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Category Archives: Business Reports

Business Report: Long-term Care and Care Giver Considerations

Posted onDecember 18, 2023
Brian Johnson, Director, Business Development at Advisors Insurance Brokers.

Brian M. Johnson, MBA, CLTC

It’s no secret that Long-Term Care services such as In-Home Care, Assisted Living, Memory Care and Skilled Nursing can be financially devastating. Depending on the need, these costs can easily surpass $10,000-$15,000 per month.  The high cost means that not everyone will be able to get professional care. In those cases, who will provide care and what does that mean for those care providers? Today’s care environment is both a challenge for giving and receiving care. Whether by necessity or preference – care is often provided by loved ones (informal, unlicensed) at home.  

According to “Long-Term Care in America: Americans want to age at home” and a 2020 study by AARP, 88 percent of Americans would prefer to receive ongoing living assistance as they stay at home, 70 percent of people who provide care do so out of necessity, and 21 percent of Americans are currently caregivers.  As the Baby Boom generation ages, these numbers are only going to increase.  

According to “Caregiving in the U.S., AARP, 2020,” 36 percent of caregivers report high emotional stress and more than half of caregivers report financial strain from caregiving.  This includes an end or pause to saving for their own future, taking on more debt, using personal savings and paying bills late or sometimes not paying them at all.  In a 2018 report by the Harvard Business School, it’s estimated that if a caregiver is of working age, there is a 32 percent chance he or she will have to leave the workforce all together due to their caregiving responsibilities.  If a caregiver remains employed, his or her work often suffers as they are typically tired, stressed and not able to fully concentrate on their job.

So what are our solutions?  There’s no “silver bullet” here, but there are tools that can help Americans finance their potential need for care so they’re not a burden to those they love.  

Medicare and Medicaid

Pros: It’s a government funded program.   

Cons: The system is difficult to navigate and getting more restrictive.  Medicare generally only covers acute care on a short-term basis (less than 100-days). Medicaid typically pays for care in a nursing home and requires an individual to financially qualify.  

Read More

Business Report: Be Retirement Ready in 2024

Posted onDecember 18, 2023

BY DAVE KOPYC

Eventually in life we must face the reality of building out our own personal retirement plan for the golden years. We live in a society today where most of us will not have a pension benefit from our employer and we will have to take our life’s savings to create a paycheck once we lose the employer’s weekly or biweekly payment we receive in our working years.

For some of you that are reading this article it will send a chill up your spine with anxiety to think that this daunting task can be handled with great concern and respect for you, the individual that is receiving the payment and it is specific to you and your individual needs. The cookie cutter approach where you are grouped into an investment or specific type of investment program can cause you to lose some of the personal touch that you may have had during your accumulation years.

Retirement income distribution is probably the most important decision you will make in your pre- and post-retirement years. There have been many different strategies and concepts to accomplish retirement income in my 42 years of being in the financial services industry, and every strategy has pros and cons and should be specific to you and your family – no matter what the strategy may be. It is critical that 100 percent of your hard-earned assets do not go into any investment program. Diversification is your friend and low cost and flexibility follow closely behind.

For many years we have had very little opportunity in yields that are sufficient to pay your bills and protect your principal. That is not the case now and we have investments that exceed 5 percent as I write this article, and having money market accounts that are approximately the same rate with liquidity and flexibility to get to the assets. Risk assets was a choice that was selected by a lot of individuals because of the financial markets and the circumstances we were in with the Federal Reserve and the prolonged low interest rate environment. Most individuals that wanted safety and guarantees had very few choices, so they gravitated to risk assets. That is not the situation today and you need to be aware of the opportunities that exist.

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Business Report: Keeping Compliant: 4 Changes to 2024 Payroll

Posted onDecember 18, 2023
Martin Patrick, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is HR Consultant Practice Leader at GTM
HR Consulting, Inc.
Courtesy of GTM HR Consulting, Inc.

By Martin Patrick, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

As we approach the start of the new year, key updates to the way you manage your business payroll are on the horizon. Here’s a closer look at four of these changes and how they will affect both employers and employees.

