Covisum Blog

Taxable Social Security Calculator

Are you able to explain to this growing clientele how their benefits are taxed? Our calculator helps. The proportion of . . .
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The SECURE Act: What Advisors Need to Know

New Legislation Offers Significant Retirement Income Planning Changes The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement . . .
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What is the Social Security Widow Benefit?

Most of you are probably already familiar with a simplified version of the widow calculation which says that the . . .
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FinPlan Friday: SECURE Act

The SECURE Act The recently passed SECURE Act includes some significant changes to retirement income planning and . . .
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Hidden Value: Exposing the Annuity Bonus Trap

Hidden Value is a column in ThinkAdvisor where Joe Elsasser, CFP®, answers common questions with insights that advisors . . .
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How Advisors Should Talk Tax-Efficient Planning With Clients

The elephant and the snowball Taxes are a critical piece in retirement planning, yet most financial advisors avoid . . .
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The Value of the Tax Map for Your Clients

Covisum's software started out as services in my own financial planning practice. We use Tax Clarity® at least once per . . .
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Hidden Value: Help Clients Understand Potential Social Security Benefit Cuts

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Build a Comprehensive Retirement Investment Strategy

Tech Processes in Practice Thousands of advisors across the U.S. use one of Covisum's tools separately to offer . . .
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The Social Security Program will not Leave Retirees High and Dry

With the latest advances in technology, it’s easy for clients to become overwhelmed by a flood of information that may or . . .
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Reaching Retirees on Social Media

Social Media... Not Just for Millennials  If you use financial planning seminars to attract new prospects, social media . . .
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How to Convert Financial Planning Seminar Attendees to Clients

Financial Planning Seminar Success! Now What? You’ve successfully attracted people to attend your educational financial . . .
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On-Demand Webinar: Customizing Tax Clarity to Fit Your Practice

We could tell you how great Tax Clarity® is, but sometimes you want to hear directly from another advisor who is using it . . .
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Top 10 Blog Posts of 2019

The most popular posts of 2019 are... As another year comes to a close, we decided to take a look at the blog posts that . . .
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New White Paper: The Extinction of the Nest Egg

How Successful Advisors Are Adopting a Carton Approach Covisum’s new white paper, “The Extinction of the Nest Egg: How . . .
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10 Seminar Best Practices

You know that seminars are a great way to attract prospective clients. We've created a list of 10 best practices to help . . .
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FinPlan Friday: Form Partnerships with CPAs

The Perfect Team: Financial Advisors and CPAs This week, Joe discusses the benefits of forming mutually beneficial . . .
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On-Demand Webinar: Tax-Efficient Planning for Baby Boomers

Clients don’t always understand the interactions between different types of income and deductions, leading to potentially . . .
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On-Demand Webinar: Retirement Income Streams

The singular “nest egg” is no longer relevant. People have multiple options for saving for retirement: 401(k)s, 403(b)s, . . .
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How to Harness the Power of Educational Seminars

If you’re an advisor in growth mode, you may think your competence, professionalism and ambition are enough to help you . . .
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Clearing up the Annuity Bonus Confusion

Bonus. Sounds great, right? It sounds like “extra.” Getting a bonus is a good thing… right?It’s easy to understand why . . .
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7 Steps to Fantastic Financial Planning Seminars: On-Demand Webinar

7 Steps to Fantastic Financial Planning Seminar Educational seminars can be a fantastic marketing tool, but it requires a . . .
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Hidden Value: Avoid the SECURE Act's Long-Term Tax Traps

Hidden Value is a column in ThinkAdvisor where Joe Elsasser, CFP®, answers common questions with insights that advisors . . .
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FinPlan Friday: Debt in Retirement

Navigating Debt in Retirement Most advisors will encounter at least one client with debt in retirement. Sometimes this . . .
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FinPlan Friday: The Savers Credit & The SECURE ACT

The Saver's Credit The Saver's Credit has become more important following the passage of the SECURE Act, because now you . . .
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Hidden Value: Tax-Smart Charitable Giving Strategies for the New Tax Era

Hidden Value is a column in ThinkAdvisor where Joe Elsasser, CFP®, answers common questions with insights that advisors . . .
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Retirees Should Talk To Their Advisor Before Taking Out An Auto Loan

Forbes Finance Council: Financing Vehicles in Retirement In a recent article for Forbes Finance Council, Covisum Founder . . .
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Announcing: The New and Improved Social Security Timing

