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This story was originally featured at https://bluevaultpartners.com/infinity-financial-deploys-on-the-alternative-investment-exchange-aix-platform/ Alternative Investment Exchange (AIX), the platform making it easy to buy, own, and sell alternative investments, announced that Infinity Financial Services (“Infinity”) is now live on AIX’s alternative investment platform. As an independent broker dealer dedicated to building a robust alternative investment platform for high-net-worth advisors, Infinity’s debut is a testament to the fast, powerful, and intuitive alt investment environment AIX supports. Infinity sets the bar in providing tech-enabled solutions to financial advisors who allocate alts into their clients’ portfolios. Infinity optimizes functionality that is essential to advisor success such as ease of use, operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and cybersecurity, among other concerns. Infinity has constantly challenged historical practices in the name of creating better experiences for their financial advisors and clients – all while enhancing compliance. One innovative aspect of their strategic practice has been to introduce a re-factored pre-trade approval workflow. Traditionally, an advisor recommending a new alternative investment to a client generally completes documentation, gathers client signatures, and forwards paperwork to compliance for review. In situations where compliance does not approve an investment request, advisors must explain to their client and start anew. Continue Reading at BLUE VAULT: https://bluevaultpartners.com/infinity-financial-deploys-on-the-alternative-investment-exchange-aix-platform/

You buy insurance to replace something you may lose, like income upon a loved one’s death or property as a result of an accident. Basically, the more you have to lose, the more reason you have to shift your financial risk to an insurance company. You may wonder how much coverage is right for you, but successfully managing risk isn’t just about the amount of insurance you carry. It’s also about choosing the right kind of insurance to fit your personal circumstances. Consider these tips as you face insurance decisions throughout the important stages of your life: You're just starting out. If you’re young and single, with no dependents, and living on your own, these insurance policies may make the most sense: Health - Enroll in your employer’s healthcare plan, if offered, or purchase a policy yourself. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 enables people seeking health insurance to search offerings and enroll online. Excessive medical costs can be incurred at any age, so it’s important to minimize that risk by being insured. If you pay for your own plan, think about creating a personal budget to help manage healthcare costs. Auto - If you drive a car and you’re no longer eligible to stay on your parent’s auto policy, you must seek out this coverage. Today, it’s easy to get auto insurance quotes online and compare your options. Renter's - If you rent an apartment or condominium, it’s a good idea to protect your personal property with this insurance. Your assets are usually more modest during this phase of your life, and renter’s coverage is often very affordable. You tied the knot. Once the marriage certificate is signed and the honeymoon is over, you may want to evaluate some additional insurance options: Life – When you’re single without children, life insurance isn’t a priority because no one is financially dependent on you. But, that can change when you get married. Life insurance protects you and your spouse from personal hardship in the event of premature death. Many people start with group life insurance through an employer. You can also consider other types of individual life insurance that stay with you even if your employment ends: Term Life – generally offers the most affordable rates and the most protection per premium dollar. Term policies guarantee a death benefit for a fixed period of time (the term), and most have increasing premiums as you get older or near the end of the term. Whole Life – provides permanent protection for your entire life. Premiums typically remain fixed and are higher than other life policies because the death benefit is guaranteed for life. Some policies accumulate cash value at a fairly low guaranteed interest rate. Universal Life – is a flexible variation of whole life insurance in that the premiums and death benefit amounts are adjustable according to your changing needs. Cash value builds at interest rates set by the insurer, and they are guaranteed not to fall below a minimum rate. Variable Life – combines the features of whole life with the ability to invest in stock and bond funds held in the company’s separate account. Cash values and death benefit amounts can fluctuate because of the account’s exposure to market conditions. Homeowner’s – If your married life includes a new home, this type of insurance is required in case an accident or event causes you to lose all or any part of the home and its contents. You can usually choose deductible and coverage amounts that fit your budget. Your family is growing. With the addition of your first child, or any future children for that matter, it’s wise to take a fresh look at your coverages: Health - Add children to your health plan as soon as possible, to be sure they’re covered within your enrollment period. Disability - Replacing your income becomes more important as the number of people who depend on it increases. Disability insurance replaces a portion of your income if you suffer a qualifying disability. This kind of insurance may be offered by employers, and generally, group rates are more affordable than individual rates. Instead of disability insurance, some people prefer to build an emergency fund for use in the event of disability. Life - Now is the time to consider increasing your life insurance coverage to be prepared for the mounting costs of raising children. If one parent leaves a job to care for the children, you’ll need to calculate those costs, as well. Legal - Some employers offer plans that cover legal fees associated with some common legal services. This can be valuable because insurance planning may intertwine with legal matters, like creating a trust for life insurance proceeds paid to minors or setting up guardianship arrangements. Business - If you own a business, you know how closely it can be tied to your family’s security. That’s why it’s important to consider how insurance, like key person policies, fit into your business succession strategies. You're approaching your golden years. Whether you’re counting down to retirement or already living it, you have unique concerns when it comes to insurance: Long-Term Care - After your children are grown, but before you retire, you may want to consider this kind of insurance. It helps pay for professional medical care in your home or at a facility, if you or your spouse face a long-term illness. The planning you do in your fifties can provide a meaningful benefit later in life when your budget tightens.. Health - You may need to consider supplemental medical insurance to cover costs that Medicare does not. There are many insurance providers that offer this coverage, and your advisor can help you determine what’s right for your situation. Life - You likely need little to no life insurance at this phase of your life. Still, you may have existing policies that can play a role in your overall estate plan.

