Moir Financial & Insurance Services

10/11/2023

Getting Married: Sam and Sally

Sam and Sally just got engaged. He did the romantic proposal with the ring in the dessert and champagne for after. Sally excitedly accepted and spent the ride home with her hand out, staring at her ring. The next day Sally was still dreamy-eyed thinking about the wedding, while Sam was breaking out in hives thinking about how to pay for it.


He knew how much debt he had from school and his car, but he knew absolutely nothing about Sally's finances. He had no idea how much her paycheck was. He had a debt pay-off plan, did Sally? He tried to bring finances up with Sally however, she got angry with him. She felt he was trying to limit her dream wedding.


The money-thing was very important for Sam. Important enough that he knew he couldn’t marry Sally until they talked about it. He put his foot down and told her he wouldn’t marry her until they talked about their finances now and what they wanted for the future.

Money is one of the major causes of friction in a marriage. While an important milestone, a wedding is not your marriage. So before you walk down the aisle, talk about the nitty-gritty of your finances with your significant other.

Some questions to get you started:
• How do you spend your money?
• Do you have any debt?
• Do you have savings?



Heather L. Moir-Dangler is Registered in the following states: AL, CA, FL, HI, MI, NNV, NY, OR, PA, TX and WA. Heather L. Moir-Dangler is a Registered Representative of, and Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer Member FINRA/SPIC. Investment Advisor Representative Advisor. Moir Financial & Insurance Services and Cambridge are not affiliated

10/06/2023

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/12/irs-plan-to-use-ai-may-affect-wealthy-taxpayers-heres-how.html

The IRS is launching plans with artificial intelligence to collect unpaid taxes from higher earners, partnerships and large corporations. Here's what to expect.

09/27/2023

Disability Insurance – The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs

One way to think of disability insurance is by using Aesop’s fable, “The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs.” Only in this case you’re the goose, your income is the eggs and instead of greed being the underlying reason for the loss of the eggs, it’s an injury or illness.

In our version of this fable, a man (the goose) came to see us to discuss his needs for life and disability insurances. He was married, no kids, and had a substantial annual income (the eggs). As we reviewed his needs, we talked about various ways to protect his income. We found a disability policy that would protect up to 80% of his monthly income and would be tax-free if he got disabled. The monthly premium was well within his budget and he could have easily afforded it.

After following up for almost a year, he decided not to purchase any of the policies. He was of the opinion that “nothing’s going to happen to me,” or “I’m going to always be able to work” (I’m always going to be able to keep laying those golden eggs). Several months after the last conversation, he became disabled and was unable to work. While his group long term disability insurance through his employer was able to cover some of his income, it was not enough to cover most of his expenses and the stress eventually took its toll on him and his family. His disability changed everything he’d worked for (the goose couldn’t lay any more eggs).

Do we visualize becoming disabled or ill? NO! Do we need to make a thoughtful decision regarding disability insurance? YES! You may have coverage through your employer, which is a great benefit. Review what they offer, what you would need to cover your current expenses, and see if you would have a shortage. Then two questions to ask are 1) Am I eligible to fill in the gap? and 2) Do I need to fill in that gap?

Disability insurance can help protect you and your family from potentially losing everything. It can also provide peace of mind while you’re recovering.



Heather L. Moir-Dangler is Registered in the following states: AL, CA, FL, HI, MI, NNV, NY, OR, PA, TX and WA. Heather L. Moir-Dangler is a Registered Representative of, and Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer Member FINRA/SPIC. Investment Advisor Representative Advisor. Moir Financial & Insurance Services and Cambridge are not affiliated.
Fixed insurance offered through Moir Financial & Insurance Services. Client testimonials may not be representative of the experience of other customers and are no guarantee of future performance or success.

09/13/2023

Emergency Action Plan at Home

For eight years I was in the Environmental Health and Safety field. I was in charge of safety programs for Hearing, Eye, and Respiratory protection. I also updated and maintained an Integrated Action Plan, which really means, “this is what you do during this type of an emergency.”

With September being National Preparedness Month, I got to thinking about how some of what I learned in the industrial field could easily translate into being used at home. Does your family have an emergency action plan? If not, it should contain some of these key elements:

Evacuation Drills – do you have family fire drills?
The alarms don’t need to go off. But important items to know and practice are how you leave the house, meeting location, who’s in charge of calling 911, and if the parents aren’t home kids need to know the order of calls: 911 first, parents second.

Meeting Location – in case of an emergency where you and your family need to leave the home (i.e. fire, tsunami), does everyone know where to meet up? In my family, it was right by the mailbox.

Emergency Numbers – Amazing as it sounds, once an emergency hits people can forget basic things. I once had a co-worker ask me how to dial 911. Practice calling 911 with your kids (don’t actually dial 911, it is there for emergencies only).

Situations where you always evacuate – Does your family know the types of situations where you need to leave your home? This could include fire, gas leak, or a hazardous chemical spill (½-gallon of spilled ammonia can create significant hazards in a confined space).

General First-Aid – Does at least one family member know general first aid? Do you have a first aid kit? If you do, do your children know where it is?

Practicing what to do during an emergency reduces panic and potential injury because people know what they need to do in a given situation. For more information about Safety at Home or Family Safety Training, check out the National Safety Council. It’s a great resource for putting together a basic family emergency action plan.



