SPECIAL NEEDS PLANNING: The Able Account
By Vivian J Villers, CFP, AIF, CWS
Three options are available to provide additional funds for the support of a child with a disability
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Special Needs Planning: The OBRA’93 or “OOPS” TRUST
By Vivian J Villers, CFP, AIF, CWS By now, you know that a person with a disability could be eligible for SSI and Medicaid when they
SPECIAL NEEDS PLANNING: Providing for a child with special needs using a special needs trust
By Vivian J Villers, CFP, AIF, CWS If your child with special needs is receiving government benefits such as SSI and Medicaid, they cannot
Roth Conversion Considerations for Retirees
By Erica Eros | Case Planning/Retirement Consultant The recent Medicare premium and deductible increase may affect retirees on a fixed income If
3 Tips for Gaining New Clients in 2021
By: SPS Family Practice Management With 2020 in the rearview mirror and the economy slowly reopening, many financial representatives are trying
SPECIAL NEEDS PLANNING: New Year’s Resolution – Beneficiary Designations
By Vivian J Villers, CFP, AIF, CWS New Year's Resolution - Beneficiary Designations As part of comprehensive planning, it is
Special Needs Planning: Giving Strategies for a Person with a Disability
By Vivian J Villers, CFP, AIF, CWS As we approach the holidays, I thought it would be helpful to review some gifting ideas for people
The Annual SPS Family Advisor Summit 2020 Is Almost Here!
By Becky Steffens | Senior Growth Strategist Like pretty much every event in 2020, the SPS Family Advisor Summit will be very different than in
SPECIAL NEEDS PLANNING
By Vivian J Villers, CFP, AIF, CWS WHERE IT ALL BEGAN AND THE BASICS Almost everyone knows someone who has a child with a disability
Roth Conversion Considerations
By Erica Eros | Qualified Plans Converting a Traditional IRA or employer-sponsored retirement account to a Roth IRA may offer more flexibility at
THINK LIKE A CHILD
Keith Craig | Marketing Consultant I want to momentarily take you back to childhood days Those days where, as a kid, you had a million ideas
3 Tips for Improving Client Engagement with Your Website
By Becky Steffens | Senior Growth Strategist Think back to the last time you searched for a product you were planning to buy or a company whose
SPS Family Supports Special Operations Warrior Foundation
By Becky Steffens | Senior Growth Strategist While the year 2020 has been pretty unpredictable, SPS Family's drive to support veterans-based
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT…DO YOU NEED IT?
By Keith Craig and Ken White | Practice Management Practice Management - do you need it The answer is you're already doing it You're not just
BEHAVIORAL FINANCE AND HOLISTIC PLANNING
By Cheryl Harwell | Case Planning / Practice Management Comprehensive, or holistic, financial planning describes a multidisciplinary approach a
Strategies for Clients Who Need Cash During the COVID-19 Pandemic
By Erica Eros | Case Planning - Qualified Plans The COVID-19 pandemic has led to temporary changes to the IRA withdrawal rules The Coronavirus
PANDEMIC DOWNTIME? USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
By Keith Craig and Ken White | Practice Management We are experiencing unusual times! Times like we have never experienced before, and times we
Behavioral Finance – Reopening the Economy & Consumer Behavior
By Cheryl Harwell | Case Planning & Practice Management Behavioral Finance - Reopening the Economy & Consumer Behavior When COVID-19
BEST PRACTICES for this UNPRECEDENTED TIME
By Keith Craig and Ken White | Case Planning With Excerpts from Financial Independence Group (FIG)'s COVID-19 Response As the coronavirus
The power of “unsubscribing”
By Kristi Delongchamp | Firm Development Unsubscribe! Free yourself Are you like me and get so many emails nowadays that you spend more time
Transitions Can be Tough – Happy Music Helps!
By Michele Bergeron | Firm Development We know how stressful transitioning your book of business to a new broker-dealer can be Throughout the
We Care About Our Representatives…and it’s not just talk.
By Michele Bergeron, Firm Development All Broker-Dealers say they care about their reps, but do they show it At the SPS Family, actions speak
SPS Family Named 4-Time Finalist for 2020 WealthManagement Industry Awards
We are proud to announce that the SPS Family has been named a 4-time finalist in the 2020 WealthManagement Industry Awards (the
Behavioral Finance and Current Events
By Cheryl Harwell | Case Planning Behavioral Finance and Current Events The Coronavirus Pandemic and COVID-19: quarantines, temporary business
2020 Pandemic High School Graduations
By Kristi Delongchamp | Firm Development Graduating from high school is a time for celebrating accomplishments, enjoying prom and senior
Behavioral Finance: Implement Behavioral Finance in Your Client Interactions
By Cheryl Harwell | Case Planning Behavioral Finance: Implement Behavioral Finance in Your Client Interactions While financial professionals
Behavioral Finance: Helping Yourself and Your Clients During These Uncertain Times
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“Must-Ask” Questions when Looking for a new Broker-Dealer!