Current Subscribers Now Have Access to Try Social Security Timing in the Covisum Portal For the past decade, Social . . .
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FinPlan Friday: The Widow(er) Limit

The Widow(er) Limit for Social Security Benefits The widow calculation says that the surviving spouse receives the higher . . .
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Growth through Referrals

Generate More Client Referrals Studies have shown that referral customers are both more profitable and loyal than normal . . .
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Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: What Your Seminar Attendees Need to Know

Addressing Tax Legislation in Your Financial Planning Seminars Significant changes brought on by the fairly recent Tax . . .
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FinPlan Friday: End of Year Tax Moves

Tax-Efficient Planning for the End of 2019 As 2019 winds to a close, it's important to evaluate where your clients are . . .
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On-Demand Webinar: The Impact of the SECURE Act

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) offers significant changes for retirees. For . . .
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How to Effectively Market Your Seminars with Direct Mail

While many industries have shifted their marketing efforts to become exclusively digital, direct mail remains an . . .
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Live Webinar: 7 Steps to Fantastic Seminars

Tips For Making Your Next Seminar A Success Educational seminars can be a fantastic marketing tool, but it requires a . . .
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Roth Conversions Strategies Made Easy with Income InSight

Income InSight and Roth Conversions  The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act significantly lowered marginal income tax rates for most . . .
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6 Financial Planning Seminar Topics that Will Attract Prospects and How to Deliver Them

In retirement planning, free seminars to the public are a proven way to attract prospects and convert them to clients. . . .
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On-Demand Webinar: Marketing Your Retirement Planning Practice

Creating a marketing strategy is a key component for the success of your business. In this era of constant communication . . .
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Show Clients What Their Retirement Investment Strategy Could Look Like

A Complete and Comprehensive Retirement Investment Strategy Successful advisors are using Income InSight® to answer . . .
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Growth through Marketing

How do I grow my business with Covisum? So many advisors know that marketing is valuable. But when it comes to HOW to do . . .
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Exciting News—We're Moving!

We are moving! The Covisum team is growing rapidly and we are very excited to announce that we are moving to a bigger . . .
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Find Hidden Yardage with SmartRisk

"Hidden Yardage" Successful football coaches often rely on a simple statistical measure of performance known as “hidden . . .
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FinPlan Friday: Avoiding the "Tax Torpedo"

FinPlan Fridays In our new video blog series, FinPlan Fridays, Covisum® Founder and President, Joe Elsasser, CFP®, will . . .
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A Look Back at 2019, A Look Forward to 2020

A Note from the President Covisum Founder and President, Joe Elsasser, CFP®,  highlights some of Covisum's best and . . .
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Seven Steps to a Successful Financial Seminar

  Many people are hungry for financial information they can trust. Financial seminars are a great tool to get in front of . . .
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Financial Literacy Month: Hosting Educational Seminars

Since 2004, the United States has recognized April as Financial Literacy Month and focusing on financial literacy is . . .
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4 New Features in Tax Clarity Help Advisors Make an Impact for Their Clients

Everyone in the financial services industry is talking about how the changes to the tax law will impact clients, and the . . .
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FinPlan Friday: Give Retirement Advice That is Tax-Sensitive

Tax-Aware Retirement Advice Taxes are a critical piece in retirement planning, yet most financial advisors avoid . . .
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Financial Planning Techniques With a Multidimensional, Holistic View of Retirement

Income InSight brings together multiple financial planning techniques into one place: one website, one login, one client . . .
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5 Reasons You Should Try Tax Clarity Right Now

As 2019 starts to wind to a close, now is the perfect time to check out Tax Clarity®. The software helps you quickly . . .
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FinPlan Friday: Financial Planning Techniques to Differentiate Your Practice

Set Your Practice Apart  In this crowded industry, it can be difficult for clients to see the differences between the . . .
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Hidden Value: Probability of Success vs. Consequence of Failure

Hidden Value is a column in ThinkAdvisor where Joe Elsasser, CFP®, answers common questions with insights advisors and . . .
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Hidden Value: Choose a Niche for Your Financial Planning Practice

  Hidden Value is a column in ThinkAdvisor where Joe Elsasser, CFP®, answers common questions with insights that advisors . . .
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Seven Tips to Help You Master Email Marketing

We are all inundated with email. I personally get hundreds a day— maybe more. And I often delete many of the emails I . . .
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Vlog: Use the Covisum Software Suite in Your Initial Interest Meeting

