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Posted By Lineweaver Financial Group
May 18, 2023 Category: Tax, Finance, 401k, Retirement

The idea of saving as much as possible during your career while making wise investments to have a comfortable retirement is nothing new for workers. But if you don’t consider a tax strategy with that plan, it can derail any retirement.  Many workers are able to get company stock either as part of their compensation or through the company’s 401(k) program and these are the stocks you want to pay attention to so you don’t lose money in taxes.  Typically, when people retire, they roll all of their 401(k) to an IRA and everything you paid for that company stock inside the 401(k) and all the appreciation through your working years will be taxed at your personal income rate when you take money out to supplement your retirement.  Instead, if you use the Net Unrealized Appreciation – or NUA – rules, you can roll the stock out of the 401(k) and pay ordinary income taxes only on the cost basis, or what you paid for the stock through the years. Then, if done correctly, you can have the appreciation of the stock taxed at the much lower capital gains rates. For most people, this could cut your tax bill almost in half. For example, let’s say that you have $300,000 of company stock in your 401(k), that you paid $100,000 for. You roll the stock out of your 401(k) to a non-IRA account. You will pay taxes on the first $100,000 at your ordinary income rate, but the additional $200,000 would be taxed at your capital gain rate, which ca

Posted By Lineweaver Financial Group
May 04, 2023 Category: Postnuptial, Prenuptial, Agreements, Nuptial, Finance

Most people have heard of a prenup – or prenuptial – agreement, but a new law in Ohio will now allow for a postnuptial agreement.  A prenuptial agreement is an agreement a couple enters into before marriage describing how their assets will be divided on divorce or death. However, once you were married, you could not amend or terminate the prenuptial agreement or enter into any agreement regarding the division of assets. Until now, all other states besides Ohio and Iowa allowed for an agreement after marriage to either amend the prenuptial agreement or have a whole new agreement describing how assets will be divided on divorce or death. But now that Senate Bill 210 has been signed into law, married couples in Ohio can go forward with a postnuptial agreement.  There are a couple of scenarios that a postnuptial agreement could lend itself to.  For example, at the beginning of a marriage, the husband and wife were about equal in finances and agreed in a prenuptial agreement that each would keep their own assets. Then they have three children and for twenty years the wife stays at home raising the family and the husband grows his business to be a very valuable asset. The wife might want some part of those assets since she lost the opportunity to grow her assets.  In that case, a postnuptial agreement could provide that she shares in some of the growth of the husband’s assets. In another scenario, let’s say parents want to give a

Posted By Lineweaver Financial Group
April 20, 2023 Category: General

We are humbled and excited to share that Founder and President of Lineweaver Financial Group, Inc., Jim Lineweaver, CFP®, AIF®, was recently featured in the Top 100 in Finance Magazine, entering him into a class of some of the most accomplished and esteemed professionals in the financial industry. While this is a great milestone, we know that there are really two reasons for it: a great staff and client trust. Our talented staff works hard and goes the extra mile for clients, and in turn, clients trust us, use us as a valued sounding board, and introduce us to their families and friends. To us, there is no higher recognition. We also believe in personal service. We know how frustrated people are with phone trees and digital assistants where they have to answer questions and are often transferred and re-routed. We live in a fast-paced world that requires cutting-edge technology and the latest market analysis to make smart, informed decisions for all our clients. But, when it comes to service, we believe in a personal touch. You’ll always speak with a person, and we pride ourselves on getting you answers to your questions in 24 hours or less. For 30 years, our team of qualified, experienced, and credentialed professionals has provided our private and corporate clients with a plethora of options for their financial needs. Our success lies in our continued commitment to providing clients with sound advice, world-class customer service, and accessible resou

Posted By Lineweaver Financial Team
March 30, 2023 Category: Banks

In March, several large U.S. banks with exposure to cryptocurrencies and technology start-ups collapsed, including Silvergate Bank (SI), Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank of New York (SBNY). These and other banks experienced a surge in deposits from a combination of pandemic-era stimulus and the rise in cryptocurrency interest and cash inflows to technology start-ups from a hot IPO market in 2020 and 2021. For example, SVB’s deposits nearly doubled in 2021 from the prior year. Banks used these new deposits to make investments, which typically have low credit risk or risk of default, but high-interest rate risk. This includes the risk of interest rates rising, such as Treasury bonds or government-guaranteed mortgage-backed securities (MBS).  This year, reduced interest in cryptocurrencies and the limited ability for tech start-ups to raise new capital led to deposit withdrawals, meaning that some banks were forced to tap their investment portfolios. However, due to the rise in interest rates in 2022, they had to realize capital losses on investment sales in order to raise capital and meet redemptions. As these losses became public knowledge, depositors began to lose confidence in the bank, leading to an acceleration of withdrawals, which quickly spiraled into a classic “bank run” at Silvergate, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank of New York. What made these three banks somewhat unique – and particularly vulnerable – was the

Posted By Lineweaver Financial Group
March 09, 2023 Category: Cyber, Security, Finances, Spam, Email

Nearly all of us have been victims of cybercrime – or know someone who was – and the result can take a huge financial toll. In 2020 alone, people age 60 and over reported losses exceeding $966 million1. Cybercriminals are more likely to prey on seniors because they are more likely to have money, they may have memory issues, and they tend to be more trusting.  For that reason, it’s imperative to be wary of links in emails from unfamiliar senders. Emails, text messages, and social media posts can all contain malicious links. Spam or malicious emails are by far the most common method attackers use to deliver malware or phishing links. Be especially wary of emails urging you to go to a website and provide personal details. If you ever feel pressured to click on a link or pay some money, step back and assess the situation.  Going one step further, you should try to avoid opening any attachments unless you know the sender and were expecting them to send something. While attachments to an email, social media post or text message may appear to be harmless, they could contain malware designed to launch an attack on your device.  These attachments can be disguised as run-of-the-mill Word documents, PDFs, e-files and voicemails. If the file appears to be from someone you know but it is unexpected, reach out to them via a different method, just as a text or voice call, to make sure they sent you something.  When it comes to passwords, the re

