For some Americans, Halloween is one of the most anticipated holidays. Unfortunately, it can also be rather dangerous. Use the following suggestions to help keep your child safe this year.
Costume Safety Tips
- Choose fire-resistant costumes, wigs and accessories.
- Avoid potentially dangerous props, like hard swords.
- Opt for non-toxic face paint or makeup instead of masks.
- Decorate costumes and treat bags with reflective tape if your child will be out after dark.
Trick-or-treating Safety Tips
- Accompany children under 12 at all times.
- Insist that trick-or-treating only be done in familiar areas.
- Plan a route if older children are going alone.
- Designate a specific time for children to return home.
- Instruct children to never enter a stranger’s car or home.
- Remind children to always look both ways before crossing a street, to be aware of their surroundings and to use sidewalks whenever possible.
- Tell your children not to eat any treats until they return home.
- Discard treats that appear to be open or tampered with.
For more tips on how to celebrate Halloween safely, click here.
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TSG Financial LLC is a Financial Services company located in Garden City, NY. Securities offered through Securities America, Inc. Member FINRA (www.finra.org)/SIPC (www.sipc.org). Advisory services offered through Securities America Advisors, Inc. TSG Financial and Securities America are separate entities. Securities licensed in: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MD, MA, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, SC, TX, UT, VA, DC . The third-party comments displayed are not verified, may not be accurate and are not necessarily representative of our client experience.
Image courtesy of jannoon028 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Thank you all for the incredible amount of good wishes on our recent transaction. We wanted to write this follow up email to clear any confusion. Please feel free to call or email with any additional questions.
- Are our partners, associates and staff remaining the same?
- All our partners, associates and staff are staying. Everyone is at the same location, email and phone number. We are here to serve and support as always.
- What is the reason behind the merger?
- To increase our capabilities and resources to serve our clients both locally and across the country. We have four practice groups:
- Employee Benefits
- Retirement Plans (401k and Pension)
- Wealth Management, Individual Insurance & Financial Planning
- Property and Casualty/Risk Management
- To increase our capabilities and resources to serve our clients both locally and across the country. We have four practice groups:
As a result of this merger, we maintain the critical role of being in direct contact with our clients, just as we have in the past, while gaining access to more resources. We are now part of a growing firm with more than 30 offices throughout the country. The end result is more capabilities and brain power to help you.
Thank you again for your kind words, we look forward to continue helping you now and in the future.
To view Tuesday's press release, please click here.
TSG Financial LLC is a Financial Services company located in Garden City, NY. Securities offered through Securities America, Inc. Member FINRA (www.finra.org)/SIPC (www.sipc.org). Advisory services offered through Securities America Advisors, Inc. TSG Financial LLC, Risk Strategies Company and Securities America are separate entities. This site is published for residents of the United States and is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security or product that may be referenced herein. Persons mentioned on this website may only offer services and transact business and/or respond to inquiries in states or jurisdictions in which they hae been properly registered or are exempt from registration. Not all products and services in every state, jurisdiction, or from every person listed.
Risk Strategies Company acquires Long Island-based TSG Financial bolstering expertise in employee benefits practice
Addition also brings firm's first distinct investment advisory capabilities
BOSTON, October 18, 2016 - Risk Strategies Company, a privately held, rapidly growing national insurance brokerage and risk management firm, today announced it has strengthened its growing employee benefits practice and made its first foray into offering wealth management and retirement plan services with the acquisition of Long Island based TSG Financial. Terms of the deal were not announced.
Based in Garden City, NY, TSG Financial is a full service employee benefits and financial services firm. Employee Benefits drives the majority of its business activity, developing traditional group benefits programs for everything from health and dental to long and short term disability insurance. The firm is led by its four partners, Michael Waters, Paul Essner, Ben Chafitz, and Bryan Pendrick, who average over 25 years of experience in the business.
"We believe that deep, real-world expertise makes even the most complex client challenges easy to solve," John Greenbaum, Employee Benefits National Practice Leader. "TSG Financial fits that model quite well. Its employee benefits business is highly complementary to ours and brings to the table financial services capabilities, such as 401(k) plans, that are a logical extension of our business strategy."
