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Recommend This PageLLG Financial's Year End Tax Tips
December 2011 - The holiday season is a great time to be thinking about your top goals and concerns (and maybe resolutions) for the upcoming year. For many, taxes are a top concern at the end of the year, so here are our top tax ideas from our branch CPA:- Tax harvesting on non-qualified accounts (taxable) to help ease your tax burden.
- Donating to your favorite charitable organization, which could have tax benefits as well as helping those less fortunate.
- End of year income and expense planning.
- Fully funding tax-deferred accounts like 401ks, IRAs, and 529 plans.
- Adjusting your contribution limits in the new year factoring in the recently released 2012 contribution limits for retirement plans (including 401k plans) by the IRS. Click Here for a PDF chart of the new limits.
LLG Financial Supports
"Walk to Cure Diabetes"
November 2011 - On Saturday, October 29, 2011 one of our advisors, Wat Keys, participated in the “Walk to Cure Diabetes” at the Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion. The walk raised funds for JDRF Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Despite cold and wet weather, 4,000 brave walkers attended the event. November is American Diabetes Month, a time to rally individuals, communities and families to Join the MillionsSM in the movement to Stop Diabetes®.
Wat’s 11-year-old son, Ben, was diagnosed with Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes at the age of four. Ben’s treatment requires a strict daily regiment which includes 10 daily finger-pricks and measuring the carbohydrates of all the food he eats. Ben wears an insulin pump which helps him monitor and deliver the regular doses of insulin he needs. Ben handles much of the management of his diabetes himself, and it doesn’t stop him from being very active and happy.
Ben raised $5060 of his $6000 goal. Funds donated to JDRF flow to researchers who are searching for a cure and developing cutting-edge treatment breakthroughs. If you are interested in learning more you can visit Ben’s walk site or JDRF’s site at www.jdrf.org.
LLG Financial Supports the Financial Services Institute Non-Profit
September 2011 -- Jon Dewar has become a member of the non-profit organization, Financial Services Institute (FSI), through July 31, 2012.
The Financial Services Institute (FSI) was formed in January 2004 as the advocacy organization for independent broker/dealers and independent financial advisors. The mission of FSI is to create a healthier regulatory environment through aggressive and effective advocacy, education and public awareness. They represent independent broker-dealers and independent advisors’ interests before Congress, the SEC, FINRA, NASAA, and other regulators. They are our voice in Washington. Here are some of the things FSI is fighting for on our behalf this year: Impacting the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act; Preserving our ability to operate as independent contractors, rather than employees of LPL Financial.
Please take some time to learn more about FSI and its most recent accomplishments, by visiting www.financialservices.org or you can follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fsiwashington (the handle is @FSIwashington).
Jon Dewar Attends LPL Financial 2011 National Conference,
A Leading Financial Services Event Focused On Increasing Value To Investors
August 2011 -- Jon Dewar recently attended focus11, a leading financial services industry conference hosted by LPL Financial, the nation’s number one independent broker-dealer.*
Held in Chicago, August 7–10, focus11 was one of the industry’s largest gatherings of independent financial advisors, and remains the industry’s premier sales and education event. Approximately 5,000 attendees from around the country assembled for the opportunity to learn new strategies and skills, expand knowledge in numerous product areas and network with peers and industry experts. They also heard from influential speakers who addressed current events and financial industry trends. The speakers included Condoleezza Rice, 66th United States Secretary of State; Michael Eisner, former CEO of The Walt Disney Company; and Sir Ken Robinson, author of Out of Our Minds.
Additionally, through the hundreds of business sessions, technology training sessions and continuing education classes at this event, LPL Financial advisors gained valuable knowledge to help them continually improve the service they offer to clients and operate their independent practices more efficiently.
Bill Dwyer, president of National Sales and Marketing for LPL Financial, noted that the conference’s theme, A Focus on the Future, speaks to the current economic outlook and its opportunities and challenges for advisors and their clients: “Our enduring mission at LPL Financial is to support our independent advisors as they help their clients reach their life goals. We believe our ability to enable the delivery of objective and conflict-free advice through trusted local advisors is critical in this ongoing effort.”
Unlike many brokerage firms, LPL Financial does not develop its own proprietary investment products, so the unbiased advice given by its advisors is based solely on individual client needs.
