Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT)
An ILIT is a trust primarily set up to hold one or more life insurance policies. The main purpose of an ILIT is to avoid federal estate tax. If the trust is drafted and funded properly, your loved ones should…
OUR FIRM
The H Group, Inc. is an independent, fee-only Wealth Management firm. Founded in 1990 and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a Registered Investment Advisory firm, we are now recognized as one of the largest independent financial planning firms in the Northwest. We are dedicated to our clients’ success. We strive to understand your needs and then provide practical solutions and effective solutions to your problems. By conducting our business with uncompromising honesty and integrity, we are confident that we will earn your trust and respect.
WHO WE SERVE
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Most of our clients are financially comfortable retirees and successful individuals who have accumulated significant assets. They are conservative-to-moderate risk takers, and most of them were referred to us by other clients or by professional advisors. Our clients seek long-term relationships with their advisors. They appreciate our knowledge and expertise, but it is our care and concern for our clients that they value most.
PROFESSIONALS
OUR ADVISORS AVERAGE NEARLY 20 YEARS OF EXPEREINCE
Your financial future is too important to leave to chance. Our experienced group of credentialed financial advisors average nearly 20 years of experience in the financial services profession. All of our senior advisors are CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP) professionals.
CLIENTS
SERVING WITH PURPOSE
Our Clients Are Busy People
They prefer to spend life focusing on their families and careers, rather than sorting through the increasingly difficult and complex world of personal finance. They entrust us to be a part of their team.
Our Clients Are Multigenerational
We are proud to work with our clients across decades and generations. It’s not uncommon for our conference room to fill with two or three generations, all collaborating, all on the same page.
Our Clients Trust Us
We work every day to earn and maintain the trust of the clients we are privileged to serve. We actively seek ways to make their lives better and genuinely enjoy helping.
Our Clients Value Time
They recognize the value of their time – and our expertise. In our work together, we strive to create clarity through customized planning and empowerment through ongoing education.
Our Clients Are Fun
We genuinely enjoy and respect our client families. We look forward to seeing them and go out of our way to find opportunities to make their lives easier.
OUR PROCESS
OUR HOLISTIC APPROACH MEETS EVERY AREA OF LIFE PLANNING
Wealth
Management
Tax
Planning
Risk
Management
Estate
Planning
Cash Flow
Organization
Philanthropic
Objectives
NEWS
A FEW OF OUR LATEST ARTICLES
Single Life Annuity or Joint & Survivor Annuity?
Should I choose a single life annuity for my pension or a joint and survivor annuity that makes payments to my spouse when I die?
Investing as a Couple: Getting to Yes
In a perfect world, both halves of a couple share the same investment goals and agree on the best way to try to reach them. It doesn’t always work that way, though; disagreements about money are often a source of…
Pandemic Relief Measures and Your Tax Return
Two emergency relief bills passed in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic will make this an unusual tax season for many taxpayers. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed in March, and a second relief…
Get a Fresh Start on Your Finances in 2021
There’s no doubt about it — last year was tumultuous. The coronavirus pandemic, a contentious election, and widespread protests were just some of the events that impacted our nation in 2020. Fortunately, the arrival of new vaccines has brought hope…
There’s Still Time to Make an IRA Contribution for 2020
Even though tax filing season is well under way, there’s still time to make a regular IRA contribution for 2020. You have until your tax return due date (not including extensions) to contribute up to $6,000 for 2020 ($7,000 if…
American Rescue Plan Act: Providing Relief to Individuals and Businesses
On Thursday, March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA 2021) was signed into law. This is a $1.9 trillion emergency relief package that includes payments to individuals and funding for federal programs, vaccines and testing, state…
Consolidated Appropriations Act: Providing Relief to Individuals and Businesses
On Sunday, December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA 2021) was signed into law. A $900 billion emergency relief package is included as part of this omnibus spending bill. It is intended to assist individuals and businesses during…
How Much Inflation Risk is Really Out There?
Treasury rates have ticked higher in recent weeks, due to investor worries about a pickup in inflation. This is not a new concern, but has gained steam as a large ($1.9 tril.) stimulus package appears to be on the verge…
Establishing a Budget
Do you ever wonder where your money goes each month? Does it seem like you’re never able to get ahead? If so, you may want to establish a budget to help you keep track of how you spend your money…
Transferring Your Family Business
As a business owner, you’re going to have to decide when will be the right time to step out of the family business and how you’ll do it. There are many estate planning tools you can use to transfer your…
Umbrella Liability Insurance
When your local weather forecaster tells you that it’s going to rain, what do you do? That’s easy–you reach for your umbrella. So why not purchase an umbrella that can protect you in stormy financial weather? Umbrella liability insurance (ULI)…
What Is the GameStop Situation All About?