1. Salary Threshold for Certain Wage Protections:

On March 13, 2024, the salary threshold for certain wage protections will increase from $900 to $1,300 per week. 

Right now, employers are exempt from some requirements when employing workers in executive, administrative, or professional capacities and whose earnings exceed $900 per week.

These include paying clerical or other workers “not less frequently than semi-monthly;” obtaining the advance, written consent of employees before paying wages via direct deposit; and being guilty of a misdemeanor for failing to provide benefits or wage supplements within 30 days after they are due.

The exemption from these requirements will now apply to employees with earnings that exceed $1,3000 per week.

Employers should review their current payroll practices and make any adjustments to help ensure compliance. For example, an employer could increase employee compensation to meet the new threshold or ensure that employees below the threshold are no longer exempt from these employer obligations.

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Business Report: NBT Analyst Highlights Economic Concerns

Posted onNovember 22, 2023
Kenneth J. Entenmann,chief investment officer & chief economist with NBT Bank.

By Paul Post 

The U.S. should have no trouble weathering a mild recession if one occurs, but inflation, a national labor shortage, and skyrocketing debt coupled with high interest rates are major causes for concern.

 That’s what a leading financial analyst told more than 200 people gathered for a recent Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce event at the Queensbury Hotel.

 Ken Entenmann is senior vice president, chief investment officer and chief economist for Norwich, N.Y.-based NBT Wealth Management. He holds a bachelor’s degree in applied economics and business management from Cornell University, an M.B.A. from the University of Rochester’s William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration, and oversees more than $9 billion in assets under management and administration in trust, custody, retirement, institutional and individual accounts.

 His presentation, supported by detailed graphics, was entitled, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?: Waiting for the Imminent Recession That Has Yet to Happen.”

 “Whether we have a recession or not, I don’t think is the relevant question,” Entenmann said. “Things are slowing, but because consumer and corporate balance sheets are relatively strong, I think we’ll weather a recession. I’m concerned because I think it’s fair to say Washington right now is dysfunctional, and the likelihood that they’re going to tackle some of the bigger problems like Medicaid and Social Security is small. Therefore, I think those problems are going to linger.”

 Since 2007, national debt has more than tripled from $9 trillion to $33 trillion.

 “Then the chickens came home to roost,” Entenman said.

 While debt was growing exponentially interest rates remained low, but have since gone up 550 basis points, meaning this year’s interest payments on debt will total about $800 billion and likely reach nearly $1 trillion in the next few years, or 8 percent of the federal budget.

 “Why is that important? Because it sucks the life out of an economy when all that money is going to pay off debt,” he said.

Read More

Business Report: Smart Tax Moves: Year-End Harvesting

Posted onNovember 22, 2023
Matthew Burnell, financial paraplanner, HK Wealth Management Group.

BY MATTHEW BURNELL

“It’s that time of the year, and I don’t mean just the holiday season, even more exciting it’s time for year end financial and tax planning! The following are some topics that you may want to discuss with your tax accountant or financial advisor.

One year end strategy is “tax loss harvesting”. You or your financial professional may be selling equities in non-retirement accounts throughout the year. If selling at a price higher than the purchase price, you have a capital gain on the sale which is taxed according to your income bracket and the amount of time the security was held. With the goal of reducing tax on capital gains, you can look to offset some of the gains by selling other securities in your portfolio that have a loss.

This should be done strategically considering the investment philosophy of your portfolio. Note, repurchasing the same or substantially identical security that you sold for a loss within thirty days, or the loss may be considered a “wash sale” and disallowed.

Now may also be a time to review your withholding on your salary heading into the new year. If you keep owing a large tax bill in April and would prefer to pay this over the course of the year instead, and if applicable reduce interest and penalties your withholding percentage may not be aligned with your income tax rate. For example, if your effective Federal Tax Rate is 25% and the withholding on your paystub is 15%, there is a 10% gap here and you will likely owe taxes in April if you have not been making estimated payments. You can adjust your withholding on form W4 provided by your employer.

