IN THE KNOW
Monthly Newsletter
February 2020
At ML&R Wealth Management , we want to ensure our clients are In The Know. In this month's newsletter we have timely articles on estate planning as well as a look at dividends in a blog post from Dimensional. We are a firm that understands that managing your assets is about more than money. It is about empowering your future. At ML&R Wealth Management, we focus on you.
Vanessa McElwrath, CFP® , Wealth Management Partner

There’s no doubt about it- estate planning is a sensitive subject. The issue involves two taboo topics most of us avoid discussing: death and money. As a result, estate planning often gets swept under the rug and put off to be dealt with a later date. Although estate planning can be a daunting task, a well-informed estate plan is essential, ultimately providing peace of mind and protection for an individual and the loved ones left behind.

Estate Planning Basics

Creating a well-designed estate plan is a critical step in the development of an overall financial plan. It’s important to work with an attorney and your wealth advisor to develop your plan and legal documents associated. The attorney will guide you through the creation of fundamental estate planning documents while your wealth advisor can ensure the plan aligns with your long-term goals and that account titling and listed beneficiaries is coordinated with any legal documents. Although each estate plan is tailored to the individual, there are some essential documents common to most plans:


Advisor, Vanessa McElwrath recently sat down with KVUE to discuss this topic in detail. View the video below for estate planning tips.


Investors often see dividends as a way to generate income. But dividend strategies are not the only way to produce cash, and investors should be aware of the potential tradeoffs that accompany a focus on dividends.

For stockholders who own dividend-paying shares, those payments arrive on a schedule (quarterly, in many cases). The cash to fund a dividend must come from somewhere, however. We know the price of a stock is potentially influenced by all expected future cash flows to shareholders. If cash is paid today in the form of a dividend, the stock price—and total market capitalization—of the issuing company may therefore fall, as the hypothetical Portfolio A in Exhibit 1 shows. That means, all else being equal, an investor who receives a dividend may also be left with a less valuable equity holding.


Financial Wellness Q&A
In this section we will address common personal finance questions. Email wealth@mlrpc.com if you have a question you would like answered.


Question: What is Probate?

Answer: The court supervised process of proving the validity of a will and distributing property under the terms of the will or in accordance with a state’s intestacy law in the absence of a will.
Cyber-security Reminder

The new year is a great time to clean-up your online habits and start making smart decisions when it comes to internet safety. Checkout the infographic below on some Do's & Don'ts for internet safety.

Click here to get the link to share with friends.
Have you heard? The experts are warning against abbreviating the year 2020. Read  here for more information on why.
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About ML&R Wealth Management:
At ML&R Wealth Management, we take investing personally. Your ML&R Wealth Management advisor will work to develop a lasting relationship with you, keeping in touch to understand your changing goals and to provide an asset management strategy to help achieve them. Whenever you need sound financial advice, you have a direct line to a trusted advisor.

For over 20 years, we have served individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits with wealth management services, custom retirement and 401(k) plans, and portfolio management.

We believe in accountability and transparency and operate as a fee-only advisor with fees calculated solely on assets under management.
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