Blog Posts

How Women Can Prepare for Retirement

How Women Can Prepare for Retirement

by | Apr 27, 2022 |

When our parents retired, living to 75 amounted to a nice long life, and Social Security was often supplemented by a pension. The Social Security Administration (SSA) estimates that today’s average 65-year-old woman will live to age 86½. Given these projections, it appears that a retirement of 20 years or longer might be in your future.

Are you prepared for a 20-year retirement?

How about a 30-year or even 40-year retirement? Don’t laugh; it could happen. The Society of Actuaries predicts that an average healthy woman that reaches age 65 has a 44% chance of living past 90, and a 22% chance of living to be older than 95.

Making an Investment in Your Life

Making an Investment in Your Life

by | Mar 29, 2022 |

By Marc C. Shaffer

As a financial advisor, I always have principles of financial investing in the front of my mind, but I love to take those principles and apply them to other areas of life. That might include investing in health, people, experiences, career development or something else, but the principles can translate very well. You set goals, make plans, get started and adjust along the way.

In what ways are you investing in your life? In what ways are you avoiding making investments in your life?

Book Review: Who Not How by Dan Sullivan

Book Review: Who Not How by Dan Sullivan

by | Mar 22, 2022 |

By Marc Shaffer

Connections. This book is about connections and their immense value. I tend to think my life is also about connections, which may be why I am so drawn to “Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork,” by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy.

The initial opening of the book is a story about Michael Jordon, who I grew up idolizing as a child as the best basketball player that ever lived. You see, although he was arguably the greatest player, he couldn’t win a championship for his first six years in the NBA.

Filing Final Tax Returns for the Deceased

Filing Final Tax Returns for the Deceased

by | Feb 27, 2022 |

When a family member passes away, there are many decisions that need to be made and many emotions to handle. The last thing anyone thinks about is taxes.

Unfortunately, even the deceased can’t escape taxation. If the departed family member earned taxable income during the year in which they died, then federal taxes may be owed. An executor or a survivor must, therefore, file a final federal income tax return (Form 1040).

Similarly, if the deceased individual had a sizable estate or assets that might generate income in the future, the estate may owe taxes. Federal estate tax forms pertaining to the decedent’s estate may need to be filed (Form 1041, Form 706).

3 Steps to Updating Your Estate Plan for New Parents

3 Steps to Updating Your Estate Plan for New Parents

by | Feb 27, 2022 |

By Marc C. Shaffer

My wife recently gave birth to our first child, a baby boy. Not only was he an infertility miracle in the making (that’s another financial story for another day!), but his birth also created the need for estate planning updates across the board.

Caring.com’s 2021 Wills and Estate Planning Study showed a promising statistic for young parents: In 2021, 18-34 year-olds are, for the first time, more likely to have a will than 35 – 54 year-olds. Bringing a child into the world means you’re responsible not just for keeping them alive and healthy each day, but for setting them up for success in the event that you’re not around to care for them any time in the future, which is where a strong estate plan comes into play. Here are three main steps to help you get started:

In Celebration of the Future

In Celebration of the Future

by | Jan 11, 2022 |

Dear Friends,

Over the years, we have met with you at kitchen tables, living rooms, and multiple offices across the country as you have shared successes, failures, joys and sorrows with us. More recently, we have also connected via conference calls, FaceTime and computer screen-share video meetings. My, how things have evolved over the 46 years Searcy Financial has been in business! We couldn’t have grown into the company we are today without your faith in our ability to listen, problem-solve and provide sound advice for each of your unique situations. We enjoy every opportunity we get to stand Where You Stand®, learn about your lives, and help you plan to make a difference. We do not take our relationships for granted and we never stop striving to improve to honor our commitment to you and your families. Our future is dedicated to you…

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