Heather L. Moir-Dangler is Registered in the following states: AL, CA, FL, HI, MI, NNV, NY, OR, PA, TX and WA. Heather L. Moir-Dangler is a Registered Representative of, and Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer Member FINRA/SPIC. Investment Advisor Representative Advisor. Moir Financial & Insurance Services and Cambridge are not affiliated

06/13/2023

The current state of succession planning now and moving forward.
The retirement of baby boomers and the increased job turnover among younger workers have created a need for succession planning in businesses of all sizes. With retirements doubling and voluntary quits rising, business leaders must consider succession of ownership and leadership positions. Small business owners can benefit from valuable insights and guidance on different types of succession plans, including emergency plans, advance retirement plans, and ongoing development of talent.

Baby boomers are retiring and younger workers are changing jobs. This turnover in positions means upheaval of small businesses’ ownership and larger companies’ leaders. Planning ahead helps a company survive this turmoil—and possibly even thrive relative to their less-prepared competitors.

06/08/2023

Business owners… thinking about retiring and/or exiting your business?
6 benefits of succession planning – Why it’s so important
Succession planning is crucial for businesses as it disaster-proofs the company, identifies qualified future leaders, and creates a structure for training and development. By implementing a succession plan, businesses protect themselves from unexpected events, such as illnesses or departures of key employees, and ensure a smooth transition of leadership. Additionally, succession planning helps maintain brand identity, keeps a fresh perspective on processes and procedures, and enables long-term planning and growth.

While it may seem like a time-consuming process, there are six benefits of succession planning that will prepare your company for the future.

06/06/2023

Do you agree with the United States Department of Labor’s “Top 10 Ways to Prepare for Retirement”?
1. Start saving, keep saving, and stick to your goals
2. Know your retirement needs
3. Contribute to your employer’s retirement savings plan
4. Learn about your employer’s pension plan
5. Consider basic investment principle
6. Don’t touch your retirement savings
7. Ask your employer to start a plan
8. Put money into an Individual Retirement Account
9. Find out about your Social Security benefits
10. Ask Questions

https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ebsa/about-ebsa/our-activities/resource-center/publications/top-10-ways-to-prepare-for-retirement.pdf

06/01/2023

Can we stress the importance of planning enough!? Don’t “cross that bridge when you get there”… Take action and responsibility to prepare ahead of time!
J.P. Morgan’s Seven Principles for a Successful Retirement:
1. Plan for a longer life and how to do it well
2. Create the plan you need for the retirement you want
3. Make an informed decision about social security
4. Understand healthcare costs
5. Minimize taxes to maximize your retirement
6. Align your investment objective with your desire outcome
7. Understand loss aversion and stay invested

Using slides from the award-winning Guide to Retirement, we present 7 essential retirement planning principles, to help investors make more informed decisions.

05/30/2023

“The U.S. reached its debt limit of USD 31.4 trillion on January 19th and has since been relying on funds in the Treasury General Account (TGA) and so-called “extraordinary measures” to fund its obligations”.
Investors face multiple risks including the Federal Reserve, banking sector weakness, and now heightened concerns over the U.S. debt ceiling. The U.S. reached its debt limit in January and could run out of funding by early June, according to the Congressional Budget Office and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. While default is not the base case scenario, lawmakers may agree on a short-term extension or suspension of the debt ceiling. In the past, the 2011 debt ceiling standoff resulted in market volatility, but Treasury yields actually fell. Investors may consider hedging risks through the U.S. dollar and gold, or by investing in high-quality core bonds.

The U.S. reached its debt limit of USD 31.4 trillion on January 19th and has since been relying on funds in the Treasury General Account (TGA) and so-called “extraordinary measures” to fund its obligations.

05/25/2023

Hearing a lot of news about the debt ceiling? What does it mean for the country, the world, and for you?
The federal government is facing the possibility of being unable to make debt payments if Congress doesn't vote to increase the debt limit. Negotiations between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Biden have reached a stalemate, with Republicans seeking to tie the debt limit to spending caps and other policy demands. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned that the country could run out of borrowing authority by June 1st. Failure to raise the debt limit could result in default, which would have severe consequences for the global financial system and the U.S. economy, including potential job losses and higher unemployment rates. The United States has never defaulted on its debts or failed to pay it’s bills ever in it’s history.
Read the following article from Kelsey Snell at NPR or listen to the 17-minute audio discussion regarding “What you need to know about the debt ceiling as the deadline looms”.

What is the debt ceiling? What could happen if it's not raised? Here are answers to questions you may be asking about the debt limit and the fight over it.

05/23/2023

Great read for professionals and novices alike!
From perspectives on the recent bank runs, recession outlooks, the debt ceiling, and more, BNY Mellon’s new “Alta Report” provides informative and incisive insight on the markets and macro economy from the largest custodian bank and securities services company in the world. This report started in 2023 and will be released once a quarter.

Discover the top 5 trade finance trends that can help businesses not only survive, but thrive, in a fragmented trade finance ecosystem.

05/18/2023

Geoff Bennett speaks with Austan Goolsbee, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. They discuss the recent news on inflation and the indicators the Fed needs to see to combat it. They also touch on the Fed's dual mandates of maintaining maximum employment and stable prices, and the potential impact of the debt limit standoff on the recovering economy. Goolsbee emphasizes the need for prudence and patience in raising interest rates and gathering data to make informed decisions.



Watch the following interview/conversation or read the transcript using the link below.

The Federal Reserve has been laser-focused on bringing down prices, raising interest rates 10 times in the last 14 months. But economic uncertainties remain, including the consequences of much higher interest rates, a debt limit standoff and recent bank collapses. Geoff Bennett discussed the challen...