Category Archives: Financial Planning / Investments

Retirement Planning Group LLC Opens Satellite Office At 86 Glen St. In Glens Falls

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David M. Kopyc, CRPC, is president of Retirement Planning Group LLC.
Courtesy Retirement Planning Group LLC

By Jill Nagy
Retirement Planning Group LLC recently opened an office in Glens Falls in the NBT Bank building at 86 Glen St.
For now, it is a satellite office. The main office is in Saratoga Springs and there is another office in Albany. However, company president David M. Kopyc expects the Glens Falls office to grow and soon become the company’s main office.
He sees “great opportunity in Glens Falls,” he said.
Kopyc is looking for “seasoned investment professionals” to add to the firm’s staff. He expects to spend an increasing proportion of his time in Glens Falls.. His Clifton Park home is on the market and Kopyc expects to make a vacation home in Lake George his primary residence.
Company clients are located all over the country, Kopyc said, but primarily in the Capital District, with growing numbers in the North Country.

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Business Report: Tools Great For Father’s Day And Investors

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Meghan Murray is a financial advisor with Edward Jones Financial in Queensbury.

By Meghan Murray
If you’re a dad, you may well be pleased to unwrap some tools as Father’s Day gifts. Of course, it might be a stereotype that all men are handy at repairs; women certainly can be every bit as good when it comes to building and fixing things.
In fact, the construction process is valuable for anyone to learn – and the same skills that go in to creating and mending physical objects also can be applied to financial projects – such as working toward a comfortable retirement.
Here are a few of those skills:
Diagnosing the challenge.
A good craftsperson knows that the first step toward accomplishing any outcome is to assess the challenge. So, for example, if you want to build some bookshelves right into the wall, you’ll need to locate the wall studs, determine if you have adequate space for the shelving you want and allow room for future expansion.

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Business Report: The Right Health Insurance For Your Needs

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Stephen Kyne, CFP, partner at Sterling Manor Financial in Saratoga Springs.

By Stephen Kyne, CFP
Life insurance can be an important part of your financial plan, but do you know what kind of insurance is right for your needs? Insurance comes in many forms, and many people have the wrong type of insurance, and aren’t insuring their need in an efficient way. That means they may be needlessly overspending.
There are two basic types of life insurance: permanent and term. We’ll discuss each of these, how they may be best used, and how not to use them.
Term insurance is temporary, and is intended to cover a temporary need. You can buy a policy which covers a duration from one to forty years. These policies typically include a level premium for the duration of the policy, so they are easy to budget since the premium will not increase during the term.

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Business Report: Good Financial Habits Linked To Happiness

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David Cumming, senior vice president and financial advisor, Morgan Stanley.

By David L. Cumming

From record-breaking stock market returns to falling unemployment, the U.S. has no shortage of positive economic indicators, and the majority of investors say they feel confident about achieving both their short- and long-term goals, according to the latest Morgan Stanley Investor Pulse Poll, which surveyed more than 1,200 investors age 25 to 75 with over $100,000 in assets. 

About one in four (29 percent)—or 36 million—U.S. households fall into this category.

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Businesses Should Sit Down With Advisors To Review Portfpolios And Examine Strategies

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Dale L. Mullin of Whittemore, Dowen & Ricciardelli LLP in Queensbury.
Courtesy Whittemore, Dowen & Ricciardelli LLP

By Jill Nagy

“More than in recent years, there is a need to take a look at the tax impact” when making investment decisions, said Dale Mullin, a certified financial planner with WDR Financial LLC, and a certified public accountant with the accounting firm of Whittemore, Dowen & Ricciardelli LLP, both located in Queensbury. 

New, mostly lower, tax rates and new provisions for tax deductions and credits will have an impact on investments in a business, decisions about taking distributions from taxable retirement accounts and decisions about allocating business proceeds between salary, pass-through income and investment in equities. 

Mullin said interest rates are beginning to rise and inflation is becoming a possibility. Those factors might indicate that this is a good time to make investments in equipment in order to lock in lower prices and lower interest rates. 

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Business Report: Don’t Let Investments ‘Go On Vacation’

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Meghan Murray, financial advisor, Edward Jones Financial in Queensbury.

By Meghan Murray

Summer is here – and so is vacation season. Americans spend a lot on their summer getaways—more than $100 billion in 2017 alone, as reported in Travel and Leisure magazine. 