Initial Interest Meeting Have you ever wondered how Covisum President and Founder, Joe Elsasser, CFP® uses the software . . .
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Live Webinar: Navigating Multiple Retirement Income Streams

What Advisors Need to Account For Join Covisum® Founder and President, Joe Elsasser, CFP® on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 . . .
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Build a Better Tech Stack With Financial Advisor Technology

Covisum's financial advisor technology can help you grow your financial planning practice by helping you communicate and . . .
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Live Webinar: Marketing Your Retirement Planning Practice

Do you want help marketing your financial planning practice? Join Covisum's Director of Sales and Marketing, Katie . . .
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On-Demand Webinar:  Structural Integrity in your Financial Plans

Are you frustrated with outputs from multiple sources in your tech stack that don't agree? Many advisors have a tech . . .
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Take the Right Steps and Grow

You've Got Engagement, Now What? Marketing can be crucial to building an advisory practice, but attracting potential . . .
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Forbes Finance Council: Understanding Financial Risk

Why You Shouldn't Just Focus On The Probability Of Success In a recent article for Forbes Finance Council, Covisum . . .
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Follow the Tax Map to Find Clients Nontaxable Income

Imagine showing a prospect how to harvest $11,000 IRA income with no tax. Or a client how to harvest $67,500 of capital . . .
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Income InSight Q&A

The retirement planning platform you’ve been waiting for has arrived: Income InSight™. Income InSight quickly and easily . . .
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On-Demand Webinar: Opportunities For Roth Conversions With Tax Clarity

It's one thing to hear Covisum tell you how great Tax Clarity® is, but wouldn't it be helpful to hear directly from . . .
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How Tax-Efficient Planning Deepens Existing Client Relationships

Business Growth: Marketing & Referrals  Prospecting is necessary for growing your practice, but maintaining your current . . .
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CNBC: Advisors help clients tackle the complexities of Social Security

Americans nearing retirement have a lot of questions and anxiety about the Social Security program.  According to a . . .
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A Recap of the 2020 T3 Advisor Conference

The Covisum team recently returned home after spending a week in warm, sunny San Diego, CA for the 2020 T3 Advisor . . .
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The Extinction of the Nest Egg: Q&A

We sat down with Covisum Founder and President Joe Elsasser, CFP®, the author of, “The  Extinction of the Nest Egg: How . . .
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VLOG: Clients Expect Seminars to be Educational

April is Financial Literacy Month The United States has recognized Financial Literacy Month during the month of April . . .
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Vlog: Use the Covisum Software Suite in Your Strategy Delivery Meeting

Client Strategy Delivery Meeting Have you ever wondered how Covisum President and Founder, Joe Elsasser, CFP® uses the . . .
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Announcing: The New and Improved Tax Clarity

Current Subscribers Now Have Access to The New Tax Clarity Save and compare as many alternates as you want and experience . . .
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Forbes Finance Council: An Annual Checkup Can Keep Your Retirement Plan Healthy

Which accounts should you be tapping, and in which order? In a recent article for Forbes Finance Council, Covisum Founder . . .
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Vlog: Use the Covisum Software Suite in Your Follow-Up Client Meeting

Follow-Up Client Meeting Have you ever wondered how Covisum President and Founder, Joe Elsasser, CFP® uses the software . . .
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Forbes Finance Council: Clearing Up Misconceptions About Social Security

Clearing Up Misconceptions About Social Security In a recent article for Forbes Finance Council, Covisum Founder and . . .
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Tax

A Closer Look at the New Tax Clarity Updates: Saver’s Credit

At the beginning of April, Covisum rolled out four new features to our Tax Clarity® software. The new Saver’s Credit . . .
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Tax Clarity Leaves a Lasting Impression on Prospective Clients

Demonstrate the Dollars You Add to Your Client's Retirement Strategy with Tax Clarity The first meeting with a . . .
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Review This Checklist Before Hosting Your Next Financial Planning Seminar

When done correctly, educational financial planning seminars are a great way to attract new clients. Start the planning . . .
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Tax Clarity adds Quick Reference Guide for free-trial and paid subscribers

Your one-stop reference for tax acronyms, brackets and more Looking up tax brackets or what certain acronyms stand for . . .
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Live Webinar: Combatting Conflicts in Your Tech Stack

Your Clients Want Clear Insights in their Financial Plan Are you frustrated with outputs from multiple sources that don't . . .
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FinPlan Friday: Find Your Financial Planning Niche