By Matt Vigo "Must-Ask" Questions when Looking for a new Broker-Dealer! The fact of the matter is switching broker-dealers is actually very
Implement Behavioral Finance in Your Client Interactions
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The “Broker Protocol” FACTs & FAQs
By Matt Vigo The "Broker Protocol" FACTs & FAQs FACTs The "Broker Protocol" (Protocol) is an agreement that was created in August
BEHAVIORAL FINANCE
By Cheryl Harwell BEHAVIORAL FINANCE Behavioral finance is becoming a much more popular discipline in the field of financial planning and
SPS Family Adding APEG to TechStack
SPS Family Adding APEG to TechStack by Kristi Delongchamp Ann Arbor, MI - [January 24, 2020] - The SPS Family has expanded its robust
An Editor’s Musings on Usage and Style
By Ken White, Editor / Writer I have always enjoyed English, but freely admit the language can be confounding Certain mistakes drive me
Ten Fallacies about Identity Theft and Cybersecurity
According to the Privacy Rights Clearing House, approximately 10 billion records have been lost or stolen from businesses, schools, government
My Summer at Sigma and Parkland
Final Blog by intern Sabrina Lieberman I'll be honest - when I first walked into Sigma Financial and Parkland Securities on a snowy January
5 Tips to Budget for Christmas in July
5 Tips to Budget for Christmas in July We know that it's July, and no one is eager to be reminded of snow and sludge However, given that Americans
The Importance of Interns
The Importance of Interns in conversation with Randall A Hoover In fall 2016, Randy Hoover presented The Power of Internships at our Practice
5 Tips for Boosting Your Summer Savings
Summer spending can drain your bank account before it's time to drain the pool While summer is a fantastic time to take advantage of great weather
5 Things to Know About a 529 Plan
Whether a child is 8 or 18 years old, you and your clients should financially prepare for his or her college education Many clients have questions
5 Ways to Connect with Your Clients’ College Students
In our last blog post, we discussed the importance of connecting with your clients' college students However, we recognize that financial planning is
Memorial Day 2017 – Reflections and Thoughts
The President of Sigma Financial Corporation, Parkland Securities, LLC, and Sigma Planning Corporation - Jerry Rydell - has been a lifelong proud and
5 Reasons to Connect with Your Clients’ College Students
Your clients are thrilled because this fall those 529 Plans are finally going to good use! The summer before entering college is an exciting, hectic,
THE BUCKET LIST
THE BUCKET LIST A great movie starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman follows two men on a road trip with a wish list of things to do before they
Are You on Track for Retirement? Your Personal Super Bowl Sunday…
With the New Year comes new opportunities, changes, and reflection I think I am correct in saying that most people work with the hope of someday
‘Tis the Season for Giving…Corporate Responsibility and Charity Selection
'Tis the Season for GivingCorporate Responsibility and Charity Selection The holidays have a way of bringing out the generosity in people As a
How Effective is Your Customer Service?
You may think that you are doing everything you can to achieve good customer service You are cordial; you send out a monthly newsletter; you even
Seven Ways to Show Your Clients They Are Appreciated
Seven Ways to Show Your Clients They Are Appreciated Regardless of your business, catering to your clients is important Customer appreciation does
Labor Day 2016: The Value of Work
Labor Day 2016: The Value of Work Work Nothing happens without work Work allows our families, community, and society to function May you and your
Encourage Your “Intrapreneurs” to Innovate!
Encourage Your "Intrapreneurs" to Innovate! Are you trying to grow your business, and seeking ideas on how Why don't you give your staff the ability
Happy employees = Satisfied Customers!
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What does Freedom and Independence mean to you?
What does Freedom and Independence mean to you Celebrating the 4th of July is great fun It is a joy to gather with friends and family, for wonderful
Women Are Valuable Financial Advisors…
The number of women in finance may not be as typical as you might find in other professions According to Investopediacom, based on an Investment News
Is Your IBD Listening to You?
In the day-to-day life of a broker-dealer, the happiness and satisfaction of its representatives should be among its primary concerns We consider
Back to the Basics: Effectively Communicating Across Generations
Are you effectively communicating with your clients across different generations In this industry, we all know that effective communication is the
What are you doing in anticipation of the proposed fiduciary rule?
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Are the Hawks Circling?
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Succession Planning: What Happens When a Purchasing Advisor Dies?
Succession Planning: What Happens When a Purchasing Advisor Dies When you own a financial planning business, do your ownership rights extend to your Show More