We don’t like to spend too much time on market anomalies, let alone individual stocks that fall outside long-term asset allocation principles, but this seems to have taken over the headlines last week. Rarely do stock market quirks become mainstream…
Balancing Work and Family
At one time, the typical American family looked like this: a breadwinner father who commuted a short distance to work and earned a very good living, and a stay-at-home mother who took care of the kids and family home with…
Financial Basics for Millennials
With age comes responsibility, so if you’re a young adult in your 20s or 30s, chances are you’ve been introduced to the realities of adulthood. While you’re excited by all the opportunities life has to offer, you’re also aware of…
Economic Outlook: What Could We Expect in 2021?
Each year naturally brings more surprises than certainties, so outlooks and predictions of any kind quickly become futile. (We’ve already experienced a dramatic and unusual first week of January.) At least at this point in time, noted are a few…
Retirement Savings: Revisiting the 4% Rule
Saving for retirement is not easy, but using your retirement savings wisely can be just as challenging. How much of your savings can you withdraw each year? Withdraw too much and you run the risk of running out of money.…
COVID Relief Plan: What Can You Expect?
The prior weekend, Congress had agreed on a $900+ bil. Covid relief package, approved by both chambers a few days later, and finally signed by the President last night. This had been in the works for months, with a few…
Facing the Possibility of Incapacity
Incapacity means that you are either mentally or physically unable to take care of yourself or your day-to-day affairs. Incapacity can result from serious physical injury, mental or physical illness, advancing age, and alcohol or drug abuse.
Estate Planning: Charitable Giving
When developing your estate plan, you can do well by doing good. Leaving money through charitable giving rewards you in many ways. It gives you a sense of personal satisfaction, and it can save you money in estate taxes.
Dow 30,000: How Important is It?
It’s a new high, but not dissimilar to celebrating say, 29,999 as a new peak, although the odd number didn’t receive the same level of media attention. These round market levels, whether it be the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Nasdaq,…
Oregon Waiting Week Payments Arrive
The Oregon Employment Department (OED) has announced that as of November 24th, they have started issuing waiting week payments to eligible Oregonians.
Are Bonds Expensive? Are They in a Bubble?
Whether or not an asset class is in a bubble is difficult to answer in real-time, since sentiment can change course as quickly as a few weeks, or take years. In hindsight, these things are always more obvious. The question…
The Basics: Credit Score
It’s difficult to imagine functioning in today’s world without credit. Whether buying a car or purchasing a home, credit has become an integral part of our everyday lives. Having easy access to credit goes hand in hand with having a…
The Election is Over, Now What?
The election results may have surprised some forecasters (and certainly pollsters), as the predicted ‘blue wave’ of Democrats capturing both the Presidency and Senate fell short. Democrats did retain the House of Representatives, as anticipated, although more seats than expected…
Myths and Facts about Social Security
There’s no doubt about it — Social Security is an important source of retirement income for most Americans. According to the Social Security Administration, nearly nine out of ten individuals age 65 and older receive Social Security benefits.
Retirement Account Rollovers
Rollovers are the movement of funds from one retirement savings vehicle to another. You may want to make a rollover for any number of reasons — your employment situation has changed, you want to switch investments, or you’ve received death…
Healthcare Open Enrollment Begins November 1
Beginning on November 1, 2020, individuals (including families) may apply for new health insurance, switch to a different health-care plan, or re-enroll in their current plan through a Health Insurance Marketplace under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The open enrollment…
Plan Sponsors: Coronavirus Relief Measures
In March 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which included several provisions designed to help retirement savers cope with the financial fallout from the pandemic. Among these temporary measures were special rules for required…
The Bull Is Back…Will It Keep Charging?
On August 18, 2020, the S&P 500 set a record high for the first time since COVID-19 ushered in a bear market on February 19. The cycle from peak to peak was just 126 trading days, the fastest recovery in…
The Traits of a Good Investor and How Women Can Make the Most of Them
Many women manage their own money. This includes women who have always been doing so and women who are relatively new to the world of investing, for whatever reason. Regardless of your level of investing experience, there are certain investor…
Temporary Payroll Tax Deferral
On August 8, 2020, the president issued an executive order to allow the deferral of certain payroll taxes during the last four months of 2020, and the IRS recently provided related guidance. This has implications for both employers and employees.…
Oregon Pandemic Lost Wages Assistance Update
On Wednesday, September 30th, the Oregon Employment Department will begin issuing Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) payments to qualifying Oregonians who received PUA benefits or self-certified that they received unemployment benefits for COVID-19-related reasons.
Student Loan Relief Extended Through End of Year
In March 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided a six-month automatic payment suspension on federal student loans through September 30, 2020. In August, the president signed a memorandum to extend federal student…
The Impact of a Trump Reelection?