TSG Financial has also developed a specialty focus on the home healthcare industry which counts many of the largest organizations in the country as clients. TSG Financial's Homecare Specialty Group has become the regional market leader in offering these organizations traditional group insurance programs and 401(k) plans for administrative employees, home health aides and nursing staff, as well as market specific solutions for Taft-Hartley programs, NY Home Care Worker Wage Parity and full service ACA compliance solutions.
"It's exciting to join forces with a national-scale firm noted for its technical ability and expert knowledge," said Michael P. Waters, Partner at TSG Financial. "Our client base will certainly benefit from access to new meaningful resources, while our capabilities in wealth management will position Risk Strategies to expand its offerings."
With roots dating back to 1985, TSG Financial was formed through the merger of Financial Design Concepts Inc. and Benjamin Chafitz, LLC. The firm's financial services offerings include retirement plans, including qualified pension and 401(k) planning, asset management, life insurance, and retirement planning.
About Risk Strategies Company
Risk Strategies Company is a privately held, national firm with offices across the country. As a leading U.S. insurance broker, the company offers sophisticated risk management advice as well as insurance and reinsurance placement for property & casualty, healthcare and employee benefits risks. Risk Strategies serves commercial companies, non-profits, public entities and individuals, and has access to all major insurance markets. Ranked in the top 25 brokers in the country, the company has offices in more than 30 locations including Boston; Chicago; Los Angeles; Minneapolis; Dallas; New York City; San Francisco; Atlanta, GA; Portsmouth, N.H.; Providence, R.I.; Long Island, N.Y.; Teaneck, N.J.; Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Irvine, Calif.; and Sacramento, CA.
Registered Representatives offer securities through Securities America, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC and Advisory services offered through Securities America Advisors, Inc. TSG Financial, LLC and Risk Strategies Company are not affiliated with the Securities America companies.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) amended the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to require employers to provide the following to nursing mothers for one year after the birth of their child:
- Reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child
- A place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from potential intrusion for the employee to express breast milk
In addition to this federal requirement, many states have their own breastfeeding laws.
To view more information on this law and answers to frequently asked questions, or to learn about your state’s specific regulations, visit www.dol.gov/whd/nursingmothers/.
Want more information? Call us today at (516) 747-3355 to learn how to sign up for newsletters from TSG Financial.
TSG Financial LLC is a Financial Services company located in Garden City, NY. Securities offered through Securities America, Inc. Member FINRA (www.finra.org)/SIPC (www.sipc.org). Advisory services offered through Securities America Advisors, Inc. TSG Financial and Securities America are separate entities. Securities licensed in: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MD, MA, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, SC, TX, UT, VA, DC . The third-party comments displayed are not verified, may not be accurate and are not necessarily representative of our client experience.
If you have college-bound children or grandchildren, your financial planning should probably include an evaluation of the amount of aid they may qualify for before determining which avenues for funding the rest best fit your family’s situation.
To begin, it’s helpful to know what assets impact a student’s eligibility for financial aid. Under the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) guidelines, the following parental assets don’t affect these calculations: equity in a primary home, qualified retirement accounts, qualified and nonqualified annuities, pension plans and cash value in life insurance.
Parental assets that will count include: stocks, mutual funds and certificates of deposit not in a qualified retirement account; savings accounts; property equity that is not a primary residence; 529 college plans and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts. Custodial trusts in the child’s name, such as UGMA or UTMA accounts, are considered the child’s assets.
This is important because the FAFSA weights the student’s own financial resources heavier than their parents’ wealth. The federal formula currently assesses relevant parental capital at a maximum of 5.64 percent and the child’s assets at 20 percent. This means the amount of need-based aid drops by the combined percentages of the parents’ and child’s financial worth.
Two-hundred-and-sixty private colleges and universities, including highly selective Ivy League schools, require an additional financial aid application, the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE®. The PROFILE involves a deeper survey of family finances, uses a different formula for determining eligibility and assesses parental assets at 5 percent and children’s assets at 25 percent. Supplemental questions and the exact formula used may vary from school to school. For example, some schools ignore the family home’s equity, while others include its full value. Since this could significantly affect aid eligibility, it may be wise to ask potential schools how they handle home equity.
College planning can be daunting and complicated. We can help you look for practical tactics for sending your student to college while avoiding burdensome loans or lost retirement funds.
Want more information? Call us today at (516) 747-3355 to learn how to sign up for newsletters from TSG Financial.
