Author Archives: Melissa Gracey

According to AARP’s latest report on elder financial exploitation, financial abuse of Americans aged 60 and older increased during the pandemic with an estimated $28.3 billion in losses. More startling is that in 72 percent of these crimes, the victim knew the perpetrator, who was either a caregiver, a fiduciary or a family member. Recognizing […]

The once idealized picture-perfect family of two parents and two-and-a-half children has faded as a growing number of married couples choose to live child-free. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of married couples without children has doubled over the past 45 years and is expected to continue on an upward trend.  Despite the absence […]

Engaging in estate and financial planning without paying attention to taxes can be a fool’s errand. Tax awareness can be tantamount to all aspects of saving, investing and spending. Failure to consider the tax implications of any estate or financial plan component may negatively affect expected returns and result in significant tax liabilities. Tax Terms […]

The death of a spouse can be one of the most devastating events in an individual’s life. Not only must surviving spouses cope with the emotional, mental and physical turmoil of their crushing grief, but they will also face a tsunami of legal and financial decisions, including the responsibility to pay their bills, keep the […]

Effective for 2023, the federal estate tax exemption increases to $12.92 million, or $25.84 million for married couples filing joint tax returns. What this means is that individual taxpayers can transfer up to $12.92 million in assets to their heirs (or up to $25.84 million for married couples filing jointly) during life or at death […]

Growing a family, buying a first or second home and retiring from your professional career are exciting life events that most of us love to talk about but few of us plan for in advance. If we put off planning for these happy occasions, imagine how little time we actually devote to planning for life’s […]

After gathering the documents needed to file annual federal income tax returns, take a moment to review all of your financial accounts before filing those papers away in a drawer. Most importantly, look at how those accounts are titled, who is named as beneficiaries and consider if that information matches with your current life circumstances […]

In this episode, the relatable finance guys discuss financial fraud, particularly the Madoff Ponzi scheme, and the regulations in place to protect investors from future fraud. This includes discussion on the SEC, FINRA and steps to take to keep your money safe.

In this episode, the relatable finance guys assess the current strength of the economy, the outlook for the coming year and how these could impact investable asset returns.

In this episode the relatable finance guys interview Will Beckham from NEA Insurance and discuss the various types of insurance available to individuals and families.