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Illustration showing the shape of the U.S. state of Michigan, highlighted in red. The state is divided into two main landmasses: the upper and lower peninsulas, separated by water and connected by the Mackinac Bridge. The image background is white, featuring a subtle MESP watermark.

Exciting Changes Ahead for Michigan 529 College Savings Plans

June 8, 2020

The Michigan Education Savings Plan (MESP) recently announced important enhancements to its 529 College Savings Plans. These changes take effect on June 15, 2020. MESP is expanding the current investment lineup to include underlying investment options from Vanguard, Charles Schwab and iShares while maintaining the existing investment offerings from TIAA-CREF.  In conjunction with the new investment offerings, account owners will see more of their 529 contributions put to work with a reduction in overall fees.

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Illustration of a graduate wearing a mortarboard and gown. A red price tag with a dollar sign hangs from the mortarboard, symbolizing the cost of education and highlighting the importance of 529 plans. The background is a solid light blue.

529 Plans: Student Loans Are Now Qualified Education Expenses

May 29, 2020

Each year the calendar provides a subtle reminder of the benefits of a section 529 college savings plan.  These plans offer tax-free growth of invested money as long as the funds are used for qualifying education expenses. In addition, many states offer tax deductions or credits for contributions made to eligible plans. The definition of qualified expenses within 529 plans has been expanded in recent years thanks to three pieces of legislation. All three changes

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Strategies for Gains on Single-Company Stock

May 15, 2020

When your employer’s stock accounts for a large portion of your net worth, there are reasons to consider taking some gains. Emotionally, most people struggle to effectively exit a winning position, but doing so is extremely important for capturing reasonable upside while mitigating downside risk. There are many reasons why a single company’s stock price can drop precipitously, even for respected and successful firms. In the unlikely case this would happen to your favorite stock

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COVID-19 and the Markets (podcast)

April 23, 2020

This April 2020 podcast explores the coronavirus pandemic from the inside – literally. Observing proper social distancing protocol. SYM advisors Seth Whicker and Andy Popenfoose explore the economic conditions surrounding this time of uncertainty, including parts of the CARES Act and market responses.

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An illustration of a hooded figure in front of a world map. Surrounding the figure are icons of a login/password, email, file folder, unlocked padlock, and a skull and crossbones, symbolizing global cybersecurity threats and hacking activities.

Protecting Against Identity Theft

April 10, 2020

In light of recurring news headlines about identity theft, it is important to revisit the critical importance of controlling those things in our financial lives that remain within our control. This includes partnering with companies who have a solid plan for your information security, and understanding the “worst-case scenario” if your personal data is accessed during a cyber attack. According to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft is at the top of the list of

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