The Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law in January 2025. It repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), which had previously reduced Social Security benefits for public sector workers receiving pensions from non-Social Security-covered employment. Beginning in April 2025, public servants (teachers, firefighters, police officers) will begin seeing an increase in their monthly benefit payments. Learn more about the possible tax implications of the Social Security Fairness Act.
Whether you’re excited about diving into Bitcoin or exploring the vast range of altcoins, understanding the essentials of buying, storing, and protecting your digital assets is crucial. Here we break down the steps to safely purchase your first cryptocurrency, explore the different options for securely storing it, and provide you with practical tips on how to keep your crypto safe from theft or loss.
As we say goodbye to 2024 and welcome 2025, it’s the perfect time to reflect on where we’ve been and set the stage for where we want to go. The beginning of the year is all about starting strong. This is your chance to set priorities, take decisive action, and create momentum for the months ahead. Here are five actions we recommend to help you start 2025 with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Cryptocurrency has garnered significant attention in recent years, becoming a hot topic of discussion in both financial circles and politics. But what exactly is it? And how does it work? Learn more about this digital currency and why it matters in today's financial landscape.
Generally-speaking, any asset with a directly named beneficiary is excluded from the probate process, such as 401(k)s, IRAs, life insurance policies, investment accounts with a transfer-on-death (TOD) registration, and bank accounts with a payable-on-death (POD) registration. In the event one of these account-types fails to name a beneficiary, that account would be transferred through the probate process. There are also key advantages to using a trust to avoid probate. Learn more.
More and more women are
becoming proactive when it comes to their financial futures, whether
they find themselves suddenly without “a ring on it” or simply choose to
maintain their independent lifestyle. Whatever the case, financial planning for a single woman differs from
couples in a variety of ways due to income dynamics, financial
responsibilities, and life goals. It’s important for single women to be
aware and to understand these factors that affect their financial plan
and future retirement. Learn more.
Being an empty nester can be an emotional rollercoaster. Early on, I found myself still wanting to support my kids both emotionally and financially. That’s our calling, right? But now, a few years removed from my youngest child going off on his own after grad school, I’m proud to say I’ve struck the right balance between supporting my kids in any way they need and sitting back to let them figure it out.
We all know parenting presents so many challenges and joys along the way. I have always appreciated that journey — watching them develop into the individuals they have become. I always thought becoming an empty nester would mean I would have a lesser role in their lives, but that’s not really the case. It’s just a different role. Learn more
Fall is by far my favorite season. One reason why is because it's the time of year we, at McKinley Carter, begin
our budgeting and outlook planning for the upcoming year. It is a time
for us to assess progress, address things that need attention, and make
adjustments as needed. We use what we have learned to help make
decisions that put us in the best position to succeed, so that we can
continue to do the work we love with clients and our community. We have similar conversations with our clients ― talking through
year-end strategies to help them finish strong and be best-prepared for
the year ahead. Knowing they have a sound financial plan to act on
allows our clients to spend more time focusing on the things that
provide them with meaning and purpose, a real return on life. Find out what five actions we like to discuss with clients to help them finish out the year in a strong, impactful way.
