By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

Your moment of retirement has almost arrived! With only 12 months left until your official retirement date, you are nearing the finish line after years of hard work. What an accomplishment! It’s an exciting time of life, and yet, it’s important to remain focused to ensure your retirement plan goes as smoothly as possible. To support you through this transition, I’ve created a checklist of the key steps you need to make during this last year before financial freedom becomes real. Read on to utilize this checklist to keep you on track.

By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

Happy Holidays! After another year filled with volatility, I’ve never been more grateful to have clients like you. I appreciate your continued trust in me and the opportunity to provide an exceptional experience. It is my goal to help you feel confident in your future and prepared for whatever comes your way. I hope you’re able to ring in this holiday season with peace and joy, knowing that I’m watching out for you and your finances. 

By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

As both a Certified Public Accountant and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with over 15 years of experience in the industry, I’ve spent my entire professional career learning as much as I can to better serve my clients. Because of this, I often get asked about my top pieces of financial advice. Clients are usually surprised to hear that out of all the fancy investment vehicles, tax-planning strategies, and insurance products out there, my top two financial lessons have less to do with specific products or investments and much more to do with having the right mentality. So, if I could only pass on two pieces of financial advice, I would say: Drown out the noise and take emotions out of your financial plan. 

By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

Capital gains can be an ugly phrase to most investors. But those gains are a positive for you; it means that an investment or asset you held and sold did well and earned you a profit. And as with any profit, the IRS will come calling. Today let’s discuss four strategies to help you minimize your capital gains taxes.

By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

Executives are not compensated in the same way as regular employees. Their income is usually tied heavily to the value of their company because their compensation packages commonly contain restricted stock, not to be confused with restricted stock units (RSUs). Because of the complicated nature of restricted stock, employees who receive them need to plan ahead to consider the tax implications. Let this serve as a guide when planning to get the most value out of your restricted stock.

By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

Giving gifts is often more fun for the giver than the person receiving the gift. Some people are better at giving gifts than others and you could even say there is an art to giving gifts. It takes time, consideration and intentional planning to find just the right gift for a particular person. However, when gifting a large amount of money, valuable items, or other assets as part of an estate plan, there are some important things to think about. As a donor, you need to be aware of the tax benefits and rules but also decide what you want to give, who you want to give to, how much, and what method to give. Here are some tips to consider when reviewing your estate plan. 

By Olivia Weber

What would you do if you received a sudden, unexpected chunk of change? Most of us could probably come up with a pretty long list of things we would like to spend that money on. But if you aren’t intentional about what you do with your extra cash, you could follow in the footsteps of many lottery winners who squander their winnings and end up unhappy and broke.

By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

Is the state of the world making you feel unsettled? It seems like things are constantly changing and we’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop. If you’re like most people, living with this level of uncertainty day in and day out can be stressful. But as much as we may not like living with instability, the market likes it even less. 

By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

It’s impossible to retire comfortably without years of strategic planning. And a key piece of that planning includes figuring out how much money you’ll need to live as you age. No matter your lifestyle or circumstance, you want to be confident you’ll have enough money to last through retirement. Unfortunately, there’s no magic number to save or invest as it’s different for everyone.

Let these questions be your guide as you figure out how much money you need for the retirement you’re dreaming of and working toward. 

By Colleen Weber, CFP^®, CPA

Have you ever wanted to own your own company—but without the hassle of starting, building up, and managing that company? Well, if your employer offers stock options as part of their benefits package, this dream could become a reality. Many employers offer stock options to their employees as a way of fostering a greater sense of ownership and encouraging long-term commitment. But knowing what types of stock options are available and what to invest in can be a little overwhelming. In this article, I will outline the two common types of stock options offered to employees: incentive stock options (ISOs) and non-qualified stock options (NSOs).