It’s The Chrysalis Have you noticed? there’s a metamorphosis going on in symphony woods. it’s the chrysalis, the first of a series of the inner arbor trust’s* functional art elements for the park. What has started to take shape is… Read More
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Business Succesion Planning
- December 27th, 2016
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By Brian Macmillan Managing Director Mergers and Acquisitions When developing a succession plan for your business, you must make many decisions. Should you sell your business or give it away? Should you structure your plan to go into effect during… Read More
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Tax Planning For the Self-Employed
- December 27th, 2016
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Self-employment is the opportunity to be your own boss, to come and go as you please, and oh yes, to establish a lifelong bond with your accountant. If you’re self-employed, you’ll need to pay your own FICA taxes and take… Read More
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Exchange-Traded Funds: Do They Belong in Your Portfolio
- December 27th, 2016
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by Joseph Caputo Chief Information Officer & Associate Portfolio Manager Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have become increasingly popular since they were introduced in the United States in the mid-1990s. Their tax efficiency and relatively low cost have attracted investors who like… Read More
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Caring for Your Aging Parents
- December 27th, 2016
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By Chris Kelly CPA, CFP®, M. ACCY Financial Advisor and Portfolio Manager Caring for your aging parents is something you hope you can handle when the timecomes, but it’s the last thing you want tothink about. Whether the time… Read More
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Why Use a Professional Trustee?
- December 27th, 2016
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by Joseph Manfredi MBA Chief Operating Officer / Senior Portfolio Manager You use bwfa for professional financial planning, investment management, and or tax services- Why not include professional trust services to your important financial advisory services? When would you consider… Read More
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Planning For Retirement
- December 27th, 2016
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Thad Ismart CFP© Senior Financial Planner If you’re a decade or so away from retirement, you’ve probably spent at least some time thinking about this major life change. How will you manage the transition? Will you travel, take up a… Read More
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Ancestry DNA
- December 27th, 2016
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by Robert G.Carpenter President & CEO For my 50th birthday, my wife gave me an Ancestry DNA test. I had a general knowledge of the more recent branches of my family tree, but was always curious about discovering more. My… Read More
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Will vs. Trust: Is One Better Than the Other?
- December 27th, 2016
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By Robert G. Carpenter President & CEO When it comes to planning your estate, you might be wondering whether you should use a will or a trust (or both). Understanding the similarities and the differences between these two important documents… Read More
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Summer Adventures
- September 28th, 2016
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By: Rob Carpenter | President & CEO Alltrails App My wife and I reached two wonderful milestones this year—we each turned 50 years old and also celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. We marked the occasions by traveling to Maui this… Read More
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Starting or Buying a Business
- September 28th, 2016
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By: Brian MacMillan | Managing Director, Mergers and Acquisitions Start-ups If you are planning on building your business from the ground up, you are taking a bigger risk than if you were buying an existing business or a franchise. Existing… Read More
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Am I Having Enough Withheld?
- September 28th, 2016
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By: Susan Horne | MST | Tax Advisor Form W-4 helps you determine the proper withholding amount Two factors determine the amount of income tax that your employer withholds from your regular pay: the amount you earn and the information… Read More
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Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage or Invest?
- September 28th, 2016
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By Chris Kelly | CPA, CFP®, M. ACCY | Financial Advisor and Portfolio Manager Owning a home outright is a dream that many Americans share. Having a mortgage can be a huge burden, and paying it off may be the… Read More
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Housing Options for Older Individuals
- September 28th, 2016
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By Joesph Manfredi | MBA Chief Operating Office, Senior Portfolio Manager As clients at BWFA enter retirement years, they begin to contemplate how their housing needs may change. Maybe you’ll get tired of doing yard work. You might want to retire… Read More
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Closing a Retirement Income Gap
- September 26th, 2016
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By: Thad Ismart | CFP® Senior Financial Planner When you determine how much income you’ll need in retirement, you may base your projection on the type of lifestyle you plan to have and when you want to retire. However, as you… Read More
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How Much Annual Income Can Your Retirement Portfolio Provide?
- September 23rd, 2016
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By: Rob Carpenter | President & CEO Your retirement lifestyle will depend not only on your assets and investment choices, but also on how quickly you draw down your retirement portfolio. The annual percentage that you take out of your… Read More
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BWFA Portfolio Statements-A New Look
- July 1st, 2016
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By Meghan Manas | Director, Client Services After much careful consideration and deliberation, we have revamped the client portfolio statements that clients receive in BWFA quarterly mailings. Based on feedback and suggestions from clients and members of BWFA’s Client Advisory… Read More
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Community Spotlight; Mannequart 2016 Sculptural Art Competition
- July 1st, 2016
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The 4th annual manneqart sculptural artworks competition now underway in howard county, has once again attracted amazing “sculpture on the human form” from around the u.s. This year’s competition features new artworks from 20+ states, including pieces created for New Zealand’s… Read More
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Nearing Retirement?
- June 27th, 2016
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By Robert Carpenter | President & CEO If you’re within 10 years of retirement, you’ve probably spent some time thinking about this major life change. The transition to retirement can seem a bit daunting, even overwhelming. If you find yourself… Read More
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Selling Your Business to Another Corporation
- June 27th, 2016
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By Brian MacMillan | Managing Director Once you have decided to sell your business, one of your most important jobs will be finding a buyer and getting the best possible deal. A merger & acquisition advisor can help you evaluate different kinds of potential buyers… Read More
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Estate, Gift, and GST Taxation and Trusts
- June 27th, 2016
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HOW ARE TRUSTS TREATED FOR FEDERAL ESTATE, GIFT, AND GST TAX PURPOSES? A trust is created when you (the grantor) transfer property to a trustee for the benefit of a third person (the beneficiary). The act of transferring property to a trust is generally treated no… Read More
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Growth and Value: Investments that May Appeal to Millennials
- June 27th, 2016
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Whether an investor calls himself a value or a growth investor, both the business’ growth potential and its valuation are always relevant. When seeking appropriate investments for client portfolios, the valuation of the applicable security is always assessed. However, the company’s potential for growth factors into the determination… Read More
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Investor, Know Thyself: How your Biases Can Affect Investment Decisons
- June 27th, 2016
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By Joesph Manfredi | MBA Chief Operating Office, Senior Portfolio Manager Traditional economic models are based on a simple premise: people make rational financial decisions that are designed to maximize their economic benefits. In reality, however, most humans don’t make decisions based on a sterile analysis… Read More
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The Rule of 72 — Finally, a Rule our Kids Will Love!
- June 27th, 2016
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By Chris Kelly | CPA, CFP®, M. ACCY Financial Advisor and Portfolio Manager It all began in 1988, the year of my 13th birthday, the year in which I was finally allowed to crack open my first ever piggy bank. This was no ordinary piggy bank…. Read More
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Establishing a Financial Safety Net
- June 27th, 2016
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By Thad Ismart | CFP® Senior Financial Planner In times of crisis, you do not want to be shaking pennies out of a piggy bank. Having a financial safety net in place can ensure that you are protected when a financial emergency arises. One way… Read More