At Fort Pitt, we help our clients navigate a variety of life events and realize the importance of elder care planning. In a recent webinar, we answered a variety of questions about elder care and the impact COVID-19 has had on elder care facilities. Bryson Roof moderated the virtual panel with Susan M. Severino, RN, CSA and Aviv S. Bilwas, Esq. of Family First Law, LLC. Both of these experts have a deep background and understanding of the health care system, elder care, and the cost associated with helping an aging loved one.

Here are some of the questions we answered as it relates to elder care, the CARES act, and assisted living facilities during the pandemic:

1. 1. COVID and nursing home placement – Is it possible to get into a nursing home during COVID?
   2. COVID and nursing home visitation – what to do about your loved one’s social isolation?
   3. What is the cost of Skilled Care vs Assisted Living/Personal Care plus, which does my loved one need?
   4. When is it time to contact an elder law attorney?
   5. How might the CARES Act affect my elder care decisions?

The post Elder care during COVID and beyond appeared first on Fort Pitt Capital Group.

At Fort Pitt, we help our clients navigate a variety of life events and realize the importance of elder care planning. In a recent webinar, we answered a variety of questions about elder care and the impact COVID-19 has had on elder care facilities. Bryson Roof moderated the virtual panel with Susan M. Severino, RN, CSA and Aviv S. Bilwas, Esq. of Family First Law, LLC. Both of these experts have a deep background and understanding of the health care system, elder care, and the cost associated with helping an aging loved one.

Here are some of the questions we answered as it relates to elder care, the CARES act, and assisted living facilities during the pandemic:

1. 1. COVID and nursing home placement – Is it possible to get into a nursing home during COVID?
   2. COVID and nursing home visitation – what to do about your loved one’s social isolation?
   3. What is the cost of Skilled Care vs Assisted Living/Personal Care plus, which does my loved one need?
   4. When is it time to contact an elder law attorney?
   5. How might the CARES Act affect my elder care decisions?

*Content is provided for educational purposes only.  Opinions provided include endorsements of the products and services provided by Fort Pitt; however, are not indicative of any specific client experience or testimonial.

The post Webinar: Elder Care During COVID And Beyond appeared first on Fort Pitt Capital Group.

Medicare can be confusing with all its parts, (A, B, D) supplements, and more. But it’s an important health and financial security resource for older people and people with disabilities. The more you understand Medicare, the better you can make decisions for your situation and your coverage. That’s why we hosted a webinar all about understanding Medicare. We were joined by Scott Dardick, senior Medicare consultant at AIA, Alera Group, to discuss the earned-income component of Medicare and how it impacts premiums, the fundamental and structural differences between Medigap supplement and Advantage plans, and so much more.

Other questions we addressed include:

• What if you’re still working at age 65?
• Does your Social Security status impact your Medicare status?
• How do HSA accounts impact Medicare?
• How do plan changes differ between Medigap supplements and Advantage plans?
• How do prescriptions or prescription plans factor into the planning?
• What is the doughnut hole?

*Content is provided for educational purposes only.  Opinions provided include endorsements of the products and services provided by Fort Pitt; however are not indicative of any specific client experience or testimonial.

The post Webinar: Understanding Medicare appeared first on Fort Pitt Capital Group.

Although this year has been challenging, our staff continues to challenge themselves in new and valuable ways. It’s important that we foster an environment of development and we’re dedicated to cultivating a space of continual growth. Below are highlights of our team hitting new milestones in their careers, we’re happy to see what everyone accomplishes in their new roles.

See more about:

• Emily Franco
• Kaitlyn Haney
• Aileen Rohrig
• Erica Patti
• Rico Roberto
• Cassie Kelly

Emily Franco

Emily Franco started at Fort Pitt in July 2012 as a CRS and has been promoted to financial advisor. She’s currently working towards her CFP designation and will take the exam this fall. As a valued member of the team over the past eight years, she discovered her passion for helping people find financial security. Becoming an advisor wasn’t part of her original career plan but through her extensive experience working with a book of business, the promotion is a natural progression for Emily’s career. Working closely with the lead financial advisor, Emily will help manage the lifecycle of clients and focus on meeting clients’ needs.

“I am incredibly excited for the opportunity to grow and continue to share the knowledge and experience I have acquired with our clients. As many of our clients know, I have been working with Mike for over eight years and am so grateful for the relationships I have built with both clients and coworkers. I look forward to many more years of working at Fort Pitt and continuing to help our clients achieve their goals,” Emily says.