LLG Financial Supports Fayetteville Camellia Club
March 2011 - LLG Financial / RetirementGeeks.com was proud to be a Gold Sponsor this year at the 65th Annual Camellia Show hosted by the Fayetteville Camellia Club. LLG Financial prides itself on being a part of the community and giving back to community events - especially those supported by our clients or partners. Attendees of the Annual Camellia Show were treated to the sights and smells of thousands of Camellia blooms on display. Click here to see some information about this event.
Jon Dewar Interviewed By National Underwriter Magazine
February 2011 - Jon Dewar, head of LLG Financial, was recently interviewed and quoted in the trade publication National Underwriter, adding his insight regarding the evolution of retirement planning and retirement planners. Jon's comments in the article about "The Retirement Planning Market" focused on his opinion that clients need to work with advisors who look at the whole client situation and then work with a team of specialists to be effective. With more and more "Baby Boomers" entering retirement, Jon mentioned that he is fortunate to be able to tap into the expertise of in-house advisors specializing in insurance, investment, taxation, and financial planning software, and to also tap into external outside advisors such as estate planning attorneys, CPA's, real estate and mortgage brokers.
LLG Financial / RetirementGeeks.com Supports
Junior Acheivement's Annual Valentine Vegas Gala
February 2011 - LLG Financial / RetirementGeeks.com is proud to be a Silver Sponsor this year at the annual Valentine's Vegas Gala benefitting Junior Achievement (JA). In its fifth year the Gala continues to be a fun time of Vegas style gaming along with fantastic food and drink, a DJ and dancing. Attendees have the opportunity to support JA further by participating in both silent and live auctions. This year's Gala is on Friday, February 11th at the Prestonwood Country Club in Cary. Doors open at 7:00 and the party lasts to 11:00. Those interested in attending can purchase tickets here. If you are unable to attend but would like to help raise funds for JA you can contact Chip Reed directly by emailing him here. Check out the pictures from last year's Gala here.
LLG Financial Supports
Junior Acheivement's Annual Bowl-A-Thon
LLG Financial has continued to show that we care at Junior Achievement's (JA) annual Bowl-A-Thon. JA is a non-profit which helps educate and inspire students worldwide about workforce readiness and financial literacy. The Bowl-A-Thon is a great way for small businesses and corporations alike to enjoy a time outside the office building team unity while at the same time raising money for such an important organization. Check out the pics from this and past year Bowl-A-Thons - Here.
LLG Financial Supports IntraHealth International and Junior Acheivement
October 2010 - LLG Financial has continued to show that we care throughout the summer. LLG has made recent donations to both IntraHealth International, a non-profit that supports health workers around the world, and Junior Achievement (JA), a non-profit which helps educate and inspire students worldwide about workforce readiness and financial literacy. LLG recently joined other JA volunteers at a Durham Bulls game and we are gearing for the annual Junior Achievement Bowl-A-Thon fundraiser. (Novemeber 5th and 6th, if you'd like to participate or donate.)
JON DEWAR ATTENDS LPL FINANCIAL 2010 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, A LEADING FINANCIAL SERVICES EVENT FOCUSED ON INCREASING VALUE TO INVESTORS
Raleigh, NC –August 2010 -- Jon Dewar of LLG Financial in Raleigh, NC recently attended focus10, a leading financial services industry conference hosted by LPL Financial, an independent broker-dealer. LLG Financial is associated with LPL Financial.
Held in Boston from July 28 to July 31, 2010, focus10 was one of the industry’s largest gatherings of independent financial advisors, and remains the industry’s premier sales and education event. Approximately 4,500 attendees from around the country assembled for the opportunity to learn new strategies and skills, expand knowledge in numerous product areas and network with peers and industry experts. They also heard from influential speakers who addressed current events and financial industry trends. The speakers included Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States; Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric; and Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic.
Additionally, through the hundreds of business sessions, technology training sessions and continuing education classes at this event, LPL Financial advisors gained valuable knowledge to help them continually improve the service they offer to clients and operate their independent practices more efficiently.
Bill Dwyer, president of National Sales and Marketing for LPL Financial, said, “The theme of our focus10 event, A Focus on the American Dream, clearly resonated with the current mood of Main Street U.S. investors. Supporting our independent advisors as they help their clients achieve the American Dream on their terms remains our overarching mission at LPL Financial.”
