We Help Structure Retirement And College Savings Plans

Matt LaRocca |
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We would like to highlight two ancillary services we provide as part of our effort to serve our clients’ financial needs at all stages of life, in addition to our core business of creating and managing our clients’ investment portfolios.

First, we now have the capacity to open and manage 529 Plan accounts for our clients through our custodian, Pershing Advisor Solutions. Briefly, a 529 Plan is a state-run investment portfolio designed to save and grow money to pay college expenses. Investments grow tax-free and withdrawals also are tax free if they are used for qualified college expenses. You may open a 529 Plan account in the name of a child, grandchild, niece, nephew or anyone else who will be attending college in the future. We can help you set up a 529 Plan account, select appropriate investments, and monitor these investments as the account beneficiary approaches college age. Here is an article with more information on 529 Plans.

If you are interested in opening a 529 Plan account, or know someone who is, please Contact Us.

Second, many of our clients have 401K accounts through their employers. We offer to review the allocations in our clients’ 401K accounts and assist in selecting allocations which are appropriate for them. Many individuals have little guidance in selecting allocations for their 401K accounts. As a result, their 401K accounts may not be appropriately allocated considering their unique financial situations. Further, even the typical default allocation – a target date fund – may be unsuitable. A target date fund invests in a mix of equities and bonds based on the projected retirement date of the fund owner. As the owner gets closer to retirement, the fund’s allocation moves towards more bonds and less equities. While a target date fund may be suitable, it is wise to continually review the allocations in the target date fund, rather than assume that it will be suitable in all investment environments. For example, if and when interest rates rise, the value of the bond holdings in many target date funds will decline, resulting in a potentially significant impact on the funds’ price. In short, we do not believe in a “one size fits all” investment portfolio and assist our clients in finding 401K allocations that are right for them.

If you are interested in having us review your 401K allocation, please Contact Us.