How do you see yourself in retirement…spending time with grandkids, traveling to exotic places, or maybe starting a second career? Retirement goals are distinctly your own, but everyone shares the same challenge of saving enough to make their dreams a reality. Here are some retirement planning tips to keep in mind: ​ Get started early. Young people usually don’t make saving for retirement a priority because it’s such a long way off. But, now is the time to get into the savings groove. Putting away even a small amount consistently helps to build a savings routine that may stick with you for life. It’s even more effortless if you have the opportunity to participate in a 401(k) or other tax-favorable retirement plan through payroll deduction at work. Saving early offers the potential advantages of a long time horizon and compounded earnings. Don't overlook matching contributions. Not only is it a good idea to participate in an employer retirement plan, it really pays to take advantage of any matching contributions your employer may offer. When your company matches your contributions at a certain percentage, it’s equivalent to getting free money for retirement. Know your cash flow and set goals. Any financial planning endeavor usually starts with an assessment of cash flow. You need to analyze what you’re earning and spending to help uncover money for retirement savings. Put it down on paper or record it electronically to help calculate a realistic amount to save after expenses are paid. You can identify areas to trim that will ultimately put more money in the bank, like paying down high interest debts. Documenting your budget also helps you project your expenses and estimate what you may need during retirement. Consider investing in an IRA. If you’ve taken maximum advantage of an employer’s retirement plan or you don’t have access to one, think about investing in a Roth or Traditional IRA. These accounts allow you save with tax-free growth or on a tax-deferred basis. Today, there’s an IRA to suit just about everyone’s objectives. Whether you’re investing in Traditional or Roth IRAs, your tax and financial advisors can help create the right IRA strategy for you. Organize your retirement assets. As you get older, you’ve likely accumulated savings in more than one place. You may have assets scattered among a number of different accounts, especially if you held several jobs over the years. If you own multiple IRAs and/or left retirement assets in previous employers’ plans, think about consolidating them into one IRA to reduce account expenses and make asset allocation easier. Your advisor can help you identify and organize all retirement accounts to create a holistic consolidation and asset allocation plan. Keep an eye on asset allocation. Diversification remains an integral part of your financial plan at every age. Working with your advisor, you can develop an asset allocation strategy that focuses on growth in the early years and balances growth with income in later years.

People often try to tackle financial events as they arise, inadvertently placing the rest of their goals at risk. If you were building a house, would you build it one room at a time, leaving the remaining structures unsound? No, you’d hire an experienced contractor to create a detailed blueprint that meets your objectives and follows fundamental principles. The same applies to financial planning…you need a complete plan to build a solid financial future. Hire a qualified professional. Infinity Certified Financial Planners™ are highly-trained and licensed professionals with years of financial services experience. They provide planning services for a set fee, so you can be assured their advice is rooted in your best interests. They get to know every aspect of your financial life and thoughtfully design a complete plan focused on your goals. Working with a knowledgeable, unbiased professional can give you the perspective you need to confidently control your finances. Start with a sturdy foundation. You can’t manage your money and direct it toward your life goals without first knowing where it’s going. That’s why we start the planning process by examining your spending habits, creating a personal budget, and defining objectives. We give you a clear picture of your cash flow, assets and liabilities, and net worth to form the basis of your financial plan. Your planner uses that to develop realistic strategies for building and maintaining wealth. Construct a balanced framework. Like the floors and walls form the framework of a house, elements of your financial world–like income, Social Security, insurance, college savings, retirement investments, and legal instruments–serve as the framework for a complete financial plan. We take a holistic view of all the interrelated parts of your plan using powerful online planning tools. Together, we assess your current income, holdings, allocations, and coverages to ensure that they align with your risk tolerance and support overall goals. You’ll learn practical ways to balance your current financial needs with long-term objectives. Stay involved and measure progress. A written financial plan not only identifies important planning opportunities, but it also provides key benchmarks to make sure your plan stays on course. Your advisor sets these milestones and encourages you to monitor your progress. Just like you’d visit the construction site as your home takes shape, your plan should be revisited to determine if adjustments are necessary. And, our customizable online tools make it easier to see your financial picture evolve.

