Traditional and Roth IRA contributions must be made by April 15th and the maximum contribution is $5,000 for 2009. If you are over age 50, an additional catch-up contribution of $1,000 can be contributed (income limitations apply to Roth IRA’s).

Starting in 2010, investors who own traditional IRAs will be able to do a Roth IRA conversion regardless of their income level or tax filing status. Additionally, investors who convert in 2010 have the option to delay their tax payment for a year and spread their payment over the 2011 and 2012 tax years. Please consult with your tax professional to determine if a conversion makes sense for you.

In 2010, there is a home buyers tax credit available. One is the $8,000 “first time” home buyer credit and the other is the $6,500 “move-up/repeat” home buyer credit. April 30, 2010 is deadline for these tax credits. Please consult with your tax professional for details and to determine if you would qualify.

Our financial advisory clients are individuals and families who understand the value of a long-term relationship with a trusted financial advisors.

We answer a lot of questions to help our clients make the right decisions and one question that comes up a lot is:

“What is the benefit of hiring a financial planning team versus an individual investor?”

Based on our combined five decades  of expertise, we have noticed a pattern that some individual investors have historically underperformed the markets, with emotional factors and natural biases leading them to poor market timing decisions.

The value of a financial advisory team is that there is a breadth and depth of expertise that helps customize advisory to your distinct needs.

We will continue to share answers to commonly asked questions.  Feel free to contact us if we can answer any questions for you.