Identify Your Ideal Client and Grow This week, Joe discusses the benefits of niching your financial planning practice. . . .
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Find the Information You Need in Covisum's Help Center

We Are Dedicated to Providing Awesome Support Covisum wants to make it easy for our customers to find the information you . . .
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On-Demand Video: Open Architecture is Dead

Our Founder Shares the Future of Fintech Recently Covisum Founder and President Joe Elsasser, CFP®, presented "Open . . .
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CNBC: Relying on your Spouse as Role Model for Money Could be Trouble

 A recent CNBC survey found that women are more likely than men to rely on their partner when it comes to finances. . . .
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4 Tips to Simplify Planning Your Next Financial Seminar

Hosting educational financial planning seminars can be an effective way to grow your business and get you back on track . . .
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Hidden Value: Year-End Tax Opportunities

While this time of year can be a busy one for advisors and clients alike, it’s important for advisors to take a closer . . .
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CNBC: Experts Weigh-In on New Social Security Proposal

Recently Nobel laureate and behavioral economist Richard Thaler suggested that individuals should be allowed to use their . . .
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A Closer Look at Income InSight: Stress Tests

Provide Retirement Insights and Add Bottom Line Dollars for Your Clients Income InSight® was designed to help advisors . . .
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Hidden Value: Tax-Savvy Tactics for Retirement Cash Flow

Hidden Value is a column in ThinkAdvisor where Joe Elsasser, CFP®, answers common questions with insights advisors and . . .
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What October Swoon?

An Opportunity for a SmartRiskTM Assessment October has taken its lumps over the years with recurring discussions of the . . .
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Covisum Honors Three with First-Annual President’s Awards

Covisum recently hosted an employee celebration event to mark the successful launch of Income InSight®. This new . . .
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Build Your Credibility with the Power of Earned Media

People trust their local news outlets and the journalists who run them. In this era of skepticism and ‘fake news,’ . . .
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Grow Your Business With Financial Advisor Technology

Covisum offers more than just financial advisor technology. We’ve developed a process that involves training and support . . .
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Tax Clarity Questions & Answers

Q: What does the gray portion of the Tax Map represent? A: The gray portion of the Tax Clarity® Tax Map represents the . . .
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Social Security Planning Should Be an Essential Part of Your Practice

It’s a common misconception that Social Security planning is dead. Social Security is a completely unique retirement . . .
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Hidden Value: Are Your Clients Buckled Up for Market Chaos?

This week, Joe Elsasser, CFP®, discusses market volatility and how the right conversations about market risk can help . . .
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Tax

Help Your Clients Avoid the "Tax Torpedo"

Social Security Timing® subscribers have helped clients save for retirement and have given them coaching on when to start . . .
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Marketing Strategy for Financial Advisors

How should financial advisors market their services? Four steps to financial advisor marketing Katie Godbout,  Covisum . . .
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Hidden Value: Roth IRA Conversions, How Much Is Too Much?

Hidden Value is a column in ThinkAdvisor where Joe Elsasser, CFP®, answers common questions with insights advisors and . . .
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Hidden Value: Beware the Social Security Tax Torpedo

Hidden Value is a new column in ThinkAdvisor where Joe Elsasser, CFP®, answers common questions with insights advisors . . .
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How do you know if you have portfolio diversification?

By Ron Piccinini, PhD This is inspired by a true story.  There was this fellow named Edmund. Edmund's high-priced . . .
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Live Webinar: Tax-Efficient Planning for Baby Boomers

Sequence of Withdrawals: Tax-Efficient Planning for Baby Boomers Covisum® is hosting a free webinar on Wednesday, March . . .
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Announcing Covisum's Newest Financial Planning Tool, Income InSight

  The deeply-integrated fintech solution you've been looking for has arrived: Income InSight™. The new retirement . . .
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CNBC: Bad Social Security advice cost recipients $131 million, report finds

Covisum President Joe Elsasser, CFP® was recently quoted in a CNBC article, "Bad Social Security advice cost recipients . . .
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Dream Team: Financial Advisors & CPAs

Collaboration Leads to Better Client Thinking Financial advisors can capitalize on this era of new tax laws by forming . . .
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4 Ways Financial Advisors Can Have a Tax-Efficient Planning Tax Season

Tax Day is rapidly approaching, and there are a few ways that financial advisors can be really helpful during this . . .
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Charting the retirement course on Covisum's Tax Map

