The coronavirus pandemic, like prior disasters and times of social upheaval, provides scammers with a vulnerable population looking for help and, unfortunately these criminals will take advantage of every opportunity. We are also online a lot more now without the benefit of sophisticated corporate firewalls and hungry for information and updates. What are some of the more “popular” scams right now? They vary from sale of non-existent PPE, to work from home scams, to get rich investment schemes such as investing in a cure for COVID-19. These scams can take the form of emails, phone calls, solicitations through social media to people knocking on your front door.

There are ways to protect yourself.

Research points out a trait of successful people: they use what is available to them, i.e. when given lemons, make lemonade. In the middle of a stressful situation, it is often hard to focus, but many of us have something now that we have often found lacking in the past - time.  So, if you are one of those individuals with some extra time, this is a good opportunity to get your financial house in order. We have provided a "to do" list to address some of those tasks:

It is with a great deal of regret that we have decided to cancel our 2020 annual Backyard Bash. A combination of factors would make the party difficult to operate, from the inability to serve food buffet style, to maintaining social distancing.  Additionally, many individuals have told us that while they really enjoy the event that they would not, out of an abundance of caution, participate this year.  Most important of all, we would feel like we let people down if even one of our clients became sick and our annual party was found to be the vehicle that allowed that to happen.

We remain optimistic that our 2021 Backyard Bash will be back, and we look forward to this.  We enjoy seeing you and we will miss you. 

While the State of Ohio has allowed offices like ours to reopen following strict guidelines, for the safety and convenience of our clients and employees, we have decided to continue to work remotely for the foreseeable future. Allowing us to make this decision is, in part, the fact that our remote and virtual communication tools have worked so well before and during the stay at home order.   So, while we look forward to the time when we can meet with you in person at our office again, please don't let our delay in reopening stop you from getting your questions answered, having our normal planning meetings and generally going about our business together. Eventually we will return to normal business hours and you will be able to find that news here as soon as it is available.

It’s official! I’m sure you never thought the day would come where you would collect your college diploma and be on your way. You are likely moving out of your college apartment, saying goodbye to your friends, and gearing up for “adulthood”. At this point, you may have accepted your first job offer or perhaps the recent impacts of the Coronavirus have you waiting to plan your next move.  As you attempt to navigate the future, here are five financial tips to consider.