This year, most people have been stressed (in time, and also cognitively and emotionally as well) more than ever before at home and work. After our busiest spring on record helping clients, we recently brainstormed the best techniques we use internally for staying on track professionally right now: Read the rest of this entry »
4 Steps for Better Emotional Health During Times of Stress
As people all across the world are working to adjust to the unprecedented events that have unfolded over the past weeks, we thought it may help to share some practices we personally follow to help ourselves remain grounded and be present in our interactions with you, our clients during such difficult times.
We as individuals and as a nation are currently dealing with two contagions: first, the coronavirus outbreak itself, and second, the emotions that come along with it. It has been commonly reported that negative emotions are just as contagious as a virus. Read the rest of this entry »
Actions We’re Taking Following Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Clients and Partners,
As we all navigate the outbreak of the Coronavirus together, I wanted to share what’s important to us, what we’ve done, and what we’re doing.
What’s Important to Us
The health and wellbeing of everyone we work with informs our decision-making. Our clients trust us with their life’s savings, but also to be a partner in their journey for so much more. We value this relationship deeply, and we also feel a great sense of responsibility to do things that support the needs of those around us.
There are parts of our population that are particularly vulnerable to this virus, and we intend to do everything in our power to prevent the spread of the virus, or slow its progression.
Simultaneously, we see our partnership with our clients as a valuable relationship, and we intend to do everything necessary to ensure we’re available and ready to help you for everything ahead, financially, emotionally, and for your health otherwise. Read the rest of this entry »
Military Tax Break for Nebraska Residents
Nebraska offers a wonderful tax break opportunity for retired military members, and is one we commonly use with clients of our Omaha and Lincoln financial advisors.
Military retirees may be eligible to reduce Nebraska income taxes on their military retirement benefits by filing Form 1040N-MIL.
This tax break is available for retired military members who served active duty in any branch of the military, in the National Guard, or as Reservists. For families where both spouses are military members, a Form 1040N-MIL must be filed for each military retiree. Also important to note, Form 1040N-MIL must be filed within two years after the date of separation. Read the rest of this entry »
Nebraska 4797N – Special Capital Gains Election for Tax-Free Stock Sales
The Nebraska Special Capital Gains/Extraordinary Dividend Election, elected and claimed on Form 4797N, can provide a substantial tax break for employees who acquire company stock over their years of employment. This election allows employees who own stock in their employer, or former employer, to exclude that stock’s capital gains income from their Nebraska taxable income under certain circumstances.
More and more employers are offering stock purchase plans and stock-based compensation to their employees, which can make for an excellent opportunity to avoid state income tax on capital gains from the sale of a stock in Nebraska. Some questions to consider if you (or your company) might benefit from this rare opportunity in Nebraska tax law:
- Does your employer offer an employee stock purchase program?
- Do you receive employee stock grants from your employer?
- Do you own stock in and work for your own company?
- Did you know that Nebraska offers tax breaks for these situations?
How to Find the Best Financial Advisor Recommended for Your Situation
The financial advice field is a bit convoluted, but this guide can help.
Financial Advisor Fees/Costs
First, there’s how you pay for advice. All financial advice has a cost, but sometimes it’s explicit (e.g., you can see it), and sometimes it’s only implicit (e.g., it’s embedded inside a financial product, and what you’re paying is not easily visible).
Most financial advisors today describe themselves as fee-based advisors. Legally, this means they can (and generally do) perform their activities in two ways: they earn a commission on certain product sales, and a fee on certain investments. The title is a bit misleading in this way, but the moniker persists.
We think this creates a conflict of interest: it often causes (even if only subconsciously) the financial advisor to recommend things that pay them the best compensation over what is in the client’s best interest.
Because of this inherent conflict, a special sub-set of financial advisor was born: the fee-only financial advisor. We recommend anyone seeking financial advice only work with a fee-only advisor.
A national organization lists and ensures fee-only compliance for all of its members; it’s called the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), and it has an online directory of all of its members. So, for example, you can search for a list of all the fee-only financial advisors in Omaha, NE or the San Francisco, CA Bay Area (cities where we have offices).
Assistance After Your Farm Or Ranch Floods
Recent natural disasters have caused significant damage to property, and there may be resources available to those affected.
For those who have been impacted, programs and resources are available through the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to assist farmers and ranchers as they work to recover from the impact of these events.