Kaitlyn Haney

Kaitlyn Haney has been promoted to lead CRS after being a CRS with the Fort Pitt team since July 2018. Kaitlyn plans to take the CFP exam this fall with the goal of becoming a financial advisor as well. In her first 2 years with Fort Pitt, Kaitlyn leveraged her college education and the Certificate in Financial Planning she achieved while studying at Penn State Behrend, to master the CRS role and responsibilities. In addition to helping clients, Kaitlyn has begun providing mentorship to other Fort Pitt Capital Group CRSs. Her dedication to both clients and coworkers made it an easy decision to promote Kaitlyn. With Fort Pitt’s significant growth in the past several years, we needed to redistribute our talent among several client service teams.

“I’m very happy to take on the new responsibility of being the lead CRS for my team and to be working with Beth Lynch and her clients. This move will allow me to learn even more from her and develop my skills towards becoming a trusted advisor. I’m most looking forward to getting to know a new group of clients and build new relationships with them all. The best part of my job is helping our clients and providing them with information they can trust,” Kaitlyn says.

Aileen Rohrig

Aileen Rohrig is also moving up the ranks to a lead CRS from a CRS after two years with Fort Pitt. After starting with our team in July 2018, she has demonstrated a commitment to working hard and smart to deliver significant value to our clients and firm. Aileen was ready and willing to accept this next step in her career. With Cassie’s promotion, Aileen will be able to step up, and flawlessly continue to support our clients. Aileen’s tenure will ensure the clients won’t notice any break in service as a new CRS, Rico Roberto, joins the team and learns the books of business through Aileen’s mentorship.

Aileen explained, “I am happy to have been able to pick up the more complex tasks for our clients. I am looking forward to getting my hands on more of this type of work! It is an honor to be given this promotion two years into my career at Fort Pitt and I’m eager to start working closely with Rico who has proven to be a reliable and knowledgeable coworker.”

Erica Patti

Erica Patti has been an integral part of the Fort Pitt team since September 2017 as a CRS and is now stepping into the role of a primary CRS. This will allow her to continue to develop her CRS skillset. To maintain our great client service as the firm grows, we need to redistribute our talent among several client service teams. This reorganization will allow Erica to focus solely on a specific set of clients and is the natural and well-earned next step in her career with Fort Pitt Capital Group.

Erica shares, “I’m looking forward to working with Santo and gaining valuable insight from his many years of experience in the financial services industry. Santo is known to have strong and personal relationships with his clients and I’m excited to start working with them.”

Rico Roberto

Rico Roberto joined the Fort Pitt team last August as a CRS and has earned more responsibility in the CRS role supporting additional teams. Rico passed his CFP Certification Examination on March 17, 2020, and is currently working towards completing the experience requirement after which he can use the CFP marks. Now that he has completed Fort Pitt’s in-depth CRS training program, he is ready to join a client service team. Rico is the consummate team player who is willing to do what it takes to ensure success. His dedication and commitment to Fort Pitt will ensure a seamless transition as he learns the new books of business.

“I’m looking forward to working with and getting to know more Fort Pitt clients. I’m eager to learn from my new teammates in order to provide the best client service experience possible,” says Rico.

Cassie Kelly

Cassie (Denger) Kelly has been a client relationship specialist (CRS) with us since June 2016 and has transitioned to a financial advisor on the team. Cassie is working towards her CFP and plans to sit for the CFP exam in the Fall of 2020. Over the past four years, Cassie has become an indispensable member of the client service team. After honing her CRS skills, she assisted the firm with recruitment, selection, and training of new CRS team members. In the last few months, she has begun to build her own book of business and is the primary advisor for 5 client relationships. Cassie’s dedication to client service and Fort Pitt made it an easy choice to promote her to an advisor role. In this new role, Cassie will work directly with the lead financial advisor to manage clients’ life cycle by assisting in the execution of steps in the client service process. Cassie’s focus will be on communicating with clients and responding to their needs to elevate the already outstanding service Fort Pitt provides.

Cassie explains, “I am thrilled to transition to the advisor role and continue deepening my knowledge of financial planning. Since working with clients has always been one of my favorite things, I’m thrilled that I will have the opportunity to build and foster new relationships on Team Chaney.”

The post Inside the Fort: Growing our team from within appeared first on Fort Pitt Capital Group.

We recently hosted a webinar for business owners and pre-retirees about estate tax and income planning to answer questions that often come up. Brad Newman from our Harrisburg office moderated the virtual event with guests Steven J. Schiffman, Esquire of SCHIFFMAN, SHERIDAN & BROWN, P.C. and Christopher M. Shive, CPA of Martin M. Sacks & Associates, who lent their expertise in these areas.

