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Your Small Business Loan Tips & Tricks
Running a small business is tough, especially in times of economic uncertainty. The US Small Business Administration (SBA) helps small businesses obtain needed credit by working with commercial lenders. The many reasons why someone...
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Can You Deduct Your Work From Home Expenses?
The pandemic changed the way a lot of Americans work, and working remotely from home is the new normal for many. If you’re one of them, you may be wondering if you should consider claiming the home office deduction on your taxes. We...
Read MoreDon’t Shred Those Tax Documents Yet!
Once you complete this year’s taxes, you may wonder what to do with that pile of records, 1099s, receipts, and bank statements. The IRS recommends holding on to any documents related to the income you’re reporting or any deduction or...
Read MoreWays to Put Your Tax Refund to Work
Saving money is a bit like eating healthy; you know you should eat your veggies, but it’s hard to resist indulging in something more fun. Like making healthy choices, a tax refund can present the opportunity to splurge. But, more...
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Happy Year of the Snake
The Year of the Snake is almost here! The snake, one of the most enigmatic, intelligent, and wise symbols within the zodiac – this reminds us to remain measured, centered, and calm.May the coming year be filled with wisdom and...
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Jump-Start the New Year With These Year-End Planning Tips
As we approach the end of the year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year and focus on the opportunities that lie ahead. It’s also a great time to review your financial plan to ensure it aligns with...
Read MoreOpen Enrollment for the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace
As a reminder, the 2025 Open Enrollment Period for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace is November 1 through January 15, 2025. Anyone looking to enroll, re-enroll, or opt out of private health, vision, and...
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6 Reasons to Include Your Children in Estate Planning
As people transition into the later stages of their lives, their thoughts inevitably turn toward the complicated matters to be addressed upon their death. Having an Estate Plan in place can significantly ease the burden of those...
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Happy Equinox!
The Autumnal Equinox approaching on September 22 is a day with 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness. This balance of day and night serves as a reminder of the change of seasons, and heralds the coming of fall colors and...
Read More4 Ideas for Back-to-School Savings
As summer comes to an end and the excitement of a new school year begins, most parents dread the price tag associated with back-to-school shopping. And we don’t blame them! The amount of necessary supplies has climbed to new heights,...
Read MoreIt’s Time for a Mid-Year Check-In.
With the first half of the year in the rearview mirror, summertime is a great chance to touch base. A mid-year financial review can help to take stock of your accomplishments thus far and uncover any needs for adjustments. It’s...
Read MoreMedicare and Travel – What to be Aware of
Retirement evokes different dreams for everyone, but for many, travel is part of the image. If travel is part of your retirement vision, before you leave town, it’s important be aware of whether Medicare coverage will protect you...
Read MorePreparing Your Business for Crisis
One thing we all learned throughout the Covid pandemic is that life is unpredictable. That's why it's essential to have a documented Business Continuity Plan (BCP) in place to help your company stay afloat during unexpected times of...
Read MoreApril 2025: Retirement Readiness
This month’s Retirement Readiness newsletter features helpfulinformation on navigating retirement pitfalls, tips for managing healthcare costs in retirement, and common assumptions about retirement. It also includes tips on how to...
Read MoreDon’t Shred Those Tax Documents Yet!
Once you complete this year’s taxes, you may wonder what to do with that pile of records, 1099s, receipts, and bank statements. The IRS recommends holding on to any documents related to the income you’re reporting or any deduction or...
Read More
Happy Year of the Snake
The Year of the Snake is almost here! The snake, one of the most enigmatic, intelligent, and wise symbols within the zodiac – this reminds us to remain measured, centered, and calm. May the coming year be filled with wisdom and...
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Happy New Year!
Sending you warm thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful new year. May the days ahead be filled with joy, laughter, and prosperity for you and those you hold most dear.
Read MoreIs Your Internet Footprint Compromising Your Identity? Yes!