Case Study: The Real Tax System John and Jane are married and will be filing jointly. They are both over 65 years old. . . .
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User Spotlight: Lauren DeGroot

Lauren DeGroot is an associate advisor at Sequent Planning, LLC, an Omaha-based investment advisory and financial . . .
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Kitces Nerd's Eye View: How To Better Attract Your Ideal Clients

In a recent guest post for Michael Kitces' blog, Nerd's Eye View, Covisum's Director of Sales and Marketing, . . .
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A closer look at the new Tax Clarity updates: self-employment tax

At the beginning of April, Covisum rolled out four new features to our Tax Clarity® software. The new self-employment tax . . .
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Considerations for Employees on the Government Pension Offset

When I spoke about Social Security planning at the NTSAA 403(b) Advisor Summit in Las Vegas, much of the discussion . . .
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How to Generate the Right Leads for Your Financial Planning Practice

Katie Godbout, Marketing Strategist Recently, we talked about how to create a strategic financial advisor marketing plan. . . .
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Schedule Annual Client Review Meetings

We are well into February, and we’ve reached the perfect time of year to schedule annual reviews for your clients who are . . .
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Will Siri Take Your Job?

Technology and the future of your practice Technology is advancing faster than ever before. Who knew that dial-up . . .
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3 Questions that Make Creating a Retirement Investment Strategy Easier

Crafting a retirement investment strategy can be a daunting task for many people, even when they have a great financial . . .
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#NebraskaStrong: Flooding in our Headquarters State

Intense Winter Storm Leads to Devastating Floods  For most of us at Covisum, we've never seen devastation from floods . . .
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How Tax Clarity works with Social Security Timing

Last week, the makers of Social Security Timing® released another innovative software program for financial advisors to . . .
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Knowledge Base: Frequently Asked Questions About Social Security Timing

Q: What are differences between Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO)? A: While both . . .
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The Covisum DNA: A Look at Company Culture and Vision

Call us a SaaS company, a fintech leader or a software company, but we believe we are more than that. Recently, we sat . . .
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0.3% Social Security benefit increase starts in January 2017

The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced on Tuesday, October 18, that for 2017 there will be a 0.3 percent . . .
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How to Improve Lives Through Offering Better Retirement Investment Strategies

Financial advisors, now more than ever, must demonstrate value to clients in order to maintain and grow their businesses. . . .
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A Closer Look at the New Tax Clarity Updates: Dependent Tax Credit

At the beginning of April, Covisum rolled out four new features to the Tax Clarity® software. The new dependent tax . . .
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How To Make the Most of Your Social Security Benefits

PlanStrongerTV™ hosted by David Holland, CPA, CFP® featured Joe Elsasser, CFP® and president of Covisum in an episode . . .
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Tax

Did the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Eliminate the Social Security Tax Torpedo?

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act represents a relatively significant tax cut for most middle-income retirees, but the bill did . . .
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Effects of work on Social Security benefits

If you are under full retirement age (FRA), there is a limit to what you can earn before some or all of your benefits are . . .
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Is 'fiduciary' a mindset?

There are 144 days until the Department of Labor Fiduciary Rule goes into effect. How will this new rule affect your . . .
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5 Resolutions You Should Make for 2019 to Grow your Business

As we wrap up 2018 and launch into 2019, now is the perfect time to start thinking about how to strategically grow your . . .
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A closer look at the new Tax Clarity updates: pass-through deduction

At the beginning of April, Covisum rolled out four new features to the Tax Clarity® software. The new pass-through . . .
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Forbes Finance Council: Is Working With a Robo-Advisor Right For You?

In a recent article for Forbes, Covisum Founder and President Joe Elsasser, CFP®, outlined the benefits and shortcomings . . .
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Knowledge Base: Frequently Asked Questions About SmartRisk

Q: What does SmartRiskTM do?  A: SmartRisk uses a heavy-tailed model to provide more precise portfolio risk measurement, . . .
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When Clients Ask: How Do I Stress Test My Portfolio?

To help you talk risk with clients, Ron Piccinini, Ph.D., answers some common client questions here. Ron, Covisum’s . . .
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How Can Financial Advisors Add Significant Value for Clients?