Posted By Lineweaver Financial Group
February 16, 2023 Category: Retirement, Economy, Bonds

With a slumping stock market and a slowing economy, early retirees and people looking to retire in the near future need to make intelligent decisions to avoid jeopardizing a successful retirement. Here are a few actions our trusted financial planners recommend to help make the transition into retirement as seamless as possible.  The first thing a retiree should do is examine their spending history to help build a budget. They can do this by adding up all of their annual spendings over the last three years to look at macro trends in spending patterns. Once that’s determined, they’ll want to make investments that can support that budget.  Another way retirees can prepare for retirement income is to create a bond ladder. We’re able to help retirees invest their money while bond yields are back up and high-quality corporate rates reach as high as 4.75%1. High-quality bonds held to maturity can also provide a household with a steady income for the next few years. And there are a lot of different types of bonds – corporate bonds, municipal bonds, and even United States Treasuries – each with their own benefit. For example, one of the advantages of municipal bonds is the tax status since they are exempted from federal, state, and local taxes, which helps minimize taxes during retirement. Another strategy that could be helpful during retirement is to take action to stay ahead of inflation. One way to do that is with dividend-producing sto

Posted By Lineweaver Financial Group
January 25, 2023 Category: Finance, Markets, Bonds

COMMENTARY BY JERRY HERMAN, CFA® As we sit in the darkest days of the solar year, we are encouraged to know that the days ahead will have more light – the days will be brighter. And for the financial markets we are optimistic that this will be true in the figurative sense as well. 2022 was a year of recognition and reality - recognition that the stimulus endeavors of prior periods needed to be unwound and the reality that the process could be painful. 2023 offers opportunities and optimism - opportunities being presented in sectors and asset classes that we haven’t seen for some time and the optimism that the Fed will get it right and avoid a deep recession, and global and domestic political and social tension will ease.   In 2022, the forces of pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions, exceptionally high consumer demand for goods such as housing, autos, and appliances, and services like travel and entertainment, combined with an energy shock brought on by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, drove inflation to its highest level in four decades! In June, the inflation rate hit 9.1% and averaged just over 7% for the year, more than double the historical average of about 3%. To combat inflation, the Fed increased interest rates seven times during the year to 4.25-4.5%, levels not seen since 2008.  The year was difficult for investors. Facing the headwinds of rising interest rates, a very tight labor market, and capacity and supply constraints in ma

Posted By Lineweaver Financial Group
January 25, 2023 Category: Resolutions, Finance, Goals, Coordination

By Jim Lineweaver, CFP®, AIF® President and Founder It might not be so shocking to learn that many of us don’t stick to our New Year’s resolutions. In fact, according to a study conducted by the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, only 8% of people achieved their New Year’s resolutions in 2021.  One problem that typically arises is that we set aspirational goals for ourselves instead of ones based on the reality of integrating them into our everyday activities. This can set us up for failure and create self-doubt in our abilities. Here’s a list of attainable resolutions I’ve put together to give you the confidence needed to stay true to your financial goals throughout the new year.  The first resolution that will help set a solid foundation to your financial plan is to set aside time to look at your insurance plans. You’ll want to make sure all your insurance is in proper order including life insurance, disability insurance and even property and casualty. Because we specialize in working with retirees, long-term care is of top priority to our clients. And if you have rental or vacation homes, you may want to consider an umbrella policy.  Another resolution is to establish your financial goals. Both long and short financial goals should be driven by your personal goals. That could look like sending your children or grandchildren to college, passing on the family business or having a retirement plan tha

Posted By Lineweaver Financial Group
January 25, 2023 Category: Tax

Tax season is upon us. Our Lineweaver Tax Team is ready to help you with all your tax needs. Lead by Tax Planning and Preparation Specialist Mark Sipos, from left, with Tax Assistant and Administrative Support Loryn Zaffle and Tax Associate Josh Wenhold. To learn more about our services or access helpful resources

Posted By Lineweaver Financial Group
January 13, 2023 Category: Second Opinion, Finance, Cosultation

People often question if they’re doing all they can to protect their portfolios from losses while taking advantage of buying opportunities. To help you gain more confidence in your financial well-being, it can be beneficial to get a second opinion.  Even if you’re happy with your current plan, a second opinion can help pinpoint issues or call attention to parts that might be overlooked otherwise. Here are five reasons why it might be time to consider a second opinion.   All financial planners are different, and each offers different services and products. You need a planner who is truly independent and not forced to offer a limited selection of options to meet your goals and objectives. The advisor you want is one that can customize a solution for whatever your circumstances may be.  You’ll want to make sure your advisor is a fiduciary, which means that an advisor puts your needs and goals before their own. If you’re currently seeing an advisor that is not a fiduciary like ours, that may mean they’re not keeping your best interests in mind.  Make sure you’re working with someone with the proper credentials. Ideally, you’ll want to see a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) because they follow higher standards in terms of education and ethics. The best of both worlds would be an independent fiduciary who is a CFP. Then they’d have access to almost any strategy, product or security and have to put your inte