We don’t always hear about it in the news, but identity theft is on the rise. Our constant internet usage has given us a large digital footprint. And the more you’re online, the greater your risk of criminals hijacking your...
Read MoreOpen Enrollment for the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace
As a reminder, the 2025 Open Enrollment Period for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace is November 1 through January 15, 2025. Anyone looking to enroll, re-enroll, or opt out of private health, vision, and...
Read MoreProtect Yourself Against Cyber Crime
The internet makes it possible for many of us to work from home, shop, attend religious services, and stay connected with family and friends. Unfortunately, those conveniences come with risk, and cybercriminals are upping their game....
Read MoreSeptember 2024: Your Money Matters
This month’s Your Money Matters newsletter contains helpful information about how putting off investment decisions can have unintended consequences, the importance of knowing the difference between emotional and strategic decisions,...
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September is Life Insurance Awareness Month
Life is an amazing journey full of challenges and triumphs. No matter where you are on the journey, preparing can be a key part of success. That’s why we are happy to remind you that September is Life Insurance Awareness Month. Life...
Read MoreYour Homework is Late!
Isn’t it the worst when you wake up after you’ve hit the snooze button? Just a few more minutes! If your child is approaching college and you're behind on education savings, it can feel like hitting the snooze button too many times....
Read MoreIs Your Lineup Championship-worthy?
Fantasy Football – it’s a compelling and competitive game that allows you to be the owner, GM and coach of your very own football team! But first, you have to know the rules. With a myriad of complexities and endless customization...
Read MoreIt’s Time for a Mid-Year Check-In.
With the first half of the year in the rearview mirror, summertime is a great chance to touch base. A mid-year financial review can help to take stock of your accomplishments thus far and uncover any needs for adjustments. It’s...
Read MoreKeep Your Cool and Save 💰
As a financial professional, I’m always looking for ways to help clients be more efficient with their money. Now that summer’s here, staying cool can make electricity bills skyrocket, so here are some strategies to help keep cool and...
Read MoreIt’s Time for a Mid-Year Check-In.
With the first half of the year in the rearview mirror, summertime is a great chance to touch base. A mid-year financial review can help to take stock of your accomplishments thus far and uncover any needs for adjustments. It’s...
Read MoreWays to Put Your Tax Refund to Work
Saving money is a bit like eating healthy; you know you should eat your veggies, but it’s hard to resist indulging in something more fun. Like making healthy choices, a tax refund can present the opportunity to splurge. But, more...
Read More4 Ways to Help Your Kids Develop Good Financial Habits
We always hope our clients feel confident discussing money with their families. But, the truth is, talking about money can be very uncomfortable for many. Where do you begin? What’s the right age? The good news is, it’s never too...
Read More11/10 Market View Weekly
We strive to keep you regularly updated with important market changes and news. Please find this week’s Market View Weekly from Phil Blancato, Osaic’s Chief Market Strategist attached below. This commentary provides...
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Your Monthly Market Newsletter, August 2023
Despite persistent and lingering heat and humidity in most parts of the country, the bulls kept running in July, with both the economy and stocks proving quite resilient despite rising interest rates. In their ongoing efforts to...
Read MoreJuly 2023: Your Money Matters
This month’s Your Money Matters newsletter contains great tips for revising how you view your bucket list, new tax rules to know when selling your home, info on why portfolio rebalancing is so important, and considerations when...
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Weekly Market Insights: Debt Talks Optimism Keeps Eyes on D.C.
Markets moved in sync last week with perceived movement in debt ceiling talks, weakening early in the week and then surging on news of progress. A solid quarterly report and guidance from a mega-cap technology company helped with...
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Weekly Market Insights: Stocks Rally As Attention Shifts to Fed's May Meeting
Strong earnings from several mega-cap technology companies offset renewed regional banking jitters and weak economic data, leaving stocks higher for the week.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.86%, while the Standard &...
Read More3/24 Market View Weekly
We strive to keep you regularly updated with important market changes and news.Please find this week’s Market View Weekly from Phil Blancato, Advisor Group’s Chief Market Strategist attached below. This commentary provides...