Paying for your child’s college education is likely one of the most expensive events for your family. Rising tuition costs, which often mirror or exceed the rate of inflation, can make the education planning process seem daunting. Even if you haven’t had the discipline to save, all is not lost. Here are some practical tips to help you achieve your college savings goals. ​ Start saving early. It’s not hard to figure out that the earlier you start your kids’ college funds, the better your chances of reaching savings goals. By starting sooner than later, you’ll have time–and compounding gains–on your side. Additionally, the longer your time horizon for saving, the less impact market volatility may have on your investment portfolio. ​ ​ Don’t bank on financial aid. Some parents assume that their children will receive financial aid, so saving isn’t a priority. Because most financial aid comes in the form of loans, that strategy can end up saddling your child with substantial debt. As a general rule, saving money with even a modest return makes more financial sense than borrowing and paying interest. There are also many factors that determine whether or not you qualify for financial aid, including your assets, income, and number of children attending college. Your financial advisor can help you assess your situation to determine the right balance of savings and forms of financial aid. ​ Decide how to save. You have several options for education savings. Here are the main features of the most popular types of college funding accounts: 529 Plans A tax-advantaged college savings plan named after section 529 of the IRS code Individual states sponsor 529 plans and investment management is usually outsourced to an investment company Can be used to pay qualified education expenses, including tuition, fees, and room and board After-tax money grows free from federal–and often state–taxes and qualified withdrawals are also tax-free There are no age limits or income restrictions to start a plan, and the account holder stays in control of the money Contributions can’t be more than the amount needed to pay for the beneficiary’s qualified expenses If your kid decides not to attend college, you can transfer the account to a sibling Investment choices can be limited, and you can only rebalance the portfolio twice a year Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (ESA) Originally known as an Education IRA and renamed after the late Senator Paul Coverdell Can be used to pay qualified education expenses in not only colleges and universities, but also elementary and secondary institutions Like the 529 plan, ESA money grows tax-free and distributions for qualified education expenses are also tax-free Accounts can be started by those with annual modified adjusted gross income of less than $110,000 ($220,000 for a joint return) Contributions can be made up to $2,000 per year May offer a wider range of investment choices than 529 plans Custodial Accounts (UGMA/UTMA) Accounts that allow transfer of gifts to minors under the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act or Uniform Transfers to Minors Act Investments are held in the minor’s name, but managed by the custodian (i.e. parent), until the child reaches age 18 or 21, depending on the state. Income is reported on the child's tax return and taxed at the child’s rate Money can be withdrawn for any purpose, without having to get permission from the custodian, when the beneficiary is a legal adult The funds are not transferrable to another beneficiary ​ For complete information about plan guidelines and qualified education expenses, consult IRS Publication 970. ​ Think twice about raiding other accounts. You may be tempted to take money from your Roth IRA or other retirement accounts to pay college expenses, but this shouldn’t be considered a viable option unless you’re well funded for retirement. If you have more than enough retirement savings, you can consider taking money from a Roth IRA because of its tax- and penalty-free withdrawals that can be used for higher education. People also consider tapping cash value life insurance for education expenses, but this is rarely a good idea, due to high surrender charges and low investment returns related to these policies. Your best bet is to consult your financial and tax advisors about these options because there’s usually a wiser alternative. ​ Cover all your bases. When you’re in a time-crunch to come up with money for college, make sure you’ve thought of every last-minute strategy: Dig out those savings bonds that may have been overlooked Increase your savings by sticking to a personal budget [link to budget article] Consider less expensive colleges or take advantage of military education benefits, if your child completes active duty Encourage grandparent gifting, especially when it comes to 529 plan gift-tax advantages Steer your child toward working during college to offset some of the costs