A second chance at doing life better

Published 4/14/2019 in The Maryland Daily Record  It is no secret that I am a full believer in second chances. As someone who has always been drawn to people who have achieved greatly in part due to a chance at redemption, I am inspired to see people who harness the chance to do life better. Especially those who take this opportunity to the maximum of its possibility. When it comes to second chances, Baltimore is an ideal city to live when it comes to those in great need of these opportunities. With this in mind, I am more aware than…

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The importance of beneficiary designations

Published 3/17/2019 in The Maryland Daily Record  Here we are in March with this sense that 2019 already feels long. Many colleagues have shared that they also feel fatigued at a time of year when many of us are typically in prime time with tax season in full force. The myriad of factors contributing to this drag really vary, from personal changes to complex client issues, to the news cycle and the political environment. It’s not so different at the surface from what is usually going around, yet this year just feels long. Within my work, we have had a…

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Experiencing the United Way’s ‘Walk a Mile’ program

Published 2/18/2019 in The Maryland Daily Record A few weeks ago saw the kickoff of the 2019 class of the Baltimore Leadership program, a class I am privileged to be a part of. The two-day opening program was full of content that was informative, thought-provoking, fun, inspirational and transformative. Most impactful was the afternoon spent with the people from the United Way who brought in their Walk a Mile program, which is designed to create an experience for people to “walk a mile” in the shoes of a family dealing with poverty. Almost immediately, the impact of the experience takes…

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The wild, wild end to 2018

Published 1/21/2019 in The Maryland Daily Record  Each quarter, we provide our investment management clients with some type of commentary about a wide range of topics. The last quarter of 2018 was such a wild ride in the stock market that we decided to highlight some of the foundational reminders of the behavioral attributes that contribute to long-term investment success. Particularly when faced with the nervous energy of a declining market, people often need support to remain focused on the longer view toward the achievement of their goals. Sean Erb and Marriam Khan are financial analysts who are a part…

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11/20/18 Good Morning Washington [Video]

Aired 11/20/2018 on Good Morning Washington: Money matters can often be overwhelming, especially during a transitional period such as divorce or death of a spouse. But rather than wait for a major life change, it’s best to hone your financial smarts as soon as possible. Dorie Fain, CEO of &Wealth, got us started with a round of investing trivia.

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Taking experience for granted

Published 11/18/2018 in The Maryland Daily Record  In the past six weeks alone, I have experienced a series of events that point to a genuine underestimation of the extent of support our clients need as they take over the management of their finances, investments, tax planning, estate planning and beyond. Consider having never filed a tax return for yourself until age 55. Having been married since you were 22, all things related to professional services have been handled by your spouse. It is an overwhelming set of tasks to learn how to manage these new necessary aspects of your life,…

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Insuring the risks of everyday life

Published 10/14/2018 in The Maryland Daily Record  (Last of three parts on personal financial planning) Knowing what type of insurance coverage to purchase is a daunting task. There are often conflicting sources of information about who needs what type of coverage, how much to buy and how much it should cost. I was raised by a father who began his career selling life insurance in the 1960s. The experience he shared was that no one who ever filed a claim said the insurance benefit was too much. He also held the belief that the way people planned for their affairs…

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Using donor-advised funds for giving

Published 9/16/2018 in The Maryland Daily Record  (Second of three parts on personal financial planning) Charitable giving is at the heart of the anatomy that makes up Baltimore. When I first moved here, I was connected to Dara Schnee who is now the vice president of philanthropy at the Baltimore Community Foundation. Dara was working in development at Kennedy Krieger Institute at that time, and it was evident from our first meeting that Dara is a person with philanthropy at the core of who she is. Raised in a family of devoted philanthropists here in Baltimore, Dara sat me down…

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The tax law and education savings

Published 8/12/2018 in The Maryland Daily Record  (This month’s column will kick off a three-part series on key topics related to personal financial planning.) In today’s marketplace, 529 plans have become the most popular vehicle to save for education costs. The days of relying on college savings bonds are long gone due to the low interest rate environment. This is coupled with the fact that many families begin saving much earlier in a child’s life due to the increasing costs of attending college. The average college/university annual cost is rising 5 percent a year, which requires college savings to grow over…

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