Blog

HealthWATCH: Staying in Shape Post-Retirement

Posted By Lineweaver Financial Group
October 15, 2018 Category: Healthwatch, Exercising

Once we retire, we tend to bask in our newfound free time, but few of us realize that we should be spending part of that time exercising. Some fitness buffs may treat retirement as a chance to double up on their favorite activities, but for the rest of us, the challenge becomes extracting the most benefit in the least amount of time. “Consistency is the key,” said Michele Stanten, a certified fitness instructor in Coopersburg, Penn. “Some people who are gung-ho at first try to do an hour of exercise, find it’s too much, and stop. It’s more effective going out for 10 minutes one day, then 10 minutes the next day. Build up gradually and be consistent.” Stanten consults with SilverSneakers, a free fitness program for seniors that comes with qualifying Medicare plans. It includes access to participating gyms at more than 14,000 locations across the U.S., along with instructor-led yoga, dance and other fitness classes. Regardless of your goal—to gain muscle mass, lose body fat, lower your cholesterol, improve your heart health—turning exercise into a daily habit helps you stay on track. Just check with your doctor first and heed your body’s signals once you get under way.  “The most important thing is to do something you enjoy,” said Edward Schneider, professor of gerontology at the USC Davis School of Gerontology in Los Angeles, Calif. “Otherwise, you’ll quit.” Beyond regular workouts,

Q4 2018: Economic Commentary

Posted By Lineweaver Financial Group
October 15, 2018 Category: Economic Commentary, Newsletter

Global financial markets posted mixed results during the third quarter of 2018 as investors balanced heightened trade tensions globally with strong earnings, a solid labor market and healthy economic growth here in the U.S. We present a few highlights from the 3Q18 below: Despite heightened geopolitical rhetoric, the S and P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite continued to trade near record highs amid solid economic data and strong corporate earnings. On the economic front, the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at a range of 1.75% to 2%. However, meeting minutes released from the Fed’s early August session indicated a rate hike was likely when the Fed meets September 25th-26th. Developed international equity markets produced mixed results during the third quarter with those in the Pacific ex-Japan region generally lagging those in Europe. On the political front, the resignation of Brexit secretary David Davis renewed fears of the potential economic consequences as the UK prepares to leave the EU in March 2019. In the emerging markets, returns were held back by weak performances from China and Brazil. Within fixed income, results were mixed as the 10-year U.S. Treasury tested the key psychological level of 3% several times during the third quarter. Foreign un-hedged bonds and emerging markets debt fell amid the strong U.S. dollar. Investment grade core U.S. fixed income produced lackluster results, while high yield

Q4 2018: Letter From the President

Posted By Lineweaver Financial Group
October 15, 2018 Category: Letter From The President, James Lineweaver

2018 marks a major milestone in Lineweaver Financial Group history. When I started the company 25 years ago in 1993, my vision of improving the lives and retirements of families was just getting started. When I think back to those early days and compare it to where Lineweaver Financial Group stands today, I can’t help but be proud of the hard work we’ve done, and the things we have accomplished. In the last few years we have opened new office locations, which has expanded our reach to areas such as Mentor, Westlake, and most recently, Akron. Meanwhile, at our headquarters in Valley View, we continue to grow as a company. We have made major changes to our website, providing easier online account access to our clients, and making our informative materials such as our blogs, articles and whitepapers more readily available. Many of you were familiar with our segment on the Golden Opportunities show which ended earlier this year. We are now featured every Sunday on Fox 8 just before the 10 AM news with Chris Wallace, as part of our own segment, “The Financial Quarterback.” We will continue to provide helpful financial planning strategies and tips through this new program, and we hope to serve as a valuable retirement resource. Of course, none of these things would be possible without our clients. On behalf of everyone at Lineweaver Financial Group, I want to thank you for placing your trust in us, and for providing us with the opportunity to carry out yo

What the Most Sweeping Tax Law in 30 Years Means for You

Posted By Lineweaver Financial Group
October 15, 2018 Category: Quarterly Newsletter, Trump, Tax Law

By Mark Sipos The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 is the most sweeping change to the tax code in over 30 years. Understanding these new tax laws and working proactively within them can save taxpayers thousands of dollars. We would like to highlight the major changes of this new tax legislation and how it impacts individual taxpayers. President Trump’s tax plan calls for maintaining the seven brackets found under the old law, however, the new law reduces the rates 2-3% across the various bracket income levels. It’s worth noting that the new tax brackets have dramatically increased the income levels within each bracket, so more of your taxable income will be taxed at lower tax rates!  There are deductions to consider as well. Changes are coming for taxpayers who take the standard deduction and for those who itemize. The Trump tax plan increases the standard deduction to $12,000 (for individuals) and $24,000 (for married couples fling jointly), effectively doubling these standard deductions under the old law. Taxpayers who itemize can write off their state and local income, property and general sales tax payments on their federal tax return. This effectively prevents double taxation. Starting in tax year 2018, that deduction is capped at $10,000. Under prior law, homeowners could deduct their mortgage interest payments on mortgages up to $1 million. The new tax plan limits the deduction for mortgages up to $750,000. Interest on home equity line

Your Retirement Income and The New Trump Tax Plan

Posted By Lineweaver Financial Group
October 04, 2018 Category: General

As many of you know, Congress has passed a sweeping overhaul to the U.S. tax code just a few months ago, the largest change to the U.S. tax code in 30 years. The new rules do not change long-term capital gains tax rates themselves — for the 2018 tax year they’re 0%, 15% and 20%, the same as for 2017. But the thresholds have changed, as you can see below: 2018 Capital Gains Tax Rates Long-term capital gains tax rate Single Married, filing jointly Head of Household Married, filing separately   0% $0 to $38,600 $0 to $77,200 $0 to $51,700 $0 to $38,600 15% $38,601 to $425,800 $77,201 to $479,000 $51,701 to $452,400 $38,601 to $239,500 20% $425,801 or more $479,001 or more $452,401 or more $239,501 or more * Short-term capital gains are taxed as ordinary income. Essentially, that means if you’re married and file jointly, and you can keep your income below $77,201 you will pay nothing in capital gains. Real Estate Tax Benefits Investment property owners will continue to be able to defer capital gain taxes using 1031 tax-deferred exchanges which have been in the tax code since 1921. No new restrictions on 1031 exchanges of real property were made in the new tax law. However, the new tax law repeals 1031 exchanges for all other types of property that are not real property. This means 1031 exchanges of personal property, collectibles, aircraft, franchise rights, rental cars, trucks, heavy equipmen