Live A Life By Design Blog

“Should I have a trust? A will? Which is better for my heirs?” These are the types of questions many of our clients pose when we are planning for their estates. The short answers to these valid questions are: Maybe, maybe and depends. Now that I have clearly confused you, this article will provide you […]

One of the most frequent mistakes committed by near–retirees is to attempt to manage their own retirement assets without the appropriate background, or even worse, by listening to pundits on TV. Many people have met with us to review their current financial condition in preparation for retirement. Similar to a physician, we performed a comprehensive […]

Habits are much easier to form than to change. Good or bad, habits are formed by all of us, sometimes subconsciously. For example, which leg do you place in your trousers each morning while dressing for the day? Do you even think about the process of dressing or is it simply a routine that you […]

Danger! Danger! Red flashing lights! Sirens breaking through the still night awakening you from a deep sleep! These are simple, yet effective, methods of alerting you to risks that arise in life. Don’t you wish investment risk were that simple to alert you when you are about to face an inanimate action that has the […]

Planning for a major change in your life, such as retirement, requires a considerable amount of thought and planning. Up to this point in your life you have been contributing most of your energy, thoughts and resources to your chosen career. Your family has also played a big role in your day. There are two […]

If you are like many people, you are procrastinating the filing of your 2018 individual income tax returns. Don’t worry, you still have time to reduce your 2018 income tax burden. Below are five ideas to reduce your taxes for last year: Contribute to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). If you qualify, you may contribute […]

Many Social Security benefits recipients continue to work, if not full-time, at least part-time. Confusion surrounds the taxability of their SSA benefits when it is time to file their income tax returns. The worst-case scenario is the call you receive from your CPA and she informs you that “you owe a few thousand dollars due […]

One of the largest and most impactful U.S. Government Programs for citizens is the Social Security Administration. Benefits administered by this agency affect most Americans. Let’s look at the various means to realizing these important benefits. First, there are several ways to qualify for Social Security Benefits: You can qualify on your own work history. […]

Don’t be a follower! Too many people fail to plan properly for retirement and when it arrives – BAM!! – they don’t know what to do. This is far more common than I would like to admit. Just recently, a couple came to our office to discuss their retirement plans. Before we discussed their resources […]

If you are concerned about running out of money during retirement, there are several steps you can take now to avoid this catastrophe. Healthcare costs continue to rise at an alarming rate in the United States. Based on estimates provided by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), total health care spending grew by […]