Broker Check

Blog

Changes in tax laws, estate planning and insurance regulations and the general fluctuations in the marketplace can affect your investment strategies.  Our blog will keep you current on everything you need to know to pursue your financial objectives.  

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Long-term care planning is becoming one of the most important and most uncomfortable conversations in high-net-worth retirement planning. Families who have spent decades building wealth often assume they can simply self-fund care if...

Monday, March 30, 2026

For many high-income business owners and paid board members, the frustration is familiar. Year after year, income grows but the traditional tools available to shelter that income do not keep pace. Even with a well-designed 401(k) and...

Friday, February 27, 2026

Life insurance is often one of the largest financial assets an affluent family owns and yet it is frequently the least reviewed and neglected.According to industry research, more than 60% of U.S. life insurance policy owners don’t know...

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Walk into any meeting of high-net-worth families, whether with attorneys, accountants, or investment advisors, and you’ll see a familiar pattern. If the conversation turns to aging parents, long-term care, or the practical realities of...

Friday, December 26, 2025

Most people are wrong about how long they’ll live. And it’s quietly challenging the math. Healthy, successful couples in their 50s, 60s and 70s are making big decisions about retirement, investment risk, gifting, philanthropy and life...

Show All

Monday, November 24, 2025

If you’ve ever said, “Please keep the beach house in the family,” or “Don’t sell the art – we’ve curated it for decades,” you’ve already articulated the core of endowing your wishes: leaving heirs both the instructions and the...

Monday, October 27, 2025

Retiring before 65 can be both liberating and unforgiving. You’re giving yourself more healthy, active years to enjoy, but you’re also stretching the period your accumulated wealth must support you without depleting wealth transfer...

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

On July 4, 2025, while most Americans were enjoying fireworks, Congress passed what may be the most impactful piece of tax legislation in a generation: the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). This sweeping reform touches nearly every...

Monday, August 25, 2025

Estate planning for high-net-worth families often defies simple templates, especially when significant portions of wealth are tied up in illiquid assets such as a private business, real estate, fine art, or collectibles. When some...

Monday, July 28, 2025

In the closely held business landscape, successful transitions of ownership are rarely about just the numbers. Emotional attachments, valuation disagreements, and succession complexities often turn promising transactions into stalled...

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

It is not a stretch to claim that economic volatility seems to be the new normal, leading high-net-worth (HNW) individuals and their advisors to increasingly seek solutions which go beyond traditional investment models. At Cedar Point...

Friday, May 30, 2025

Selling your business can be one of the most rewarding moments in your career—an achievement reflecting years, if not decades, of hard work. Yet this pivotal milestone also brings complex financial considerations. Beyond simply...

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

The financial planning landscape for women is unique, shaped by longer life expectancies, caregiving responsibilities, and economic shifts due to widowhood or divorce. Despite these factors, women remain underinsured compared to men....

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

The passage of the SECURE Act 2.0 introduced significant changes to retirement planning, impacting how affluent individuals manage their qualified retirement plan assets. While these reforms aim to enhance retirement savings, they also...

Friday, February 21, 2025

Life insurance is often misunderstood, leading many to postpone purchasing coverage that could provide vital financial security for their families and businesses. Myths about cost, value, complexity, and eligibility prevent many from...

Monday, January 27, 2025

Estate planning is as much about distributing financial assets as it is about preserving family harmony. When determining how to pass on your legacy, one of the most significant challenges is deciding whether to allocate your estate...

Monday, December 23, 2024

January Blog – Cedar Point Financial Services LLC When the Unexpected Strikes: Protecting Wealth Through Thoughtful Incapacity Planning “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” – John F. Kennedy. President John Kennedy...

Monday, November 25, 2024

Life insurance is often an overlooked asset, representing the largest unmanaged financial resource that many clients possess. Countless individuals continue to pay premiums on policies long after the original need for coverage has been...

Monday, October 21, 2024

The increasing cost of long-term care is a major concern for many Americans. According to Genworth's 2023 Cost of Care Survey, the expense of long-term care services has continued to rise across all provider types. The most significant...

Friday, September 20, 2024

Warren Buffett recognized the importance of planning and taking action now to benefit future generations when he famously said, "Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago." For individuals with...

Monday, August 26, 2024

Life insurance companies in the United States are increasingly developing formal programs to address the unique planning, structural, and tax needs of foreign national clients seeking U.S. life insurance. The U.S. life insurance...

Friday, July 26, 2024

Following the Supreme Court’s recent decision in the Connelly case, Cedar Point Financial Services LLC urges business owners with existing entity-redemption arrangements to seek assistance in evaluating these structures. In its recent...

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

It is well-known that the interest rate environment has changed dramatically over the past three years. Specifically, for those who took out loans that renew each year, the rising interest rates can be a sticker shock. This is...

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Life insurance is a cornerstone of financial security for families and businesses. “It is purchased to provide protection, to deliver income, and to pay for any number of liabilities that may include living expenses, estate taxation,...