Financial advisors have a great opportunity to help clients harboring misunderstandings of common systems with . . .
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The Tailored Fit: Q&A

We sat down with Covisum President Joe Elsasser, CFP®, the author of, “The Tailored Fit: How Advisors Can Use Technology . . .
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Tax Implications of Filing for Social Security Benefits Early Versus Filing Late

By Keith McCullough, Director of Support Services Many of us have heard someone say that Social Security is not going to . . .
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Setting up your advisor profile

Setting up your advisor profile A subscription to Social Security Timing® also gives you access to marketing materials to . . .
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Women & money: the retirement planning opportunity you may be missing

A new study reveals that although women are taking control of household finances, they’re unprepared to meet long-term . . .
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Covisum Acquires PrairieSmarts’ risk tools to bring enhanced suite of retirement planning tools

PrairieSmarts’ risk and compliance tools to join Covisum’s line up of Social Security Timing and Tax Clarity solutions . . .
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Closing the deal: first meeting must-do’s

Contributed by Joe Elsasser, CFP® president of Covisum You've done it. You've created a business and marketing plan. . . .
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Hidden Value: Think You Know the Capital Gains Tax Rate? Think Again.

Hidden Value is a new column in ThinkAdvisor where Joe Elsasser, CFP®, answers common questions with insights advisors . . .
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Social Security 'Break-Even' Calculations Can Be Misleading

According to CNBC, one key calculation to keep in mind, when deciding when to claim Social Security benefits, is the . . .
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Tax

Covisum updates Tax Clarity software to reflect  Tax Cuts and Jobs Act changes

Advisors can now answer clients' biggest question in the New Year: "How will the new tax law affect me?" Advisors and . . .
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Can I Work and Collect Social Security Benefits?

The better question would be, “What happens if I work while collecting a Social Security benefit?” The short answer is . . .
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When break-even breaks down

We’ve all seen break-even calculators that show the exact age at which you can expect your decision to delay Social . . .
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The Covisum Tech Stack: Talking to Clients About the Value You Add

Here are some talking points that will help you discuss the value you can add for clients when you use the Covisum tech . . .
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"Last Minute Tax Moves" Webinar Now Available for On-Demand Viewing

Your clients have until the end of the year to harvest from an IRA, execute a Roth conversion, or take a . . .
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Hidden Value: 4 Ways Advisors Can Support Clients With Dementia

Hidden Value is a new column in ThinkAdvisor where Joe Elsasser, CFP®, answers common questions with insights advisors . . .
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CNBC Highlights Social Security Calculator Options

A recent article from CNBC offered an analysis of a handful of Social Security calculators currently available to assist . . .
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ThinkAdvisor asks the advisor and the quant: What are ‘fat tails’ and why do they matter?

Joe Elsasser, CFP® and Ron Piccinini, PhD were recently featured in a ThinkAdvisor article, "The Advisor and the Quant: . . .
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On-Demand Webinar, "Tax Law 2018: What Advisors Need to Know"

Do you have clients who don’t understand the relationship between ordinary and capital incomes? If you do, they could be . . .
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Tax

See Tax Clarity in action

Advisors are using Tax Clarity to quickly produce a Tax Map and demonstrate how even the smallest adjustments to client . . .
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The 5-Minute Triage: Learn Quickly if an IRA Deduction is Double Dipping

For many middle income people approaching retirement, a common question is whether to contribute to a traditional IRA or . . .
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How the Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage impacts Social Security claiming

The June 26th Supreme Court decision that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry in all states has . . .
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How Good Social Security Planning Can Offset 'Disturbing' Trend Hurting Widows

While researching the impact of male Social Security claiming and poverty rates for widows, I have read article after . . .
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Tax

Social Security income tax advantages

Because Social Security carries a substantial tax advantage over other forms of income, delaying benefits in order to . . .
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What’s next for Social Security claiming advice?

After passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 many advisors have asked us how do the changes in the new law affect . . .
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How one advisor more than tripled client responses

After changing his Social Security presentation and seminar, David Conner, a Social Security Timing® subscriber since . . .
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Hidden Value: How to Put the Brakes on Out-of-Control Spenders

Hidden Value is a column in ThinkAdvisor where Joe Elsasser, CFP®, answers common questions with insights advisors and . . .
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2018 Tech Tools for Today Software Survey

   If you're a subscriber to Social Security Timing ®, Tax Clarity ®, or SmartRisk TM, we would love to hear your . . .
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CNBC: Get a bigger Check By Using These Social Security Claiming Strategies

Recently, CNBC highlighted some frequently overlooked Social Security claiming strategies. The article offered tips for . . .
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Ask Our Director of Marketing: Q & A on Generating Leads for Your Financial Planning Business