Maxing out your retirement contributions is a way to reduce taxable income as well as save for retirement. If you are using a pre-tax plan such as a 401K or 403(B). The maximum contributions for 2023 to a 401K is $22,500 plus an extra $7,500 if over the age of fifty. For example, a client is over age 50 and earns $120,000. If they contribute $30,000 to a 401K that reduces taxable income (aside from FICA taxes) to $90,000 for the tax year. So, you have deferred taxes on this $30,000 as well as set aside money for retirement that can grow over time.

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Business Report: Year-End Tax Strategies For Business Owners

Posted onNovember 22, 2023
Megan Nelson, CPA at Whittemore, Downe & Ricciardelli, LLP..

By Megan Nelson, CPA

Business owners, whether a sole-proprietorship, partnership, S-Corporation or closely held C Corporation, should take the time before year end to assess their current financial situation.  First and foremost, make sure the books and records are up to date, reconciled and properly categorized so you have an accurate view of your financial picture.  No benefit is derived from tax planning based upon poor records.  Next, take some time to reflect on the past year, anticipate the remainder of the year and project ahead to next year. 

Most business owners are looking to minimize taxes, however avoiding taxes at all cost may not always result in keeping the most cash.  For example, buying something before year end for the sake of getting a deduction does typically result in lower taxes, but it can also result in a negative impact on cash flows, meaning  more dollars are spent than taxes saved and often doesn’t result in the best overall financial situation for the business.  On the other hand, spending money on necessary expenses or equipment that will help the business grow and be more effective/efficient might justify that impact on cash flows.  Or, if profits are up, it may make more sense to pay tax now and keep those after tax dollars to grow your business.

Keep in mind, tax planning shouldn’t be looked at based on a single year.  Consider your tax situation this year, but how might it compare to next year and the year after?  The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) became law in 2017 and lowered income taxes for almost everyone.  Personal income tax rates in effect today are scheduled to sunset at the end of 2025 and increase to what they were in 2017.  Under current law, the beginning of 2026 could find many taxpayers paying 3% to as much as 9% more in federal tax compared to the same income this year.  Maybe saving cash and postponing that equipment purchase is a better financial decision. 

If after looking at your current year income with consideration for few years, you decide it is beneficial to reduce current year income, here are some options to maximize deductions:

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Business Report: A Malaise Or A Meltdown?

Posted onOctober 12, 2023
Steven Luttman, broker/owner of SJ Lincoln Realty, host of The Expected Returns podcast.
Courtesy Steven Luttman

By Steven Luttman

Not all relationships are built to last. In the United States, roughly half of all marriages sadly end in divorce. While a decree marks the actual end, oftentimes discontent has been brewing long beforehand. 

This is not limited to personal relationships, as business ties often experience difficult periods as well. Despite changing economic conditions, large scale foreclosure activity has so far failed to materialize. It’s starting to appear however that within the world of commercial real estate, we are within the preceding interval of unease. 

Some $1.5 trillion of commercial real estate debt is set to mature before the end of 2025. Whereas residential real estate’s purpose is to provide shelter, commercial real estate is used for business or income-generating purposes. Malls, office towers and warehouses would all be classic examples. In a world of simultaneous low interest and vacancy rates, refinancing maturing debt is a non-issue. In 2023, things are very different. 

Over the past 18 months, the Federal Reserve has increased their Fed Funds Rate eleven times, from an effective rate of 0.08 percent in March 2022 to today’s 5.33 percent. This in turn has caused borrowing costs to rise throughout the economy, from credit cards for people like you and me to loan rates for businesses looking to expand. 

The result of this abrupt shift in monetary policy is that borrowers who originally obtained loans during the past 15 years of historically low borrowing costs are now faced with refinancing this maturing debt at levels which may turn a once profitable property into a money loser. In this case, securing new financing may not even be possible.  

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Business Report: Care For The Long Term

Posted onAugust 7, 2023
Brian M. Johnson, director, business development, Advisors Insurance Brokers. Courtesy Advisors Insurance Brokers

Brian M. Johnson, MBA, CLTC

When it comes to where and how you live, and what you do with your money, you want the freedom of choice and confidence that you’re making the right decisions. 

