Gartenhaus Financial - Estate Planning & Family Protection

Your financial management needs, like your family, are a dynamic, living thing—a work in progress. As your family grows and evolves, so should the management of your finances, your earnings… your hard work. Given the opportunity, we will care for your assets as dutifully and loyally as you would your family—at all stages of its life. Whether you are planning for your children’s college education, preparing for your retirement, or debating how to manage your estate, the professionals at Gartenhaus Financial are here for you every step of the way. Our goal is to ensure that—regardless of what is important to you at the moment—you will have the means to make your dreams a reality.

We all hope to live long, happy, prosperous lives into retirement, but you owe it to yourself and your family to prepare for every contingency. The professionals at Gartenhaus Financial can provide you with the information, financial products, and services you need to provide for your family -- even if you're not there. Whether it is putting into place adequate life or disability insurance, or helping you plan for the years when you will need care, Gartenhaus is there. Let us work with you to design a plan that can help your family achieve your financial goals.

Contact us to discuss how we can work together to design a plan using the latest information and strategies for today's family and reflecting tomorrow's needs.

Estate Planning & Family Protection

The team at Gartenhaus Financial will not only advise you on a sound financial plan, but also advise you on contingencies that may occur along the way—potentially derailing those plans. Through our personal and holistic approach to financial management, we will help you provide for your family in the present while being prepared for what may lie in the future.

One of the most important and daunting events in your financial management future could involve the management and allocation of your estate to designated beneficiaries. How will you make all of the important decisions regarding the execution of your final wishes? With the expertise of the professionals at Gartenhaus Financial at your disposal, you can rest assured knowing your final estate plans are executed. From opening trust accounts and re-titling assets to updating your beneficiary designations and beyond, let us assist with your estate planning goals.

Contact us to learn more about how we can help.

Insurance

Whether your family is in its early stages or you are nearing retirement, life insurance is a necessary precaution and a key feature of any well-founded financial plan. The Gartenhaus team is here to help you assess your insurance needs and determine the most economical policies to secure. As part of our holistic approach to financial planning, our insurance consulting services are an integral part of your financial plan. Contact us to find out.

College Funding

Today, the cost for four years of college at a public university has jumped to a national average of $40,000, while the average for four years at a private university is roughly twice that figure. Tuition rates have been inflating at a rate of over 7% per year. If this trend continues, the cost to send a child born today to a public university will be $114,485. So whether you have children now or are planning to, it pays to plan early in order to finance their college years.

If you invest just $149 on a monthly basis, and invest this money in a growth investment that averages 10% over the next 18 years, you will have accumulated $114,485---or the amount projected for college tuition.

(Note: the above projection is for illustrative purposes only as returns are not guaranteed).

Gartenhaus Financial’s team of professionals will prepare a college needs analysis for you—making recommendations for appropriate investments. We will also show you how to save substantial taxes on capital gains and investment income, as well as determine if you are a good candidate for establishing a 529 College Plan—a new and improved way to save for your child’s education.

Advantages of the 529 College Plan:

Combine tax benefits with professional portfolio management
Maintain control over college choice, beneficiaries, and withdrawals for the life of the account
Tax benefits include tax-deferred growth and tax-free withdrawals
High contribution limits allow you to effectively lower the taxable value of your estate
Assets may remain in the plan indefinitely

Let the Gartenhaus Financial team help you analyze and choose the ideal 529 plan for you and your family. Paying for college is never easy, especially if your family has competing financial goals. Let the advisors at Gartenhaus Financial take some of that stress away. Contact us to learn more about how we can help.

There is no guarantee that the plan will grow to cover college expenses. In addition, depending upon the laws of your home state or designated beneficiary, favorable state tax treatment or other benefits offered by such home state for investing in 529 college savings plans may be available only if you invest in the home state's 529 college savings plan. Any state-based benefit offered with respect to a particular 529 college savings plan should be one of many appropriately weighted factors to be considered in making an investment decision. You should consult with your financial, tax or other adviser to learn more about how state-based benefits (including any limitations) would apply to your specific circumstances and also may wish to contact your home state or any other 529 college savings plan to learn more about the features, benefits and limitations of that state's 529 college savings plan. You may also go to www.collegesavings.org for more information.

Long-Term Care

Long-term care refers to the range of services involved in assisting those suffering from chronic conditions in performing basic daily activities. Would you be able to provide for yourself or a loved one in the event you developed a chronic condition later on in life? If you end up requiring long-term care, how will you finance the notoriously high costs involved?

Did you know Medicare and Medigap insurance, if eligible, may only cover you for a very short time? Are you prepared to exhaust almost all of your personal assets before being eligible for long-term care coverage through Medicaid?

When dealing with long term care, it is important to understand your options, rule out dead ends, and plan ahead. While it is good to have a choice, choice inevitably breeds confusion. The professionals at Gartenhaus Financial can help clear up much of that uncertainty. After speaking with you and getting a sense of your financial situation and goals, we can tailor a plan that will ensure your assets will remain safe from the draining effects of long-term care costs. Whether the solution is long-term care insurance or a particular savings strategy, the Gartenhaus team will make every effort to ensure that your long-term needs are met while still enabling you to pass your assets and legacy on to future generations.