Investments

Choosing to have Coastal Financial Associates, LLC manage your investments shifts the burden of making your investment decisions to professionals who interpret and respond to market conditions unemotionally and objectively everyday that markets are open.

“A big part of financial freedom is having your heart and mind free from worry about the what-ifs of life.” Suze Orman

Annuities

There are four types of ANNUITIES that are available. It does not matter what brokers call them, what insurance companies call them, or what financial planners call them. There are only four different types of annuities that are defined.
Variable Annuity – Goes up with the market and down with the market and has fees. They should be sold primarily to people in the work force who are in a position to take the risk of up and down market conditions, and who are willing to pay the fees.
Fixed-Rate Annuity – Works a lot like a CD. The annuity has a fixed rate and you receive this fixed rate for the life of the contract – year after year – no fluctuation. Like all annuities, they are sold by an insurance company and we can direct you to an agent.
Indexed Annuity – These products tie the rate of return to the performance of an equity index, such as the Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Index. You can credit up to 100% of the market return annually, locking in any gains each year. You can never lose money.
Single Premium Immediate Annuity – (SPIA) - This vehicle immediately starts a payout structure based on your life expectancy. This annuity is useful for someone entering a nursing home or looking for income. A lump sum, from the sale of your home, for example, is put into the SPIA which would yield a guaranteed fixed interest rate. A payout period is determined and the monthly payment begins.

Coastal Financial Associates, LLC will help you decide which, if any, annuity is right for you and will explain the tax status of each.

IRA’s

IRA’s are Individual Retirement Accounts. Many people have various individual retirement accounts, such as a 401K, 403b, or 457, which they convert into another financial vehicle at the time of retirement. This money is considered qualified money, which is defined as any money on which taxes have not yet been paid. Non-qualified money is any money on which the taxes have been paid. Since the taxes have not been paid on IRA money, there are 2 stipulations for withdrawal:

You cannot withdraw the money until you are age 59 1/2
At age 701/2, you will be required to draw out a certain percentage of money. As you withdraw this money, taxes must be paid on it.

Estate Taxes and Gift Taxes

Most estates -- at least 99% -- don't have to pay federal tax upon your death.  The federal government imposes estate tax at your death only if your property is worth more than a certain amount, which depends on the year of death. All property left to a spouse is exempt from the tax, as long as the spouse is a U.S. citizen. Estate tax is also not assessed on any property you leave to a tax-exempt charity. Even though most estates don’t owe tax, it pays to be informed. Our expert staff will evaluate your estate and prepare the proper recommendations that fit your particular needs.

Wills, Trusts and Probate

A WILL is a set of instructions advising the probate court how you want your assets and property divided upon your death. It also designates whom you want to represent you as the Personal Representative or Executor of your estate. You may also designate the Guardian of your minor children, if any, through your will.

PROBATE is the legal process wherein the court oversees the identification and appraisal of all probate property, as well as the distribution of such property pursuant to the will’s instructions. The court also assures that creditors are notified and paid. The process is lengthy and usually will last in excess of one year.

The use of TRUSTS today is simply the best and easiest way to bypass probate. One of the primary functions of a trust is to eliminate probate; however, trusts also shorten the time necessary to administer the estate, assure privacy, make it nearly impossible for anyone to successfully contest the estate, and are generally more cost effective than probate. There are many different types of trust for many specific reasons.

Your will is one of the most important documents you will ever sign. Making a will enables you to fulfill your own wishes rather than the government's. Get it right. Contact us to discuss establishing a will and any trusts that are needed for estate planning purposes. We can refer you to an attorney in your area who specializes in meeting these needs.