Atlanta Financial Blog

Week 4: In Need of Some Good News for a Change?

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April 10, 2020

Today would typically be a day where the entire sporting world would start to focus on the state of Georgia for the 2020 Masters. For golf fans, the good news is that there will still be a 2020 Masters Golf Tournament that has been rescheduled for later in the year. For all of us, the greater news is that we continue to see the ingenuity and generosity of Americans, as well as those around the world, coming together to help combat COVID-19. We are also starting to see signs of a turning point and potentially light at the end of the tunnel for some regions in the world. We hope all of our clients are staying well and invite you to take a brief break to peruse our latest installment of “Good News” for the week.

Atlanta Community Stepping Forward:

The Greater Atlanta COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, which is a partnership between the United Way of Greater Atlanta and the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, has already distributed $8.7 million to non-profits to help the region weather the unprecedented health and economic crisis.
Tyler Perry, Atlanta media mogul, paid the grocery bills during senior hour this Wednesday morning at 44 Kroger supermarkets in metro Atlanta and 29 more in his hometown of New Orleans.
Sara Blakely, local business leader and co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks, is donating $5 million to female entrepreneurs who need assistance amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Delta Airlines is donating 200,000 pounds of food to various charities.

Business Leaders and Celebrities Around the Country Stepping Forward:

Bill Gates and his foundation are accelerating efforts to build factories for 7 of the most promising vaccines currently in development.
Jack Dorsey, CEO of Square and Twitter, has recently said he will set aside $1 billion in equity to help support relief efforts for COVID-19.
Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, is donating $100 million to American food banks.
17 celebrities have mobilized to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
John Krasinski has launched a YouTube show, “Some Good News,” that delivers sometimes touching, sometimes funny stories of people coming together to support each other. The linked episode features a special surprise performance by the original Hamilton cast via Zoom for a young fan that had to miss her much anticipated trip to see the Broadway show.

Testing and Vaccine Progress Moving Forward:

In Atlanta, a public-private partnership between CVS and government officials has led to the first free, drive-thru COVID-19 testing in the area.
Numerous companies are tackling vaccines, treatments and tests around the country.

The Other Side of the Rainbow:

Regions in Asia, including Wuhan, China, are gradually starting the process of easing lock downs and reopening their economy.
An Albany, GA hospital celebrates recovered COVID-19 patients.
A leading model now estimates tens of thousands fewer COVID-19 deaths by summer.

We have really enjoyed hearing from you all as we navigate these times together. We hope everyone continues to remain safe and well.

Legacies: The DOs and DON’Ts of Receiving an Inheritance

Losing a loved one is very disorienting. If an inheritance is associated with the love one’s passing, that gift can cause a host of emotions, conflicts and decisions. Whether you knew about the inheritance or not, it can be overwhelming to receive a lump sum of money or property. I know this from both personal and professional experience. With experience comes insights, and I would like to share these insights with you as a “dos and don’ts” list.

July 28, 2020

Could the 529 Be the Holy Grail of Asset Protection?

These days, physicians face increased risk from lawsuits, judgements, creditors, and malpractice claims, yet one of the most common mistakes they make is relying solely on their insurance policies to protect them in these high-stakes situations. Not only do they overestimate just how far their personal and professional coverage will go but they also generally have no backup plan to pick up where their policies leave off. So, how do you protect your income and estate from legal claims? By integrating a number of diversified asset protection strategies into your overall financial plan.

July 21, 2020

Julianne Andrew’s Featured in Medical Economics

Recently, Julianne Andrews MBA, CFP®, AIF® was featured in Medical Economics’ Money news section. In an interview, she walks through some steps physicians can take to protect their personal assets. Julie states, “There’s a few of things you can do, a lot of times people want to hop to very complicated things right off the bat, but there’s some very simple things you can do that will protect your assets.” You can view the short interview video by clicking here.

July 15, 2020

“COVID-ed” Lessons: Four Things the Pandemic has Taught Us About Savings in the Face of Financial Uncertainty

In my life and career, I have found three things overwhelmingly true with money:
1) The unexpected is inevitable- you better be prepared financially.
2) To accomplish something meaningful with money, a commitment to saving is implicit.
3) Wealthy individuals all seem to resiliently pursue a discipline of saving money despite their circumstances.
The common denominator across these three principles is simply a commitment to saving money. It is the foundation upon which all other financial success will be built. And 2020 has challenged that resolve thus far.

July 14, 2020