By Kerrie Beene, CFP®

Since Oprah stopped giving cars away in 2011, we recently had to face the challenge of getting our daughter a better vehicle. While her getting older and purchasing this car should have come as no surprise, it came faster than we wanted (we should have started earlier!!) and I wanted to share a few things we did to prepare for the purchase of the car.

• Utilizing Savings

• Throwing all Extra Funds into the Savings

• Create a Physical Savings Chart

• When the time arrives to Purchase, Choose a Budget!

• Involve your Teen in the Purchasing Process

• Utilize a Teachable Moment

By Kate Welker, CFP®

It is again the back to school season. Preschool through college school will look different for students this year, but one thing is the same. The changing of the year, feeling of a fresh start, and thinking about the future year ahead. For older students we are discussing college plans and for those of you with young children you may be thinking about planning for your children's eventual college. With a growing student loan debt load in this country how to pay for college is a concern we like to address. I wanted to share some thoughts on a few unique ways to think about saving for education.

Estate planning can sometimes come across as a section of planning that is completed later in life after retirement has begun and “it’s time” to start thinking of life’s next stage. Au contraire, estate planning is a part of one’s portfolio that deserves equal attention pre and post the date of retirement. The time is now! As net worth, investments, personal property, real estate, relationships, and other intrinsic items change in status, value, and possession over the years, it is important to consistently update (or begin creating) your estate planning documents.

Below are some introductory terms for those stepping into the estate planning process

By: Ann Arceo, CFP®

As parents, we want what’s best for our kids and education is top of the list for many of us. Of course we had no way of knowing that this year would disrupt and change so many of our plans. From an economic downturn to school closures, 2020 is a year we won’t soon forget. As we’ve scrambled to adjust our family routine to make this school year work, it can be easy to put off planning for a future goal like college that’s years down the road.

If you can relate to that feeling, you’re not alone. A recent CNBC article highlighted a survey showing “16% of parents saving for college paused their contributions” while 13% reduced contributions and 17% planned to withdraw funds” because of financial concerns due to the pandemic. Worrying about your finances during this time is certainly understandable, but the one rule parents should keep in mind when saving for college or any major financial goal is that time is one of your biggest assets. By starting early, you’ll ultimately need to save less given that your money will have time to grow. So if you’ve started saving and stopped or even if you haven’t started saving at all, the 4 steps below can help you make a plan and get on track.

We are in a period of uncertainty, in particular around the education system. Some colleges that opened their doors for in person learning have already switched to online classes, within just a couple of weeks. For future college students what does this mean for your college planning and student loans?

Summer's end is here and school is back in session! Is your family prepared? It is important to reflect on this unique summer and prepare both yourself, parents, and students for the upcoming months ahead.

Just as summer plans have shifted, I thought I’d shift to talk about ways to enjoy the opportunities for entertainment and relaxation you can find around you.

Budgeting is considered to be one of the first (and most crucial) steps to create the road map to financial success. They can range from daily, weekly, or even monthly estimated expenditures. However, many individuals and couples do not partake in the budgeting process due to the idea of time constraints, extra work, and the idea of having to “cut items”.

While the idea of a budget may be challenging, the benefits far outweigh any initial hesitations.

Continue below to see 5 of the many benefits to gain by starting a budget ASAP!

Five Years of Independence and Entrepreneurship!
June 1, 2020 celebrated FIVE years of independence and becoming an entrepreneur. I can hardly believe it's been that long. It's been an interesting journey to say the least. For those of you that were with me at the start of the journey, the words, "thank you" don't seem sufficient enough words. For those of you have have joined us along the way, we are so honored you've selected us.

Starting your own business is hard work, I new it would be when I set off on the journey. Typical to my personality, I planned for "what could go wrong" and worried about it all the time. I will admit, it certainly started out a little rocky with significant challenges, as some of you may remember the flash crash of August 2015.

One of my goals as a parent is to raise my children to be aware of the value of money and as they age to develop healthy financial habits. I have had friends ask my advice on this and have seen social media posts from parents of young children asking for input. The hardest part of this is just like everything else in parenting, you will need to find what works for your family and for your children or the children in your life. We are so excited we have become a Sammy Rabbit official partner and have been able to bring Sammy’s Dream Big story program to you! This is geared towards children ages 7-10 and is a storybook coloring book and activities to teach financial literacy.

Graduation, the day you’ve worked towards for years. Once you walk across the stage (or should we say proverbial stage this year) and take that diploma a new stage of life begins. There will be many new decisions and actions ahead of you, but here are a few simple moves to take as you enter that next stage of life.

Before we dig into the “year in review,” we’d like to mention a provision that was written in to the CARES Act regarding Donations. Beginning in 2020, there will be an “above the line” charitable deduction (maximum $300) that you will be able to take, even if you don’t itemize. So, save your receipts this year, even if you don’t itemize, those donations will reduce your 2020 tax liability.

This week we would normally be seeing the tax deadline hit and the last minute rush of filers. With the deadline extended the filing season will be drawn out over three more months, but we still encourage you to finalize your return so you can plan accordingly for 2020. Once your return is done you should take time to review the returns and see what the numbers are telling you. Over my years of working with tax returns I have had way too many people tell me they just look to see if they have a refund or owe, sign the return, then stick it in their files. I challenge you not to be one of those individuals. Following are some items I like to look at when assisting with tax planning.

What is this?

• Normally, if you are under the age of 59 ½ (unless an exception applies), you are subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty from retirement distributions.

• The CARES Act waives the 10% penalty for COVID-19 related distributions up to $100,000 from retirement plans (IF permitted by the plan) and IRAs.

• The distribution IS still taxable, just the penalty is waived. This income, however, can spread out over 3-years.

• The regulations also state that you can “make-up” these distributions over the next three years above and beyond your normal contribution limits.

• NOTE: These are NOT considered hardship distributions, therefore the hardship rules do not apply

Those who are unemployed or cannot work for coronavirus related reasons will be eligible for benefits under the new Cares Act passed on March 27, 2020.

I started with this section because we feel it is important for our clients to know if they are or are not eligible for this rebate.

Over the weekend, I've noticed a great deal of confusion regarding this provision.  Let's start with what it is.

With all of the closings that have been mandated as a result of COVID-19 along with requirements to stay in, many small business owners are worried about their operations. If you are a small business owner you are probably wondering how you are going to keep your business sustainable long term, provide for your employees, and provide for your own needs. Thankfully there has been a lot of legislation passed and the CARES act expanded and added benefits for small business owners. There is a lot of information out there so we wanted to summarize what these different benefits are, who qualifies, and what the effect is.

March is women’s history month and we want to take some of our space this month to recognize that. I love working with small business owners so I wanted to share some thoughts on women as business owners. Rooted Planning Group is owned by women so this is certainly special to us.

What are the traits that help women succeed in business? I thought back on some conferences I’ve attended, drew on personal experience, and looked at our team to see how the ways we think or act differently can be beneficial.

January is a time for fresh starts, resolutions, and goal setting. Resolutions notoriously fail so what can you do if you are heading into the New Year committed to making progress in your finances?