirement Planning, Eldercare, Retiree, Pre-Retiree, Mid Career ProfessionalChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®April 14, 2020Estate Planning, eldercare, Probate, Will, Trust, beneficiary

Due Dates for Federal Taxes: Postponed to July 15

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the due date for filing federal income tax returns and making tax payments has been postponed by the IRS from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020. No interest, penalties, or additions to tax will be incurred by taxpayers during this 90-day relief period.

Pre-Retiree, Tax, Mid Career ProfessionalErin Campbell, CPA/PFS, CFP®April 6, 2020income tax, Roth IRA, IRA, 401k

The CARES Act: An Overview

On Friday, March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law. This $2 trillion emergency relief package is intended to assist individuals and businesses during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and accompanying economic crisis. Here is a brief summary of some of the major provisions.

Education, Mid Career Professional, Pre-Retiree, Retiree, Retirement Planning, TaxErin Campbell, CPA/PFS, CFP®April 6, 2020income tax, student loan, retirement distributions, required minimum distributions, Small Business, tax planning

Spring Cleaning Your Financial Files

As the days get warmer, many people are spring cleaning their homes, including all their old filing cabinets. Our clients often ask how long they need to hold on to all their old paperwork. Let’s examine the best practices for shredding your documents.

Tax, Mid Career Professional, Pre-Retiree, RetireeErin Campbell, CPA/PFS, CFP®April 2, 2020financial planning, General Financial Planning, Personal Finance, personal financial planning, tax planning

Webinar: A Perspective on The Financial Markets

This webinar provides a historical perspective to recent stock market declines related to COVID-19. It also provides some financial planning opportunities and ideas to explore in the future.

Financial Planning, Investments, Mid Career Professional, Pre-Retiree, Retiree, Retirement Planning, Tax, Web PresentationChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®March 20, 2020Personal Finance, investment management, Retirement Planning, Asset Allocation, Roth IRA

The Basics of Long Term Care Insurance

Long term care costs are expensive and rising every year. For many, a two or three year stay in a skilled nursing facility could cost several hundred thousand dollars and potentially wipe out a retirement nest egg.

Insurance, Retirement Planning, Eldercare, Retiree, Pre-RetireeChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®March 17, 2020financial planning, insurance, long term care insurance, eldercare, long term care

Coronavirus and Market Uncertainty

With the Coronavirus causing disruption and uncertainty around the world. Chip Hymiller explains why keeping your perspective and staying calm during this time is so important to achieving your financial goals.

Mid Career Professional, Pre-Retiree, Retiree, Investments, Web PresentationChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®March 10, 2020market turbulence, investing

Planning for Your Retirement "Time"

How you want to retire is almost as important as when you want to retire. When you are younger it may be hard to imagine what you would do if you didn’t get up and go to work every morning. But as you get closer to to your retirement date, you should really stop and think about how you will fill your time.

Financial Planning, Pre-Retiree, Retirement PlanningStephanie MurrayFebruary 26, 2020Retirement Planning, financial planning, Personal Finance

Spring is in the Air - And it's Tax Season Once Again!

Tax season is upon us. Find out what you need to know to make this tax season painless and worry free!

Tax, Retiree, Pre-Retiree, Mid Career Professional, Financial PlanningErin Campbell, CPA/PFS, CFP®February 12, 2020income tax, tax planning, capital gains

What Should I expect from my Social Security Retirement benefits?

Social Security was originally intended to provide older Americans with continuing income after retirement. As people approach retirement, they generally have questions about Social Security and the benefit it provides.

Retirement Planning, Eldercare, Pre-Retiree, RetireeErin Campbell, CPA/PFS, CFP®January 21, 2020retirement distributions, Retirement Planning, Social Security

Common Estate Planning Mistakes

Disorganization can generate months of hassle as well as unnecessary attorney or advisor fees. In addition to making sure that the distribution of your assets is in line with your objectives, taking a proactive approach when planning your estate can save your grieving family a significant amount of time and hassle.

Estate Planning, Eldercare, Mid Career Professional, Pre-RetireeChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®January 6, 2020Estate Planning, Personal Finance, eldercare, Probate, Trust, will

Have You Reviewed Your Beneficiary Designations Recently?

Have you confirmed the beneficiary designations of your 401k, IRA, or life insurance policies recently? If not, you should! Find out why.

Estate Planning, Retirement Planning, Mid Career Professional, Pre-Retiree, RetireeChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®December 10, 2019Estate Planning, Retirement Planning, 401k, Roth IRA, IRA, Retirement Plans, insurance, life insurance, Deferred Compensation

What is the biggest difference between mutual funds and exchange traded funds?

While both mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) can be effective tools when creating a diversified portfolio, it is important to understand attributes of each of these investment options.

Investments, Mid Career Professional, Pre-Retiree, Retiree, TaxChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®November 26, 2019total return, investment planning, investments, investing

What Grade Does Your 401(k) Get?

How good is your 401(k) plan at work? We looked at Brightscope which measures 401(k) plans and gives them a rating.

Corporate Sponsored 40..., Mid Career Professional, Pre-Retiree, Retirement Planning, Financial PlanningChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®November 26, 2019401k, 401k Plan Sponsor, financial planning, Personal Finance, Retirement Plans, Corporate Sponsored Retirement Plans

What do commission-free trades mean for you?

Brokerage firms Charles Schwab & Co. and TD Ameritrade recently announced that they would stop charging brokerage commissions on trades for exchange traded funds and even stocks. Some of you may have wondered what impact this will have on you and also will we (Beacon) make any changes to your portfolio as a result.

Company News, Education, Mid Career Professional, Pre-Retiree, RetireeChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®November 22, 2019Trading, IRA, Roth IRA

Financial Affirmation with The Millionaire Next Door

The Millionaire Next Door is a classic book that surveyed over a thousand millionaires to try and identify common attributes that made them so successful at accumulating wealth. And the results may surprise you.

Financial Planning, Mid Career Professional, Pre-Retiree, Retirement PlanningChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®November 20, 2019Personal Finance, financial planning, Retirement Planning

Retirement Readiness Part 2: Preparing for the Transition

Is retirement on your horizon? Have you thought about what it will take to be prepared financially to retire? This article provides a number of common financial decision points and action items that you may need to evaluate during your “pre-retirement” period.

Pre-Retiree, Retirement PlanningChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®October 11, 2019

Retirement Readiness Part I: Preparing for the Transition

Is retirement on your horizon? Have you thought about what it will take to be prepared financially to retire? This article provides a number of common financial decision points and action items that you may need to evaluate during your “pre-retirement” period.

Retirement Planning, Pre-Retiree, Financial Planning, Investments, Mid Career Professional, TaxChip Hymiller, AIF®, CFP®August 30, 2019

Why Invest Globally?

You will note in the table below that over the last year the S&P 500 (U.S. stocks) has outperformed its international counterpart by more than 22%! This disparity in performance becomes even more magnified when considering 10 year and 15 year performance numbers. In fact, U.S stocks have outpaced foreign stocks by about 2.5% annually for the last 15 years! So why is it important to take a global perspective when investing for the long term?