Jon Dewar Receives Recognition from LPL
July 2010 - Jon Dewar recently received another Director's Club Award from LPL Financial “For Outstanding Client Service” (see attached picture). In reaction, Jon jokingly stated “I blame my staff, fellow advisors, clients, family and God for any awards I receive in the business world.” On a serious note, he said “It’s always nice to receive recognition for our constant efforts at LLG to listen closely to clients and then diligently work with them to achieve their goals. We plan to keep increasing our efforts every day to keep clients happy and keep them referring others to us.”
Dana Odrezin Joins LLG as a Summer Intern
May 2010 - Dana Odrezin has joined LLG as a summer intern from the University of Georgia (go UGA Bulldogs!). She just completed her freshman year from the honors program, and is majoring in finance and real estate. Dana also has family experience in real estate and insurance.
Dana will be involved in most LLG activities to learn as much as she can and to assist our staff and advisors, and for the summer will be greeting clients at the front desk. In her spare time she has an interest in tennis (from playing at the high school level at Sanderson in Raleigh), and she loves playing with Jon’s daughters.
Jon Dewar and Wat Keys Attend Retirement Symposium
May 2010 - At LLG we try to be on the cutting edge of retirement planning, investments, and insurance. This month, Wat Keys and Jon Dewar joined with the best minds in the Retirement Plan/401k world at the LPL Retirement Plan Symposium in Baltimore, Maryland. The latest law and tax changes were discussed and the best strategies for company retirement plans for 2010 and 2011. Wat and Jon made time to attend a Baltimore Orioles baseball game at Camden Yards. From the stands, Wat and Jon tried to explain to the players to save more in their 401k since retirement comes faster for professional athletes (ha ha).
Jon Dewar and Al Howell Attend Insurance Summit
April 2010 - At LLG we try to be on the cutting edge of retirement planning, investments, and insurance. Recently, on the insurance side, Al Howell and Jon Dewar joined with the best minds at the National Financial Partner's Insurance Summit to hear the best strategies for 2010 and 2011. One dinner meeting took place at the Frontiers of Flight Museum where Jon and Al toured the facility which included the Apollo 7 command module pictured here.
LLG Financial supports Heel Your Soul
April 2010 - Rick Field of LLG Financial lent his sound engineering skills to the Heel Your Soul: A Walk For Inner Beauty campaign of Miss Garner 2010 Brianna Tracy. Heel Your Soul is a walk created to benefit Brittany's Battle and the House of Hope of NC . "It's a walk for every person who has ever struggled with low self-esteem, or felt like they aren't good enough." explained Miss Garner Brianna Tracy. Participants who donated a minimum of $25 received among other things a t-shirt that featured a list of the sponsors on the back including LLG Financial.
Hurricanes Victory Inspirational
March 2010 - LLG clients and staff along with a lucky
Junior Achievement raffle winner enjoyed the Hurricanes hockey victory
at the first home game after the Winter Olympic break. The first 10,000 fans were rewarded with an Eric Staal bobblehead. We were inspired
by the Olympic medals on display to reach new heights in financial
planning excellence.
Happy New Year from LLG
Wat Keys and I just finished reading a ton of magazines that predict what will happen in our New Year 2010! Now that I know what will happen, call me and I'll summarize it for you. Here's a hint: Google Wave will be involved, and the USA will not win the World Cup Soccer tourney in South Africa.
LPL Financial Featured in Financial Planning Magazine
Financial Planning magazine featured LPL Financial in a cover story for its November issue. The article titled We’ve Arrived highlights how our firm has come to eclipse its competitors in the independent broker/dealer space and our plans to maintain and extend this leadership position in the future. While the article is an important recognition of our standing in the financial services industry, it is more significant for the compelling story it tells of the unwavering partnership we have with our advisors.
Happy Holidays from LLG!
December 2009 - LLG celebrated the holidays with a party, White Elephant gift exchange, and Hurricanes hockey game. 2009 has been such a fantastic comeback year for the markets that gifts were extravagant such as Chia Shrek and the Carolina (UNC) and NC State Snuggies, and lots of other used and controversial gifts (we won't mention names Arron). Lots of kids were involved and they picked out the gifts for the adults and had a blast at the hockey game seeing Stormy, the Storm Squad girls, and a great hockey game where we actually won in the last minute (with Eric Cole getting a hat-trick). We all counted our blessings and we look forward to a wonderful 2010 New Year working with our great staff, advisors, and clients.
