Our Services

Specialized Solutions for Your Advanced Planning Needs

We are often faced with unique and complex financial scenarios that require special experience. Through our broker-dealer, Osaic Wealth, Inc., we are fortunate to have access to a group of attorneys known as the Advanced Planning Team. The Team helps us assess, and offers guidance on, an array of intricate financial circumstances. We leverage the Team’s broad knowledge and over 60 years of combined experience to work for us, and our clients.

As independent advisors, our goal is to act in the best interests of our clients (no product quotas here). As independent advisors affiliated with Osaic Wealth, Inc., we can tap into the resources available from one of the largest broker-dealer networks in the nation.

With the resources available to us, we can help clients address the following:

• Estate and charitable planning
• IRAs and qualified plans
• Life insurance
• Domestic partner arrangements
• Non-qualified benefit planning
• Taxation of alternative investments
• Long-term care planning
• Special Needs Trusts

No matter how complex the issue, we are equipped to provide customized, personalized and effective support to address our clients’ current financial situations and help them seek their future financial goals. While we do not offer specific tax or legal advice, we do work in concert with our clients’ tax and legal professionals to help put forth financial solutions.

Through the financial planning process, we review your overall financial situation and line it up with your financial goals. We talk through your short-term and long-term objectives answering questions like:  

• Are you planning for a child's college tuition?
• What are your thoughts on retirement?
• What is your risk-tolerance with investment options?

All angles of your financial views should fit together, complimenting one another for overall near and long-term fiscal well-being. We work hand in hand with our clients to provide comprehensive financial planning as well as modular, goal-specific planning.

^{*Not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax, legal or  investment planning advice.}

Everyone has their own reason for gifting their assets or a portion of their income to charitable organizations.  Some find comfort in helping others who are less fortunate, while others simply want to share their good fortune.  Many of the institutions of art, sciences and education are supported in large part by those who want to give something back in appreciation for their contributions to the community or the individuals themselves. 

Presently, the tax code offers incentives for gifting of one’s assets or incomes. Tax deductions are given for current contributions and, for estate owners, charitable gifts can reduce the size of the estate to help minimize estate taxes.

Often times, an individual will designate a charitable beneficiary in their will to benefit the organization after the individual dies.  By using charitable gifting techniques, a donor may be able to benefit the charity while living without having to sacrifice the income that an asset can generate.  Understanding how properly structured charitable gifts can provide current benefits for both the donor and the charity could be important for the charitably inclined.

Charitable Remainder Trust

A remainder trust enables the donor to transfer an asset while retaining the right to the income it generates. The asset becomes the “remainder” which is owned by the charity.  Remainder trusts, if properly structured, can qualify for a current tax deduction.  There are three types of remainder trusts:

Unitrust: A unitrust the income the donor receives is based on a percentage of the current fair market valuation of a trust asset. Each year, as the asset is valued, the income is adjusted based on the new valuation.

Annuity Trust: Instead of a percentage of the asset value, the donor is paid a fixed amount annually.

Pooled Income Fund: Donors can pool their donated assets in a fund that is operated by the charitable organization. The donors then receive a proportionate share of income from the fund that is paid throughout their lifetime.  Payments can vary each year based on the valuation of the underlying assets in the fund.

Charitable Lead Trust

Also known as an Income Trust this vehicle transfers the income rights to the charitable organization. Generally, the income rights are assigned for a specified period of time after which the remainder passes to the donor. 

Charitable planning involves tax issues that should be discussed with a qualified tax or financial professional.

For more information of charitable planning, please contact us today.

Holistic financial planning is one good way to potentially legally reduce your tax liability. We go beyond the simple tax return service and proactively recommend tax saving strategies to help increase your after-tax income, or reduce your tax obligations.

Tax Considerations

Regardless of your income or how much you invest, you’ll need to pay taxes on your financial assets each year. Completing taxes on your own can take weeks, that is, if you are able to fill out all the forms without making any errors. Today’s tax laws are complicated. It is easy to overlook deductions and credits that you can (and should) take advantage of.

A financial professional, by comparison, can help you plan for and manage taxable income. It is part of servicing our client’s total investment portfolio.

The Bottom Line

Opinions are free. Advice has value.

Trained financial advisors can provide invaluable insights on all the pieces of a long-term investment plan. It’s your money, your vision and your retirement. Trust a fiduciary to help you do it well.