Greetings!
This spring is flying right by us! Some days, like this past weekend, it still feels like winter, and other days I’m ready for the pool to open. In just a couple weeks we’ll kick off the season of backyard BBQs, day trips, weekends at the shore, and family get-togethers...I can't wait! My girls will be home and nothing could make me happier. In fact, our oldest daughter, Becca, recently graduated from Temple Grad School with a Masters of Arts in Speech Language Pathology and will soon begin working in her field. Abbey, our youngest, will split her time this summer between interning for an ad agency in Philly and helping in the office with re-branding the CURO website and other media. I am beyond proud of both of my girls!

We also have two new additions to the CURO family. Danielle and her boyfriend Matt recently rescued sweet and snuggly Fiona , a 3 year old Staffy-mix, and the three are enjoying adventures around the city, exploring Philadelphia together. Later this month, Najeedah Ghias , a finance student at the Fox Business School at Temple will join us for a summer internship. She’ll be learning from Danielle and I about the services associated with wealth management and financial planning. We are excited for her to join our tribe!

Our commitment to the community continues with our partnership with WHYY . Last month, our Marketing Manager, Dana Caro and her Mom, Cathy, were able to attend a VIP reception and book signing for renowned Chef, Restaurateur, and PBS Host - Lidia Bastianich . And this past weekend, we gathered to complete 20 Sweet Cases for local foster children. You can read about the wonderful event below.

Above all else, we're working hard to complete improvements to the CURO brand, updating our office, our website, this newsletter, and more. Our goal is to be more impactful and efficient in servicing our clients' needs, while also providing unique opportunities to learn and cultivate relationships in the community. I hope you'll join us at our next #CUROintheCommunity events this summer, as we host a Woman's Day on the Water to learn about Dragon Boat Racing and venture into wine making this September. There is so much fun ahead, so stay connected with us!

Marianna
Becca's Big Day
Fiona thinks she's a lap dog!
At the WHYY studios with Lidia Bastianich
NEWS THAT AFFECTS YOU
MARKET COMMENTARY
Markets Start to Spring Back!

Markets rebounded in April after two turbulent months, and all three major U.S. indices began the second quarter in the black. The S&P 500 Index gained 0.38 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.34 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite rounded out the pack with a 0.08-percent return. 

The rebound was supported by strong fundamentals. According to FactSet, as of the end of April, the first-quarter earnings growth rate for the S&P 500 was estimated to be 23.2 percent. If companies do as well as expected, this would be the highest earnings growth rate since the third quarter of 2010 and more than twice the consensus forecast of 11.4 percent as of December 31, 2017. Clearly, businesses are benefiting from the lower corporate tax rates introduced by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act....

THANK YOU FOR GIVING & CRAFTING HOPE WITH US!
Our first community giving event for Together We Rise was a success! On Friday afternoon, friends and clients of CURO came out to help us decorate special duffel bags for local children displaced from their homes and entering into foster care.

We gave it our best Monet effort and stenciled the duffels with dinos, butterflies, rainbows, rocket ships, and more and added words of inspiration and letters of encouragement. Once decorated, we stuffed them full of books, blankets, teddy bears, toothbrushes and toys. It is our hope that the children that receive these bags find comfort in the contents and in the face of their uncertain future.

Later this month, we will be delivering the SWEET CASES to Children’s Home Society of New Jersey to be given to children in need, between the ages of 0 and 11 years old. Although we won’t be able to see their faces when they receive the gifts, our hearts are warmed with the thought of each of them opening the bags in their new homes, finding all the treasures inside and realizing they matter. 

We are so grateful to everyone that participated, painted, stuffed or sent items to be included in the bags. We plan to do this again later in the year so if you would still like to contribute to our donation drive, please contact us below.
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What's New in the World of College Planning?
College students and their parents dodged a major bullet with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Initial drafts of the bill included the elimination of Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, the Lifetime Learning Credit, and the student loan interest deduction, along with the taxation of tuition waivers, which are used primarily by graduate students and college employees. In the end, none of these provisions made it into the final legislation. But a few other college-related items did. These changes take effect in 2018.

529 Plans Expanded
The new law expands the definition of 529 plan "qualified education expenses" to include K-12 tuition. Starting in 2018, annual withdrawals of up to $10,000 per student can be made from a 529 college savings plan for tuition expenses related to enrollment at a K-12 public, private, or religious school (excluding home schooling). Such withdrawals are now tax-free at the federal level...

Longer-term Care ABC's
It's a fact: People today are living longer. Although that's good news, the odds of requiring some sort of long-term care increase as you get older. And as the costs of home care, nursing homes, and assisted living escalate, you probably wonder how you're ever going to be able to afford long-term care. One solution that is gaining in popularity is long-term care insurance (LTCI).

What is long-term care?
Most people associate long-term care with the elderly. But it applies to the ongoing care of individuals of all ages who can no longer independently perform basic activities of daily living (ADLs)--such as bathing, dressing, or eating--due to an illness, injury, or cognitive disorder. This care can be provided in a number of settings, including private homes, assisted-living facilities, adult day-care centers, hospices, and nursing homes.

Long Term Care Presentation This Fall

Our next Long Term Care event with Nicole Meyers of Lincoln Financial Group will be held October 4th from 6 to 8 pm. Details to follow. Click the button below to let us know you're interested in the event so we can save you a seat.
You Did It!!
Congratulations to our client Cindy for making it to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro ! Standing at 19,341 feet in Tanzania, Kilimanjaro is firmly classified as an extreme altitude mountain trek and to climb takes 5 to 9 days to complete, with a lot of preparation. We're so proud of your accomplishment and grateful we were able to help you make your dream happen!
We're here for you when you need us most.
Estate planning entails the creation of a master plan for the management of your property during your life and the distribution of that property at death. Estate planning aims to give you control over your assets, provide care when you need it most, transfer of your wealth to whom you want, and reduce stress for your loved ones.

Retirement planning involves evaluating your current financial standing and creating an accumulation strategy that will help to ensure your desired retirement lifestyle. A successful plan put into place during the process of wealth building should address ways to maximize growth and tax-efficient distributions.

Accumulation planning addresses an individual’s investment needs, asset allocation, and the suitability of different types of securities in light of a person’s goals and risk tolerance. In addition, asset allocation is used to distribute a person’s investable assets among a variety of investment categories .

We love to hear from our clients about how we are doing, what we can do better, what services you need, or how we've helped you achieve your dreams! Please feel free to click the button above and send us an note about how we can help.