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2/24 Market View Weekly: By the Numbers
Stocks SlideStocks struggled last week, buffeted by growing fears of further Fed tightening and disappointing forecasts from two major retailers that called into question the consumer's health. The release of the minutes from the...
Read MoreLife Events that Impact your Financial Plan in a Big Way!
When you have a major life event such as getting married, having a child, or buying a home, your financial situation and priorities may change. As your life changes, your financial decisions must stay in line with your goals, values,...
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October’s Surge Holds Hope
Happy November. As we move into the season of giving thanks, we can all feel thankful for a bit of good news about the markets. Stocks soared during October, with value stocks outperforming growth as earnings season kicked into high...
Read MoreThe Inflation Reduction Act: What Does It Mean for You?
As you probably heard on the news, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 on August 16. Among other things, the legislation includes various initiatives such as locking in the American Rescue Plan health coverage...
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July Markets End on a High Note
July was yet another month of roller coaster ups and downs, marked by continued consumer concerns about supply chain issues and higher costs for goods and services. The weather wreaked havoc in many parts of the country, as torrential...
Read MoreDon't Panic - A Bull Case for Equities
It’s hard to ignore current news about persistent market volatility, and we’re guessing this has resulted in some anxiety about what (if anything) you should be doing. Please be assured that we are actively monitoring the...
Read MoreNew Movember Tradition!
We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We put together a video to show our thanks and also bring awareness to Movember.
Read MoreBeneficiary Checks on Accounts
It is important to secure your future after all the hard work and time you have put into becoming successful. One of the many ways to assure your finances are in good hands even after you are gone, is to set up a beneficiary on your...
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Paralegal CLE Event
A big thank you to the VTLA and all of those who attended the Paralegal Seminar. Josh and I feel very fortunate to be a business partner for the group and we would also like to thank you all for coming to our booth. If you would like...
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Honoring Veterans Day
November 11 is Veterans Day, a day to honor and remember the bravery, contributions, and sacrifices of our armed services members who have defended us so ably, who have run toward danger rather than away from it and who have helped to...
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What's Your Retirement Dream?
65 is the new 55! Advances in medicine, technology and nutrition have added nearly 10 years to American life expectancy over the past few decades. While formal “retirement age” hasn’t changed much, expectations...
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Remembering Passwords
In a world where everything financial seems to be connected to an online account, it’s incredibly important to have good passwords to keep everything safe and secure. Yet a common complaint from clients is that it’s hard...
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Beware of Phone Scams!
Scammers are pretty crafty these days. With sophisticated software to help make themselves sound convincing (“You’ve won money!” “You owe the IRS!” “You’re getting a refund!”),...
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Do You Qualify for the Child Tax Credit?
As of July 15, 2021, qualifying households will receive monthly tax credit payments of $250 to $300 per child, with no additional action on their part. Let’s focus on the big takeaways: Which families and children qualify? For...
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Economic Lessons from Used-Car Inflation
Inflation is defined as the general upward price movement of goods and services in an economy. The key word is “general.” Inflation tends to be uneven and affects the price of some items more than others. If you’ve...
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Let's Talk About Life Insurance
Here’s a difficult question: What would your family do without you? If you were no longer around, would they have enough to survive and move forward? Many people think financial professionals only specialize in investment...
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A COLA with Your Social Security?
If there is a "silver lining" to all the inflation talk, it may be that Social Security benefits are expected to see a larger-than-normal increase in 2022. Preliminary estimates call for a 4.7% cost-of-living increase (COLA) in Social...
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Follow Jacob Charlwood on Facebook too!
I hope you'll visit my Facebook page, Jacob Charlwood Financial Advisor for timely business and financial insights and sometimes "just for fun" posts.
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The Best Moments of Life – How to Afford Them
As you enter each new phase of your life, milestones such as marriage, buying a home and having kids will impact you financially and inevitably affect how much money you can put toward retirement. While these new expenses can be...
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