What would be the impact of a Trump Presidential reelection for a second term? How important is the President on financial markets anyway? In many ways, policies to expect would likely be similar to what’s in place today, and largely…
Retirement Plan Considerations at Different Stages of Life
Throughout your career, retirement planning will likely be one of the most important components of your overall financial plan. Whether you have just graduated and taken your first job, are starting a family, are enjoying your peak earning years, or…
What Causes Sudden Market Declines?
What causes sudden market declines like we saw this week, seemingly out of nowhere? There often isn’t a concrete reason. It’s important to remember that stocks trade in a market like any other good: when there are more buyers than…
The Impact of a Biden Presidency?
What would be the impact of a Biden Presidential election win, potentially including a Democratic takeover of the Senate? The impact of a potential new President on stock market returns is always a key question in the weeks prior to…
ABCs of Financial Aid
These days, it’s hard to talk about college without mentioning financial aid. Yet this pairing isn’t a marriage of love, but one of necessity. In many cases, financial aid may be the deciding factor in whether your child attends the…
Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)
When it comes to federal income tax, there are few subjects capable of causing as much confusion as the Alternative Minimum Tax. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act substantially increased the Alternative Minimum Tax exemptions and exemption phaseout thresholds for…
College Expenses and the Pandemic Impact
Even in normal times, it can be challenging for families to cover college expenses without borrowing money and/or risking their own retirement security. For the 2019-2020 academic year…
Dealing with Periods of Crisis
By definition, a crisis is a turning point, a time when you have to make crucial decisions (often suddenly) that will affect your future. Although smart planning is the key to effectively dealing with periods of crisis, you may find…
Balancing Retirement and Education Savings
You want to retire comfortably when the time comes. You also want to help your child go to college. So how do you juggle the two? The truth is, saving for your retirement and your child’s education at the same…
Retirement Planning: The Roth 401(k)
Employers can offer 401(k) plan participants the opportunity to make Roth 401(k) contributions. If you’re lucky enough to work for an employer who offers this option, Roth contributions could play an important role in maximizing your retirement income.
Small Business: Designing a Benefit Package
If you’re a small business owner, you face many challenges in growing your company. One of them is recruiting and retaining the best talent for your needs. When your primary goals are managing costs and increasing revenue, how do you…
Health Savings Account 101
Are health insurance premiums taking too big of a bite out of your budget? Do you wish you had better control over how you spend your health-care dollars? If so, you may be interested in an alternative to traditional health…
Social Security Retirement Benefit Basics
Social Security benefits are a major source of retirement income for most people. Your Social Security retirement benefit is based on the number of years you’ve been working and the amount you’ve earned. When you begin taking Social Security benefits…
US Dollar: What’s All the Fuss?
Following a sharp 10% rise in the value of the U.S. dollar earlier in the year, most dramatically during the stock market meltdown in Q1, the dollar has sold off by nearly -10% since. This pattern is not abnormal during…
Net Investment Income Tax: The Basics
If your income hits a certain level, you may face an additional wrinkle in calculating your taxes: the net investment income tax (also referred to as the unearned income Medicare contribution tax). This 3.8% Medicare tax applies to some or…
Long-Term Care: 5 Common Questions
Understandably, many people put off planning for long-term care. But although it’s hard to face the fact that health problems may someday result in a loss of independence, if you begin planning now, you’ll have more options open to you…
Succession Planning: Buy-Sell Agreement
Buy-sell agreements are very important planning tools that can accomplish many things for a business with two or more owners. Sometimes referred to as a prenuptial or premarital agreement among business owners, a business continuation agreement, a stock purchase agreement,…
The Shape of Economic Recovery
On June 8, 2020, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), which has official responsibility for determining U.S. business cycles, announced that February 2020 marked the end of an expansion that began in 2009 and the beginning of a recession.1 This…
A Retirement Income Roadmap for Women
More women are working and taking charge of their own retirement planning than ever before. What does retirement mean to you? Do you dream of traveling? Pursuing a hobby? Volunteering your time, or starting a new career or business? Simply…
Oregon Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Update
On Friday, July 17th, the Oregon Employment Department launched a new online form for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) initial claims and weekly certifications. We wanted to pass along some additional information regarding the new form, per David Gerstenfeld, Acting Director…
Wall Street Vs. Main Street: Disconnected?
