Viewpoints

Viewpoints is Beacon Hill Private Wealth’s library of articles on financial planning and long-term investing. We publish practical, research-informed guidance to help individuals and families think more clearly about long-term financial decisions.

Topics commonly covered include:

Retirement planning and distribution decisions
Tax planning and after-tax strategy
Estate planning and legacy considerations
Risk management and wealth protection
Charitable giving and philanthropic planning
Behavioral finance and decision-making
Investment management principles

Use the categories below to explore topics most relevant to your situation.

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Some readers find it helpful to explore how these planning concepts relate to their own circumstances. If that would be useful, you’re welcome to request a brief introductory conversation to discuss fit and approach.

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A Guide to Understanding the Complexities of Equity Compensation

February 18, 2021 Protecting Wealth Retirement Planning Risk Management Most Read

Equity compensation can be a complex subject. Here's what you need to know about the value, risks and tax implications that go along with equity compensation.

High-Income Earners May Have Trouble Saving For Retirement: Your Guide to Overcoming Some Surprising Roadblocks

February 4, 2021 Retirement Planning

If you're earning six figures or more a year, you may hit some unique financial hurdles when it comes to saving for retirement. Here's what we mean and what you can do to overcome them.

Trying to Supersize Your Retirement Savings? A Mega Backdoor Roth IRA Conversation Could Come in Handy

January 28, 2021 Retirement Planning Tax Planning

Mega backdoor Roth IRAs are complicated retirement savings strategies. But for the right person, they could offer a big tax advantage.

Saving Too Much Too Early in the Year Can Hurt Your Retirement

January 20, 2021 Retirement Planning

When it comes to retirement planning and building up the proverbial nest-egg, there are few pieces of advice more universally accepted than “save as much as possible as early as possible.” Certainly, taking such action is often one of the best ways to grow your retirement savings, but like nearly all generic statements about how “you” should plan for retirement, there are exceptions to the rule.

4 Meaningful Ways You Can Help Boost Your Employees’ Financial Security in 2021

November 30, 2020 Retirement Planning

Financial stress affects everybody - and decreasing the levels of it in your employees is good for the both of you. Consider these 4 initiatives to increase the financial security of your employees in the new year.

Planning for Uncertain Times

November 4, 2020 Investment Management Protecting Wealth Retirement Planning Risk Management Tax Planning Most Read

With last night’s election and ongoing health and economic concerns related to COVID-19, uncertainty remains high, as it has for most of 2020. Unfortunately, this is likely to continue well into 2021 on health, financial and societal fronts. As investors, it’s never enjoyable to navigate periods like this, so we wanted to step back and reinforce our perspective on financial markets as we head into the close of 2020.

MEPs? PEPs? A Business Owner's Guide to Understanding the Difference

November 2, 2020 Retirement Planning

PEPs and MEPs both offer retirement options to smaller businesses, but what are the differences between them? Here's your guide to understanding the benefits and restrictions, so you can decide which plan works best for your business.

Medicare Open Enrollment Begins Oct. 15th. What Does That Mean For Me?

October 15, 2020 Retirement Planning

Are you ready for Medicare's open enrollment? Here are a few changes you can make to your health coverage during this time.

Code Name: Monte Carlo

August 10, 2020 Retirement Planning

Monte Carlo tools test the probability that your financial plan will do what it is designed to do by simulating thousands of scenarios. Each scenario is run by modulating inputs, such as returns, cash flows and inflation, to give a range of possible outcomes. Outcomes can then be graphed to show you and your advisor the likelihood of reaching your investment goals.

Relief for Retirement Account Owners

August 7, 2020 Retirement Planning

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law. Since then, the U.S. Treasury Department has issued guidance to clarify and, in some cases, expand the provisions of the CARES Act dealing with retirement accounts and the relief offered to retirement account owners and/or beneficiaries.