The same is true with your long-term care strategy, helping you set the stage for the future and the legacy you have planned.

Long-term care is quite simply assistance with simple everyday tasks, even as simple as eating or getting dressed. The need for care could arise from an accident, illness, cognitive impairment, or the aging process. You may never need it. 

But, the best time to start thinking about it is before the need arises and while you’re still able to take control. Many Americans work hard, save diligently for retirement, yet fail to address the single biggest risk to their portfolio and families: extended healthcare. 

When it comes to long-term care, do not be swayed by common misconceptions such as: 

• “It won’t happen to me.”

People unrealistically downplay their personal risk. Seventy-nine percent of people put off discussions about long-term care, but 98 percent of financial professionals say they have clients who have needed it. In fact, being healthy presents even a higher risk of needing long-term care services than someone who is managing chronic a condition.

• “Medicare or Medicaid will cover me.”

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Business Report: Still Fighting The Fed

Posted onAugust 7, 2023
Kenneth J. Entenmann, chief investment officer at NBT Wealth Management.

by Kenneth J. Entenmann, CFA

One of the oldest Wall Street adages is “Don’t Fight the Fed.” 

In general, it means when the Fed is raising interest rates, accept that they are and adjust accordingly. The most of the first half of 2023, the markets have not followed that guidance, constantly rejecting the Fed’s every move. The market convinced itself that the Fed’s rate hikes would cause a recession, unemployment would spike, and inflation would come crashing down. The Fed would have to capitulate on its tightening policy activity.

Money flowed into money market and fixed income funds. Money market funds with 5 percent annual yields were attractive and bonds were back. Everyone loved bonds. Yet, year-to-date, the aggregate bond index is up only 2.46 percent. That would be considered good if a recession did in fact occur, but it did not, at least not yet. Equities are supposed to be toxic heading into a recession and most of Wall Street entered 2023 significantly underweight. Six months into the year, the S&P 500 index was up 9.65 percent and the NASDAQ was up over 30 percent. So much for the hated asset class.

The economy continues to lumber on. No recession, but languishing growth. Manufacturing is clearly in recession. Housing is coming to life; the housing shortage is overwhelming higher mortgage rates; the consumer sector remains on fire. A mixed bag, but not a recession.

The employment market continues to be dysfunctional. In June, the unemployment rate was 3.6 percent. The non-farm payrolls were 209,000, less than the 240,000. Importantly, the average hourly earnings were 0.4 percent, higher than expected. It is good news that the payroll numbers have returned to a more sustainable level around 200,000. 

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Business Report: Real-World Scenarios To Apply AI In Business

Posted onJuly 10, 2023
Mark Shaw, president and CEO of Stored Technology Solutions Inc. (StoredTech).

By Mark Shaw

Oh look, another article on AI (artificial intelligence.)

Ok, I promise this won’t be one of those, “AI is here and it’s going to take your job, help you cheat on college papers, or end the world” kind of articles.

There is a lot going on with ChatGPT and its parent company OpenAI making such waves in the news. People are using AI to gather information faster, assist with writing better articles, and even creating art.

While all of this is amazing and it’s interesting to “play” with, what are some real-world scenarios that you can apply AI to use in your business? That is a great question. Far too many articles go for the big hype instead of the small and incremental successes you can have with AI.

Let’s talk about something that isn’t really being talked about when it comes to AI: customer delight. How do you use AI to delight your customers?

If you are a business and you have emails, ticketing systems, or any interaction with your clients electronically, you could be using AI several ways. For example, what if you could have AI review your emails, and if you have a client who appears to be unhappy or showing concerns, your computer would highlight and bring those emails to the forefront to be dealt with first? Would that be an advantage?

AI can be used to review “sentiment” which means, reviewing the use of language to make a determination if someone is upset, or using terms that might make them be at risk of leaving your company or services. This would let you see these emails first and respond quickly.

That isn’t the only way to increase the value to your clients. Imagine receiving an email from a client asking questions about your products or services that they are interested in, or maybe even a problem they are having. AI could do the research and document anything relevant about the clients request in a private note document, saving you the manual research and time. This allows you to get back to them faster with more accurate information.

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