LLG Financial participates in Junior Achievement's "Success Skills" class
December 2009 - Jon Dewar of LLG Financial and Jaz Tunnell of Piedmont Natural Gas have teamed up to teach Junior Achievement’s “Success Skills” to the 9th graders of Broughton High School (Go Capitals!).
Jon and Jaz are teaching the students the main 16 success-skills necessary not only for finding and keeping great jobs, but also for succeeding in life and in relationships. This 4 minute video will give you a taste of the wonderful things Junior Achievement volunteers are doing in the local schools. Let us know if you want to become involved.
President of LLG turns 40!
September 2009 - Though his hairstyle and financial acumen might make you think he was at least 50 years old, our fearless President Jon Dewar turned 40 years young in September. LLG celebrated in style (and immaturity) by toilet-papering his office (see picture ).
Of course the staff also gave him all the standard "old fart" gag gifts like the yellow caution sign for his desk saying "CAUTION! 40-YEAR OLD HAVING A SENIOR MOMENT". Jon thanked the group for their gesture and jokingly replied that "those younger than 40 get to clean up the mess."
In addition to attending company and family celebrations for Jon's 40th, Jon was able to sneak off to NYC with some clients and family to attend the US Open Tennis tourney (see picture of Unisphere) where they saw many tennis champions (including Federer, McEnroe, Del Potro, Kim Clijsters and many more). Though he's a Red Sox fan, Jon and the group also enjoyed a baseball game at the new Yankees stadium (see picture of Senior Partner/Advisor Al Howell and his son who was able to attend).
Jon Dewar, Arron Brisard and Nikki Kourie of LLG Financial travelled to San Diego for our annual educational conference.
August 17, 2009 - While learning important new industry ideas and financial planning strategies for clients, they also discussed economic and market updates from some big names like former President George W Bush, Richard Ketchum CEO of FINRA (new name for the NASD), CNBC's Ron Insana, and Dr. William Poole former President/CEO of the Federal Reserve of St. Louis.
Additionally, they were the first to hear some great news from LPL Financial CEO Mark Casady:
"JD Power announced that we are #1 for Investor Satisfaction with Financial Advisors in 2009 for full service investment broker-dealers!" Notice how Jon does his best as a model under the announcement sign. On a more serious note, Jon said "We are all very proud of this client feedback, and we will continue to do our best to stay the best".
We'll announce more great news from the conference over time in and in our newsletter, but Jon e-mailed this update from a few miles high over California (on his flight back) since he was excited about the recognition. We will all continue to work hard for clients so we can all stay at the top in meeting client goals!
Wat Keys Joins LLG as an LPL Financial Advisor and Retirement Plan Specialist
August 2009 - Wat entered the financial services industry in 1983 as a financial planner. For the past 16 years, Wat has specialized in corporate retirement plans, adding his considerable expertise to his clients’ organizations as a trusted partner. Wat is a graduate of UNC-Greensboro. He holds a series 7 license, is a Certified Financial Planner, and a Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist SM. Wat is an Associated Professional Member of the American Society of Pensions Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA), and regularly attends ASPPA conferences to keep up with the latest pension developments. He is a member of the Financial Planning Association, where he served on the board for seven years, and provided stewardship as president of the local North Carolina chapter.
Wat is passionate about helping business owners and employees get the most out of their retirement plan. Clients need someone who is trustworthy and competent, and he is honored that his clients trust him with their life’s savings.
A native North Carolinian, Wat grew up in Greensboro and moved to the Raleigh area after college. He and his wife, Vania, have two sons, Joseph and Benjamin. The Keys are active in the local Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
LLG's Sponsorship of Kids Making It (KMI) results in handsome LLG company sign made by kids and their mentors in downtown Wilmington, NC.
August 2009 - LLG made a donation to Kids Making It, Inc. which is a national award winning program unique in its strengths-based approach to empower youth to transcend their challenges and grow into responsible, employed and successful citizens of society. KMI teaches woodworking in a strong mentoring environment to instill patience, pride, perserverence, confidence, teamwork and self-esteem. Take a look at the beautiful company sign the kids and their mentors made for LLG. Particular thanks goes to Jeff Davies who made this happen.
