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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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#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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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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"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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Knowledge Base: Frequently Asked Questions About Tax Clarity

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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On-Demand Webinar, "Last Minute Tax Moves: What Advisors Need to Know"

Covisum is hosting a free webinar on December 5 at 11:00 a.m. Central Time where advisors can learn how to optimize . . .
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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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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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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: 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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The Three Biggest Problems CPAs Face & How You Can Help Solve Them

A symbiotic relationship between CPAs and financial advisors can prove beneficial for your clients - as well as both . . .
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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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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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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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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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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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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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We’re adding portfolio risk to our expertise

The Quant: Renaud “Ron” Piccinini, PhD Covisum is excited to announce that we’ve added Ron Piccinini to our team as . . .
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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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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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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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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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Hidden Value: How Do You Compare Two Financial Plans?

Hidden Value is a new column in ThinkAdvisor where Joe Elsasser, CFP®, answers common questions with insights advisors . . .
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Achieving Business Goals Through Marketing

An introductory guide to marketing for financial advisors By Katie Godbout, Director of Sales & Marketing Creating a . . .
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Real Daily highlights a report that suggests retirees have been underpaid millions

A recent article in Real Daily highlighted a report from the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration . . .
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WealthManagement.com: Explain Risk To Clients Now

Covisum President Joe Elsasser, CFP® recently contributed an article to WealthManagement.com, "Explain Risk To Clients . . .
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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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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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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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Why the lump sum payment doesn't always maximize benefits

Advisors often ask us about Social Security’s lump sum payment because they’ve read articles mentioning this option. . . .
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SmartRisk terms revealed

Asset interaction. Drawdown analysis. Reward/risk ratio. Know the terms that will help you wow clients with SmartRisk™. . . .
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The Arrow Group rallies in Reno

Financial advisors from across the country gathered in Reno, Nevada, Oct. 20 and 21 at Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa. . . .
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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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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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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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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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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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TheStreet: How Does Social Security Calculate My Benefit Check?

TheStreet readers ask about how to get the biggest Social Security checks possible. Robert Powell gets answers from the . . .
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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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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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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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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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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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Financial Planning highlights survey that suggests consumers want an advisor with tax knowledge

A recent article in Financial Planning highlighted a report from 1st Global that suggests the top priority among affluent . . .
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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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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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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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WealthManagement.com: Social Security Tax Management Moves Upstream 

Covisum President Joe Elsasser, CFP® recently contributed an article to WealthManagement.com explaining how the Tax Cuts . . .
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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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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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Affilliate Program

Covisum’s affiliate program is a great way to earn commissions on qualifying software sales. It’s easy to join, plus, 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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Timing one spouse's benefit when the other already claimed

A subscriber called our support team and asked this claiming question for his client. I have a client, Jim, who is 62 . . .
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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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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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Thriving Through Changing Times

Is your business thriving? The 2018 FA Insight Study recently published by TD Ameritrade Institutional states that firms . . .
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New White Paper Examines How Advisors Can Use Technology to Mass-Customize Financial Planning

Covisum’s new 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 benefits and risks of ESG investing

In an ongoing series exclusive to ThinkAdvisor, Joe Elsasser, CFP® and Ron Piccinini, PhD provide readers with two . . .
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ThinkAdvisor: Covisum's advisor and quant discuss how to plan for health care costs in retirement

In an ongoing series exclusive to ThinkAdvisor, Joe Elsasser, CFP® and Ron Piccinini, PhD provide readers with two . . .
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ThinkAdvisor: Covisum's advisor and quant discuss how to manage sequence of returns risk in retirement planning

In an ongoing series exclusive to ThinkAdvisor, Joe Elsasser, CFP® and Ron Piccinini, PhD provide readers with two . . .
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ThinkAdvisor: Covisum's advisor and quant discuss the impact of tax reform on investment portfolios

In an ongoing series exclusive to ThinkAdvisor, Joe Elsasser, CFP® and Ron Piccinini, PhD provide readers with two . . .
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ThinkAdvisor: Covisum's advisor and quant discuss cryptocurrencies and financial planning

In an ongoing series exclusive to ThinkAdvisor, Joe Elsasser, CFP® and Ron Piccinini, PhD provide readers with two . . .
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WealthManagement.com: Is Social Security Benefit Planning Disappearing?

Covisum President Joe Elsasser, CFP® recently contributed an article to WealthManagement.com explaining explaining the . . .
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New resources added to Social Security Timing

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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Don't take our word for it... tools that will help you help your clients

By David Cechanowicz, JD, MSFS, AIF, AEP, Senior Financial Planner, REDW Stanley One of the most significant financial . . .
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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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Change to printed client report better illustrates income gap

Many subscribers have been asking for a column that calculates the additional years of work and non-Social Security . . .
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Beware of averages

When an individual or a couple decides how and when to claim their Social Security benefits, life expectancy is one of . . .
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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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SmartRisk Tutorial  

Designed specifically for financial advisors, SmartRisk helps you set proper downside expectations with your clients. . . .
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Covisum Financial Planning

There's traditional financial planning... and there's Covisum financial planning. 
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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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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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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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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 Blog

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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