Are the financial markets (‘Wall Street’) and the real economy (‘Main Street’) disconnected? Although they may appear to be disconnected on the surface, and near-term outcomes are impossible to predict, they’re likely no more disconnected than usual. One of the…
How to Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft
Massive computer hacks and data breaches are now common occurrences — an unfortunate consequence of living in a digital world. Once identity thieves have your information, they can use it to gain access to your bank and credit card accounts,…
Teach Your Children Well: Basic Financial Education
Even before your children can count, they already know something about money: it’s what you have to give the ice cream man to get a cone, or put in the slot to ride the rocket ship at the grocery store.…
Social Security and Medicare Face Financial Challenges
Most Americans will eventually receive Social Security and Medicare benefits. Each year, the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds release lengthy reports to Congress that assess the health of these important programs. The newest reports, released on…
Oregon PERS – Senate Bill 1049
In 2019, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 1049 (SB1049). The bill makes some changes to the Oregon PERS calculations in their quest to help keep the PERS system funded for current and future beneficiaries. While the bill was passed…
Women and Work: Why Salary, Benefits, and Work-Life Balance Count
As more and more women earn college degrees, change in the workplace may be inevitable. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, women now earn 57% of bachelor’s degrees, 58% of master’s degrees, and 53% of doctoral degrees. According…
Coping with Market Volatility: How Biases Can Affect Investment Decisions
When it comes to your finances, “go with your gut” might not be the wisest adage to follow. In fact, it may work against you, particularly in periods of market turbulence. Before jumping to conclusions about your finances, consider what…
Too Much Oil with Nowhere to Go
On April 20, 2020, the price of a futures contract for West Texas Intermediate crude — the benchmark for U.S. oil prices — fell below zero for the first time in history, dropping more than 306% in trading on the…
How Women Are Different from Men, Financially Speaking
We all know men and women are different in some fundamental ways. But is this true when it comes to financial planning? Everyone wants financial security. But women often face unique obstacles that can affect their ability to achieve it.…
Avoid Mixing Business and Personal…Finances That Is
Most are familiar with the old saying “never mix business with pleasure.” However, for business owners both large and small, keeping in mind the mantra to never mix business finances with personal finances will serve you well.
Net Unrealized Appreciation: The Untold Story
If you participate in a 401(k), ESOP, or other qualified retirement plan that lets you invest in your employer’s stock, you need to know about net unrealized appreciation — a simple tax deferral opportunity with an unfortunately complicated name.
Estate Tax Changes Under Recent Tax Acts
Over the past two decades significant changes have been made to the taxation of an estate. In this article we take a look at how the federal gift and estate tax, as well as the federal generation-skipping tax have been…
Reaching Retirement: Now What?
You’ve worked hard your whole life anticipating the day you could finally retire. Well, that day has arrived! But with it comes the realization that you’ll need to carefully manage your assets to give them lasting potential.
Estate Planning: Leaving a Legacy
You’ve worked hard over the years to accumulate wealth, and you probably find it comforting to know that after your death the assets you leave behind will continue to be a source of support for your family, friends, and the…
Retirement Confidence Drops in 2020
The Retirement Confidence Survey conducted each year by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) took a slightly different tack in 2020. After completing its initial outreach in January — the 30th in its annual series — EBRI decided to conduct…
2019 IRA Contribution Deadline Extension
Due to the coronavirus tax filing extension, there’s still time to make a regular IRA contribution for 2019. You have until your tax return due date (not including extensions) to contribute up to $6,000 for 2019 ($7,000 if you were…
Negative Interest Rates in the U.S.?
With U.S. short-term interest rates again reaching the zero bound (fed funds rate of 0.00-0.25%), debate has surfaced again about moving the target range further—to below-zero territory. Several developed nations, mostly in Europe, moved down this path years ago, and…
Unemployment Fraud on the Rise
Moments of crisis are times for people to come together and help one another. However, with the rise of record unemployment levels, unemployment fraud has taken hold of vulnerable targets.
Too Far and Too Fast?
Have some financial asset prices bounced back too far and too fast? This is never simple to evaluate, as current prices for rates and risk assets have a behavioral component, and appropriate price levels may only be obvious in hindsight.
Watch Out for Coronavirus Scams
Fraudsters and scam artists are always looking for new ways to prey on consumers. Now they are using the same tactics to take advantage of consumers’ heightened financial and health concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.
How meaningful are these ongoing tariff threats?
Market volatility has obviously been ramping up as of late, with one of the catalysts being the announcement of various layers of tariffs by the U.S. administration. This rhetoric has been targeted at China, which has responded with a series…
What should we make of the pullback in equities?
As we discussed in our special note last week, pullbacks are a normal component in the cycle of any market, with a few steps forward-one-step back pattern being the tendency of stock investments for the past several centuries. Read our…
Now that the tax plan is finished, now what?
The 1000+ page tax reform plan, the largest in decades, has been passed by both legislative chambers and signed into law. It moved surprisingly quickly, with initial debate about various components turning into a package that looked very much like…
What to make of the rise in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies?
It’s impossible to speculate on the future prospects of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies that have been gaining significant ground in recent months. But it’s important to remember the risks.
