Protecting what’s yours (after you pass) Part 1: the importance of estate planning

Fact: When you pass, you will leave behind an estate, and somebody will need to settle it. Your estate may be worth a little or a lot, but there’s no escaping death and taxes. So why do so many families put off their essential estate planning until push comes to shove? Estate Planning Is an […]
Solo 401k- 3 reasons why every business owner should consider one!

For self-employed business owners, you’re responsible for saving for your own retirement. It’s likely that you got a late start at saving and maybe even had to leverage yourself to get your business up and running. SEP IRA? SIMPLE? 401k? Solo 401k…I get it, you are busy running your business and the last thing […]
Why value stocks do better with rising interest rates & inflation

Year to date returns for Value stocks have exceeded that from Growth stocks across all market caps, both domestically and abroad. There are several reasons for this. US Vaccination rates have been greater than expected, which has helped traditional companies (value) at the expense of technology companies (growth). Company specific earnings have likely made a […]
What’s the best lockheed martin pension benefit option?

Our Lockheed Martin clients in the Syracuse and Owego plants often ask for our recommendation on how to elect their pension payment. Take the hypothetical example: John works at Lockheed Martin in Syracuse and his life only pension benefit is $5,000/month, or $60,000/year. At the other extreme, his 100% survivorship benefit is $4,000/month, or […]
Market commentary: Q1 2021

Stock Markets Stocks continued to climb in the first quarter and these results are signaling a robust economy ahead. Markets have made a dramatic rebound since the sharp fall in the first quarter last year. Look at the returns over the past twelve months in the chart to the right. Also note that stocks traded […]
The American rescue plan act of 2021: understanding the 2021 recovery rebate stimulus payments

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is now a done deal. Among the items of greatest interest to most Americans is a third round of stimulus checks – or IRS “recovery rebates” – of up to $1,400 for every “eligible individual.” That’s the quick take. But what’s the fine print? How Much Will You […]
Lockheed Martin 401(k) plan fund changes

Lockheed Martin announced a change to their current 401(k) plan lineup. Aside from some funds being renamed, the major changes are: Retiring the Global Real Estate Fund. This eliminates exposure to REIT’s in the plan unless you invest in a Target Date Fund Retiring the Emerging Markets Indexed Equity Fun. This change eliminates exposure to […]
Lockheed Martin resources

A good portion of our clients are employees of Lockheed Martin’s plant in Syracuse. As a result, we receive a lot of questions about Lockheed’s Martin benefit program, 401(k) allocation, etc. We took some time and did a deep dive into their benefits package and highlighted some areas you don’t want to overlook if you […]