TSG Financial LLC is a Financial Services company located in Garden City, NY. Securities offered through Securities America, Inc. Member FINRA (www.finra.org)/SIPC (www.sipc.org). Advisory services offered through Securities America Advisors, Inc. TSG Financial and Securities America are separate entities. Securities licensed in: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MD, MA, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, SC, TX, UT, VA, DC . The third-party comments displayed are not verified, may not be accurate and are not necessarily representative of our client experience.
With more insurers charging higher premiums, raising deductibles and switching from fixed co-pays to coinsurance, Americans are paying more for health care. In fact, 2015 statistics from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development show our per capita health care spending is more than twice the average of other developed countries. The following measures may help reduce those costs.
Ask. Ask your physician if proposed tests are necessary. Ask about free samples, generic prescriptions, therapeutic alternatives or using a reputable mail-order pharmacy. Request prescriptions for over-the-counter drugs so you can pay for them with your flexible spending or health savings account. Before having tests, x-rays or surgery, inquire about alternate facilities. The same procedure in an outpatient surgery center or scans in an independent radiology facility may cost significantly less than in a hospital.
Verify. Before having a procedure, make sure the facility and all health care professionals involved are in your network. Even if you will be paying out-of-pocket, you can save with the insurer’s negotiated pricing. Review bills and Estimate of Benefits statements for discrepancies. According to a recent Forbes article, 50 percent of hospital bills have significant errors.
Research. Identify your options for after-hours care before it’s needed. Going to an emergency room that’s in network will be less expensive, but the cost of a visit to an urgent-care center could be a fraction of that. And a trip to a convenience-care clinic (like CVS’ Minute Clinic) still less. Determine whether costs for doctors’ visits or quotes for medical tests or surgery are in line with other providers in your area at www.healthcarebluebook.com. Compare costs and get coupons for specific drugs at www.goodrx.com
Negotiate. If you’re paying out of pocket, explain your situation to your health care provider and ask for discounts. If you’re able to pay cash, ask about a reduced rate for doing so. Some providers will cut your bill by 20 percent. Make sure you still get your insurer’s negotiated rate, and submit the bill yourself so it counts toward your deductible. If you require hospital treatment, meet with the facility’s ombudsman beforehand and explain you want to create a plan for affordable care.
If it has been a while since you evaluated the role health care costs play in your retirement savings, or if your situation has changed, contact our office to schedule a time we can meet to help you stay on track with your long-term goals.
Want more information? Call us today at (516) 747-3355 to learn how to sign up for newsletters from TSG Financial.
TSG Financial LLC is a Financial Services company located in Garden City, NY. Securities offered through Securities America, Inc. Member FINRA (www.finra.org)/SIPC (www.sipc.org). Advisory services offered through Securities America Advisors, Inc. TSG Financial and Securities America are separate entities. Securities licensed in: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MD, MA, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, SC, TX, UT, VA, DC . The third-party comments displayed are not verified, may not be accurate and are not necessarily representative of our client experience.
This April, the Department of Labor (DOL) published a final rule that expands on who is considered a “fiduciary” when providing financial advice to retirement plans and their participants. This expanded definition will take effect on April 10, 2017. Other provisions related to prohibited transaction exemptions for advisors will become effective on Jan. 1, 2018.
The final rule also covers health savings accounts (HSAs). The DOL determined that HSA owners are entitled to receive the same protections from conflicted investment advice as individual retirement account (IRA) owners. Individuals who provide advice on HSAs may be considered fiduciaries if their communications rise to the level of investment recommendations covered by the final rule.
The final rule clarifies that many common plan sponsor activities, such as providing investment educational information and communication with employees about distribution options, are not fiduciary investment advice.
Want more information? Call us today at (516) 747-3355 to learn how to sign up for newsletters from TSG Financial.
TSG Financial LLC is a Financial Services company located in Garden City, NY. Securities offered through Securities America, Inc. Member FINRA (www.finra.org)/SIPC (www.sipc.org). Advisory services offered through Securities America Advisors, Inc. TSG Financial and Securities America are separate entities. Securities licensed in: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MD, MA, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, SC, TX, UT, VA, DC . The third-party comments displayed are not verified, may not be accurate and are not necessarily representative of our client experience.