Sometimes, advisors who are considering a subscription to Covisum software have questions about how to use our tools and . . .
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Forbes Finance Council: Why Your Financial Advisor Should Tell You What You Need To Hear-Not What You Want

In a recent article for Forbes, Covisum President, Joe Elsasser, CFP®, highlighted the benefits of choosing a . . .
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CNBC: Your Social Security Check Could Be 2.8 Percent Bigger Next Year

A recent article from CNBC says Social Security checks will likely increase next year. A 2.8 percent cost-of-living . . .
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Forbes Finance Council: Key Questions to Ask When Choosing a Niched Financial Advisor

In a recent article for Forbes, Covisum President, Joe Elsasser, CFP®, touts the many benefits of choosing a niched . . .
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CNBC explains the best age to claim Social Security

According to an article from CNBC, the best way to determine the optimal age to claim your Social Security benefits is by . . .
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ThinkAdvisor: Covisum's advisor and quant discuss how to help married couples maximize their social security benefits

In an ongoing series exclusive to ThinkAdvisor, Joe Elsasser, CFP® and Ron Piccinini, PhD provide readers with two . . .
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Throw CPAs a Life Jacket

Americans are inundating CPAs with questions about how the recently passed tax law will impact them. But most CPAs make . . .
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ThinkAdvisor features The Advisor and the Quant 

How should advisors prep for a crash? Joe Elsasser, CFP® and Ron Piccinini, PhD were recently featured in a ThinkAdvisor . . .
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New resources added to Tax Clarity

Our team cares about your business growth goals and we've been hard at work creating content and materials to help you . . .
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Covisum's president, Joe Elsasser, CFP®, featured in Financial Planning

It's no secret, Joe Elsasser, our company president uses Covisum technology to reinforce measurable value for his own . . .
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SmartRisk Tutorial  

Designed specifically for financial advisors, SmartRisk helps you set proper downside expectations with your clients. . . .
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How do you explain asset interaction to clients?

Ultimately, our goal is to build client relationships and help clients achieve their financial goals. Listen to our . . .
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Social Security Planning Advice in Times of Change

As I read recent research on the economy and investments, two images came to mind: a canoe, and a car pulling a trailer. . . .
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Final budget dramatically changes Social Security claiming options

The 2016 budget makes sweeping changes to Social Security claiming rules for retirees surrounding the Restricted . . .
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Meet Francine, our newest developer

Covisum helps you stay competitive by hiring the best. Meet our latest addition to the team, Francine Covisum has . . .
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Dead or alive?: Social Security planning a year after Bipartisan Budget Act

The reports of the death of Social Security planning have been greatly exaggerated. A year after its passage, we look at . . .
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Forbes Finance Council: Three Reasons A Gig Economy Is Overvalued

In a recent article for Forbes, Covisum President, Joe Elsasser, CFP®, suggests that despite a recent resurgence, the gig . . .
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Technology Tools for Today: Covisum Tools Make It Easy

Covisum tools make it easy to provide Social Security advice, model future tax situations and give more realistic . . .
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Hidden Value: How to Help Retirees Pick the Right Life Insurance

Hidden Value is a new column in ThinkAdvisor where Joe Elsasser, CFP®, answers common questions with insights advisors . . .
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ThinkAdvisor: A Major Shift is Coming in How Advisors Use Fintech

In a recent article for ThinkAdvisor, Covisum President, Joe Elsasser, CFP®, suggested that full integration will . . .
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The Shift Away From Open Architecture in Fintech

In his recent white paper, “The Tailored Fit: How Advisors Can Use Technology to Mass-Customize Financial Planning,” . . .
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ThinkAdvisor: Covisum's Advisor and Quant Discuss the 4% Rule

In an ongoing series exclusive to ThinkAdvisor, Joe Elsasser, CFP® and Ron Piccinini, PhD provide readers with two . . .
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Forbes Finance Council: The Truth About Portfolio Risk Exposure

In a recent article for Forbes, Covisum President, Joe Elsasser, CFP®, addressed common misconceptions surrounding . . .
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USA Today: Social Security Q&A

Covisum President, Joe Elsasser, CFP®, was recently quoted in a Social Security Q&A in  USA Today. 
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Nationwide survey suggests many Americans have a poor understanding of Social Security

Results from a recent Harris Poll from the Nationwide Retirement Institute® suggest many Americans nearing retirement age . . .
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The 7 books (and papers) everyone with an interest in financial tech should read