Specifically, we address estate planning questions from medical practitioners to long-term care planning and more. Here’s a snapshot of the questions we discussed:

1. Will estate planning and income tax planning continue to be important for most? 
2. What should someone mid-career be considering for estate planning? 
3. How to strike a balance between pre/post-tax savings? 
4. When is it time to contact an estate planning attorney? 
5. How might the CARES Act affect my estate tax decisions? 
6. What unique opportunities do business owners have? 
7. What do I need to know about the Paycheck Protection Program? What are the loan program and the rules around its forgiveness? 
8. What is the Qualified Business Income Deduction? And what are tax planning opportunities for early retirees and opportunities for maximizing usage of and contributions to various retirement plans? 
9. How should I use Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts and Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts to help reduce exposure to the federal estate tax? 

Interested in learning more? Why You Need a Living Will

*Content is provided for educational purposes only. Opinions provided include endorsements of the products and services provided by Fort Pitt; however, are not indicative of any specific client experience or testimonial.

The post Webinar: Income And Estate Planning for Pre-Retirees And Business Owners appeared first on Fort Pitt Capital Group.

For our latest Employee Spotlight, we sat down with Skylar Riddle, who recently joined the firm as a financial advisor. During our discussion, we learned more about his position, what brought him to Fort Pitt, how he’s been spending his time during quarantine, and his favorite travel destinations.

What brought you to Fort Pitt?

I was looking for a firm where I was able to focus on my book of business and clients. Fort Pitt has been a part of the community for many years, and I wanted to be part of it. Being a member of this team will allow me to build my business and work with other financial professionals who put their clients above profits and products.

What are your day-to-day responsibilities? 

I’m a bit of a wild card since I have experience in wealth management and personal investment but also the employer-sponsored retirement plan and participant advice side. I provide participants with guidance on what they need for their work-sponsored plan. I also spend my time shadowing existing advisors and consultants and networking outside of the firm.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part is being able to help people realize their long-term goals. So many people know their goals, but they need help and guidance to achieve them. I enjoy being able to build relationships with people and develop a deep level of trust with them.

How did you get into the financial services industry?

When I was very young, my grandfather set up a custodial account for me and would buy shares and mutual funds for me every Christmas. Although I didn’t want an envelope of investments for Christmas at the time, it’s probably the only thing I still have from that age. Those investments also helped me pay for college. My grandfather was an ordinary working individual but decided to work with an advisor. That passion was passed down to me and that’s how I chose to work in the field.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

I spend a lot of time with my daughter and my wife, Christina. Outside of that, I enjoy playing tennis, soccer, and golf. I also like to spend time outside and relax by the campfire in our backyard.

What has been your favorite thing to do during quarantine?

Besides spending a lot of time with my wife and daughter, I’ve been studying for the CFP exam I’ll take in September. Quarantine has allowed me to spend a lot of time focusing on professional development.

Do you have any pets?

Yes! I have a black lab named Maddie. I like to take her on long walks at night and play fetch with her in the backyard.

Click here to read Skylar’s team bio: https://www.orchid-ibex-388317.hostingersite.com/our-teams/riddle-skylar-h/

The post Skylar Riddle Employee Spotlight appeared first on Fort Pitt Capital Group.

Nominations are now open for the 2020 Pittsburgh Vetrepreneur of the Year Award! For the third year in a row, Fort Pitt Capital Group is proud to be a lead sponsor for this distinguished award. Given annually to one of Greater Pittsburgh’s veteran business owners, recipients of the award demonstrate the finest attributes crucial in leading a flourishing business – sustained business growth and success, and an extensive aspiration to cultivate veteran entrepreneurship.

Last year’s award recipient, Michael Cherock, is a U.S. Navy Veteran and the founder of AE Works. His firm employs over 35 professionals with offices in State College and Arlington, Virginia.

The 2020 Pittsburgh Vetrepreneur of the Year Award will be presented to the recipient in the spring of 2020. To be eligible, nominees must be a U.S. military veteran business owner who actively runs a business in the Greater Pittsburgh area.

If you know a deserving  veteran business owner, visit https://www.buyveteran.com/voy and submit a nomination by December 31, 2019.

The post 2020 Pittsburgh Vetrepreneur of the Year Award appeared first on Fort Pitt Capital Group.

We are extremely honored to be recognized by AdvisoryHQ this year. Check out the full list here: Top 10 Best Financial Advisors in Pittsburgh.

Rankings and recognitions by unaffiliated publications should not be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that Fort Pitt Capital Group will provide a certain level of results in client accounts nor should they be construed as current or past endorsements of Fort Pitt by clients. AdvisoryHQ based its selection on publicly available information. Fort Pitt is not responsible for any content prepared by AdvisoryHQ regarding the products or services offered by Fort Pitt. Additional details regarding the criteria and process utilized in formulating these rankings can be found by clicking here.

The post AdvisoryHQ ranks Fort Pitt as one of the Top 10 advisors in Pittsburgh appeared first on Fort Pitt Capital Group.