Jon Dewar Honored by Junior Achievment
July 2009 - Jon Dewar has been involved with Junior Achievement (JA) since 1997, volunteering through Wachovia Bank in Atlanta where he served as a Vice President. Wachovia encouraged Relationship Managers like Jon to give back to the community and share their expertise with students. Jon quickly saw that he was having a sizable impact "educating and inspiring young students to succeed in a global economy," which is the mission of JA.
When he moved back to North Carolina in 2001, Jon started teaching JA's high school "Success Skills" courses, and he has also taught first-graders and middle-school children. Through Jon's financial planning firm, The Legacy Life Group and LLG Wealth Management & Planning, he has been able to participate in JA's Job Shadow Day, has offered internships to high schoolers, and donated time, money, and services to many JA activities including bowl-a-thons, golf tournaments, and the Valentine's Vegas Gala held yearly.
Because of Jon's commitment to helping children reach their potential through financial literacy, he was invited to join the Board for Junior Achievement of Eastern North Carolina. In 2007 JA's President honored Jon with the "5-Star Award", and Jon is currently on the Board's Executive Committee where he Chairs the Individual Giving fundraising efforts. Jon and his wife Debbie, an attorney at Ogletree Deakins, decided in 2008 to include Junior Achievement in their estate planning, and Jon's goal is to encourage everyone he meets to do likewise for this great charitable cause.
LLG Celebrates 6-Year Anniversary
May 2009 - Despite the financial markets having a rough year LLG did not slow down, and, in fact, LLG continued to grow in new high quality clients (thanks to your referrals) and grow in new advisors/staff. We had plenty to celebrate and be thankful for on the company's 6-year anniversary in May 2009. We are grateful to have wonderful clients who appreciate our mission to achieve client life goals by providing financial consulting services that continually exceed expectations. Some LLG Advisors and clients not only celebrated in Raleigh, but also continued the celebration overseas while enjoying a cruise to Italy, Greece, Turkey and Croatia.
Michelle King Brings Her 10+ Years of Financial Services Experience to LLG
March 2009 - Michelle joined LLG Financial in 2009 as the Client Relations Manager. Her contribution to our team is multi-faceted due to her 10+ years of experience with LPL Financial independent firms. She has an extensive background in working with high net worth individuals, business development, operations management, and maintaining compliance focus.
In Michelle's role, she is resolute to develop solid client relations and reach out to clients to ensure their goals and needs are being met. She is involved with business development, marketing, processing investment business, and tracking new business along with asset transfers. She prides herself on having a strong work ethic and providing world class client service.
Michelle and her fiancé, Tim, recently moved to the Raleigh area from Delaware with her three children, Clinton, Katelyn and Jessica and their dog, Libby. She enjoys spending time with her family, socializing with friends, gardening, wineries and she loves NFL football (especially the Washington Redskins!).
Re-Branding Announcement
December 2008 - Smart organizations constantly think about how they reach and connect
with their stakeholders, be they clients, vendors, staff, or partners.
Occasionally, an aggressive re-evaluation leads the organization to
re-brand itself in order to reflect more closely its growth, changes in
values or focus, or to align external and internal perceptions of its
brand.
If you have visited our site in recent days, you may have noticed our
new logo. Today, we’re pleased to informally announce to our clients
and friends our new name, LLG Financial. Over the coming days and
weeks, you will notice more changes to our website and business
collateral that will reflect and reinforce our new name. A formal
public announcement will be made soon thereafter.
LLG Financial represents our renewed focus on providing wealth
management and financial planning services with a desire to work with
clients in all aspects of their financial lives, not just one or two.
All of our LPL Financial Advisors have full financial planning licenses
where we work as fiduciary for clients in the areas of investment
nagement, insurance, cash/debt management, real estate, taxes, and
estate planning. LLG Financial will continue to be an “independent”
firm where our advisors only work for clients (not the investment or
insurance companies) and we continue to have full access to all the top
investment firms and A-rated insurance firms (offering life,
long-term-care and disability insurance along with annuities).
If you have a financial planning, retirement planning, or estate
planning need LLG Financial and our partners/advisors will listen
carefully to your goals and concerns to find the best fit solutions in
the market place for you.
While we’re excited about our name change, we are more excited about
the constant core value that makes each of us at LLG Financial excited
about coming to work each day: the opportunity to help our clients
navigate the complex financial terrain and help them live their
legacies today!