When you hit the road, you will enjoy getting away from your regular tasks, but there’s one part of your life that should never take a break—your investments.

To keep your investments working consistently and efficiently for you, consider these suggestions:

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Small Business Owners Should Consider Accelerating Expenses, Delaying Receipts

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Robert Ricciardelli, a CPA and partner at Whittemore, Dowen & Ricciardelli, says a company about to make large investments in a plant or equipment should get a cost segregation study done.
Photo by Jesse Winters

By Jill Nagy

Despite uncertainty about the fate of the U.S. tax code,  advice from accountants for year-end tax planning remains similar to what it has always been: Try to accelerate expenses and delay receipts.

If anything, the prospect of possible reductions in tax rates and the elimination of some tax deductions, gives greater credence to that advice.

“There are a lot of unknowns,” said James E. Amell, a CPA in the Queensbury office of Marvin & Co. He expects corporate tax rates to come down but predicts that the Republicans in Congress will not make radical changes.

“They want some durability in what they do,” he said. “They don’t want to see everything changed again when the control of Congress changes.”

Robert Ricciardelli, a CPA and partner at Whittemore, Dowen & Ricciardelli, also in Queensbury, agreed. “It looks like something is going to get done,” he said. “It is tough to plan.”

Defer income, he advised, “even more so than usual.”

Deferring income until 2018 also defers the taxes on that income, possibly into a year when rates are lower. “Hold off on some of you billing,” Amell said.

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Business Report: Savings Plan Options

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Kevin M. Hedley is a partner with Hedley & Co. PLLC.

By Kevin Hedley

As Congress and the White House debate tax plans, there have been much discussed changes to the traditional 401(k) plan. The proposed plan to adjust the maximum limit for contributions has been tabled but we still have a long way to go before we have a tax plan in place.

That does lead to the questions—What are the limits for various retirement plans and what are some options for a small business owner to save for retirement?

Depending on your immediate and long term goals there are plenty of options. There are defined benefit plans, Defined contribution plans and other retirement savings plans such as SEPS, SIMPLES and IRAs to name a few. All of these plans allow a deduction from current income if a contribution is made according to the respective plan terms. The differences between them include the amount of contribution and the costs of administering each plan.

Benefits are paid from these plans in most cases at retirement, death, disability, or separation from service. Distributions from plans that do not fall into one of the allowed categories are also subject to penalty ranging from 10 percent to 25 percent.

Under a defined benefit plan, an employer makes annual contributions to the plan to provide each participant with a set benefit at retirement. Contributions to the plan are actuarially determined, and the plan can be integrated with social security. An integrated plan reduces the contribution for the lowest-paid employees and still allows for a significant contribution on behalf of the owner and key executives. Benefits under the plan are fixed using a definite formula. Typically, the formula expresses the benefits in one of the following ways:

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Advice For New Business Ventures: Be Sure There Is Cash On Hand To Keep Things Afloat

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Paul Dowen is a managing partner of Whittemore, Dowen and Ricciardelli LLP.
Courtesy Whittemore, Dowen and Ricciardelli, LLP

By Jennifer Farnsworth

The best advice Paul Dowen, a managing partner of Whittemore, Dowen and Ricciardelli, LLP in Queensbury, can give to business owners is pretty simple: Have cash. 

Dowen said the number one thing he tells small business owners, or those looking to open a small business is have enough cash in a reserve.

“I tell people just starting up—hoard your cash, be prepared,” said Dowen.

Dowen said when starting a business, people  should not be undercapitalized. They need to figure out how quickly cash can be generated. He recommended having enough cash to live on for three months, so that until a person can be solvent before collecting the first paycheck as a small business owner.

“If you don’t have that, then it is best to wait on the startup,”said Dowen.

For current business owners, he gives similar advice. He warns against purchasing things that won’t help generate a cash flow. Most banks are happy to finance equipment for small business owners, especially items that will enhance the business and generate more equity.

Dowen also advises to have a business plan in writing to serve as a guide to short- and long-term goals. It should be a clear plan that addresses sources of income and the demographics of target customers. Businesses need to know who they are marketing to, because it will greatly affect cash flow.

“That is how you will grow  and make money. Ninety five percent of businesses fail because of cash flow,” said Dowen.

Dowen recommended using marketing tools like social media to tap into potential customers. Once that research is done, look to find ways to finance the business. Save as much as possible and make sure the venture can afford to lose money if things don’t go as planned.

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