In honor of Financial Literacy Month, Covisum President, Joe Elsasser,CFP®, has created a reading list for anybody with . . .
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Covisum Rolls out Big Changes to Tax Clarity® Software

Updates will guide advisors through the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act OMAHA, Neb. (April 17, 2018)– Today, Covisum announced . . .
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ThinkAdvisor hears from the advisor and the quant: Using a Market Correction to Build Client Trust

In an ongoing series exclusive to ThinkAdvisor, Joe Elsasser, CFP® and Ron Piccinini, PhD provide readers with two . . .
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How risky is Warren's publicly traded sock portfolio?

Our in-house risk expert, Ron Piccinini, PhD plugged this well-known portfolio into SmartRisk (excluding the "others" . . .
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A Flaw with Bucket Strategies and Retirement Planning

The bucket strategy is designed to break a retiree’s assets into "buckets" based upon when those buckets are expected to . . .
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ThinkAdvisor: 4 Tips for Navigating Clients’ Tax Questions

Yesterday, Joe Elsasser, CFP® and President of Covisum and Dave Cechanowicz, JD, MSFS, AIF® AEP and Senior Financial . . .
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5 Things To Start, Stop, And Keep Doing With Your Financial Practice In 2018

The New Year traditionally brings resolutions, some of which actually will be kept. Financial advisors should go beyond . . .
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New features and resources added to SmartRisk

Our team cares about your business growth goals. That's one reason we created the software! And since its release, we've . . .
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Is My Pension Covered or Not Covered?

It’s not uncommon for a client come into your office and tell you that they have a pension from the military, or a . . .
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Why financial advisors never really used beta, and why they are right

By Ron Piccinini, PhD Director of Product Development How can you tell if someone went to Harvard? They will tell you . . .
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Making heads or tails of tails

By Ron Piccinini, Ph.D., Director of Product Development An investment’s failure or success is impacted by the worst and . . .
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Covisum Financial Planning

There's traditional financial planning... and there's Covisum financial planning. 
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New Tax Clarity™ software shows clients and prospects a more tax-efficient future

The makers of the patented Social Security Timing® software have developed software for advisors to quickly and easily . . .
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New beginnings

We’re looking forward to a new year in a new space! As we look back at 2016, a lot has changed. In January, we launched . . .
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Covisum™ acquires PrairieSmarts’ risk technology to expand its suite of retirement planning tools

With Covisum’s newest technology acquisition, you’ll be able to estimate a client’s portfolio risk, show them in a . . .
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Our team is growing

Covisum® is pleased to announce the addition of Katie Godbout as marketing strategist. From handshakes to high fives, . . .
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Social Security Strategies in 2017

Joe Elsasser, CFP® and president of Covisum is passionate about improving lives through better financial decisions. He . . .
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Covisum Blog

On-Demand Webinar: Opportunities For Roth Conversions With Tax Clarity

It's one thing to hear Covisum tell you how great Tax Clarity® is, but wouldn't it be helpful to hear directly from . . .
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Hidden Value: Are Your Clients Buckled Up for Market Chaos?

This week, Joe Elsasser, CFP®, discusses market volatility and how the right conversations about market risk can help . . .
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FinPlan Friday: Give Retirement Advice That is Tax-Sensitive

Tax-Aware Retirement Advice Taxes are a critical piece in retirement planning, yet most financial advisors avoid . . .
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A Recap of the 2020 T3 Advisor Conference

The Covisum team recently returned home after spending a week in warm, sunny San Diego, CA for the 2020 T3 Advisor . . .
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On-Demand Webinar: The Impact of the SECURE Act

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) offers significant changes for retirees. For . . .
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Hidden Value: Avoid the SECURE Act's Long-Term Tax Traps

Hidden Value is a column in ThinkAdvisor where Joe Elsasser, CFP®, answers common questions with insights that advisors . . .
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FinPlan Friday: The Savers Credit & The SECURE ACT

The Saver's Credit The Saver's Credit has become more important following the passage of the SECURE Act, because now you . . .
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Find Hidden Yardage with SmartRisk

"Hidden Yardage" Successful football coaches often rely on a simple statistical measure of performance known as “hidden . . .
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The Extinction of the Nest Egg: Q&A

We sat down with Covisum Founder and President Joe Elsasser, CFP®, the author of, “The  Extinction of the Nest Egg: How . . .
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