Monday, April 22, 2024

The world of life insurance has undergone a profound transformation, particularly with the advent and advancement of accelerated underwriting (AU). Once an emerging concept, accelerated underwriting has swiftly become the preferred...

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Split-dollar life insurance offers a wide range of versatile applications that can benefit both employers and individuals seeking to secure their financial future. While split-dollar plans are commonly established to reward key...

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Gray divorce, also known as the “Silver Split,” is skyrocketing among aging Baby Boomers.  An analysis of divorce data from 1990 to 2021, released in July 2023 by Bowling Green State University’s National Center...

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Marriage brings a myriad of financial and estate planning considerations, especially in situations where there is a significant age gap between spouses.  According to the most recent census data, May-December romances, or age-gap...

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

The Final Countdown:  Time is running out to use your current gift tax exemption before changes take effect!  In the ever-changing landscape of estate planning, the current federal estate and gift tax exemption offers a...

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

For many affluent individuals, retirement planning is not merely about ensuring a comfortable future, but also about preserving wealth for generations to come.  Before the SECURE Act came into play in 2019, there existed a...

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Building generational wealth is a long-term goal that can be achieved through careful planning and execution.  One way to start building generational wealth is to give adult children an early inheritance.  For many affluent...

Friday, August 25, 2023

Interest rates remain on the rise, and the Federal Reserve has signaled that more hikes could be on the way.  This means it will be at least two years before rates might decline.  What does this mean for estate...

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

When it comes to life insurance, the decision between permanent cash value life insurance and term life insurance can be a perplexing one.  While term life insurance may seem like an attractive option due to its affordability,...

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILITs) offer individuals a powerful tool to protect their assets, provide for their loved ones, and efficiently transfer wealth to future generations. This type of trust combines the benefits of life...

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Many advisors are finding that their clients are not alone in failing to create an estate plan. Only 34% of adults in the U.S. have an estate plan, according to an October 2022 survey by D.A. Davidson & Co.  In contrast,...

Thursday, April 20, 2023

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act 2.0 was signed into law on Dec. 26, 2022, as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.  SECURE Act 2.0 (“Act”) made significant changes to...

Thursday, March 9, 2023

In January, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a new rule that will likely be made final and will effectively prohibit non-compete agreements other than in very limited circumstances.  The proposed rule, which...

Monday, January 30, 2023

According to the economic research firm, ITR Economics, out of approximately 77 million baby boomers in the United States, an estimated 12 million have ownership in privately held businesses.  Roughly 10,000 baby boomers reach...

Friday, January 6, 2023

Life insurance has long been a tried-and-true tool for protecting businesses against economic losses that can occur when a key person leaves the business.  As a tax-efficient funding mechanism, businesses also take advantage of...

Friday, December 16, 2022

The majority of savings tools Americans rely upon to accumulate funds for future income are tax-inefficient – either during establishment, during the accumulation phase, or at distribution.  Figuring out where and how to...

Monday, November 21, 2022

Enacted in 1935, the Social Security Act was intended to pay retired workers aged 65 and over a continuing income.  Back then, the average expected lifespan of women was 64 years and, for men, 60 years.  Very few qualified...

Friday, October 14, 2022

401(k) plans have become the standard for companies to help their employees save for retirement; however, the rules for participating present challenges for the owners and other executives of businesses who usually meet the definition...

Friday, September 23, 2022

It has been more than two and a half years since presidential candidate Joe Biden released his tax plans, leading to uncertainty around personal tax rates as well as several common estate planning strategies and structures. ...

Monday, August 22, 2022

Interest rates are climbing, and this has consumers studying the returns on their investments as well as the impact on their spending.  The impact of rising interest rates can be directly correlated to the performance of many...

Monday, July 18, 2022

You are financially well off and have children – possibly even grandchildren – to whom you plan on passing a legacy. You understand that planning for the future is essential if you want to protect your legacy from erosion...

Monday, June 20, 2022

Renowned artist Pablo Picasso said, “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”  Giving to your community can provide many benefits and opportunities, both to the charitable...

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Monday, April 25, 2022

Thursday, March 24, 2022

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Thursday, November 25, 2021

Saving enough for retirement is increasingly difficult. The amount you can contribute to employer-sponsored qualified plans is limited and access to those funds is not only subject to income taxes, but before age 59 ½, it is...

Friday, October 22, 2021

It is likely you will need long term care. According to 2020 statistics from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Agency on Aging, turning age 65 today has an almost 70% probability of needing some type of long term...

Monday, September 27, 2021

You want to attract and retain top talent. So does your competition. But sometimes competitive cash compensation is not enough. Top leaders expect an executive benefit package that goes beyond salary and bonus potential. Here are four...

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Thanks to a new law, the IRS has made it even more compelling to use cash value life insurance to save for the future. In December 2020, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 that changed the way the IRS defines...

Monday, June 28, 2021

A Review Will Tell You If Your Life Insurance Policy Is on Track. Your life insurance policy fit your needs when you purchased it, but as your life and other things have changed, it may no longer fit, creating gaps in coverage. Here...

Friday, December 4, 2020