Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Society for Financial Awareness Holds Topic-Specific Workshops


New Jersey-based Certified Financial Fiduciary Robert M. Ryerson possesses decades of experience in the fields of legacy planning and estate management. An active figure in the finance industry, Robert M. Ryerson serves as a financial strategist at the Society of Financial Awareness.

Established in 1993 as a nonprofit public benefit corporation, the Society of Financial Awareness (SOFA) brings together professionals from various fields to provide educational workshops on finance-related topics and issues. These seminars are prepared for individuals and companies, and supported by the organization’s members comprising financial advisors, health and wellness practitioners, mortgage brokers, credit counselors, estate planning attorneys, and more.

The workshops conducted by SOFA members are free of charge and of obligation. The topics discussed range from financial blunders to options for quality retirement to debt solutions and college planning. Speakers present topics relating to their own experience, qualifications, and credentials.

SOFA seminars are administered in two ways. One method follows a lunch and learn format. The workshop takes place in a conference room where attendees receive flyers and handouts from the guest SOFA member and food sponsored by the company that requested the event. 

The other workshop method is conducted in a restaurant or a public library and initiated by SOFA members in a lunch or dinner format. The chosen members sponsor the session, and provide food and materials for the workshop.

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Blending Distributions Between Taxable and Tax-Deferred Accounts


Based in New Jersey, Robert M. Ryerson functions as a Certified Financial Fiduciary and Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist, serving the needs of clients ranging from families to small business owners. One of Robert M. Ryerson’s areas of extensive knowledge is retirement distribution planning to meet individual goals and expectations. 

One of the foundational strategies for retirement accounts is to liquidate taxable investments first and allow tax-deferred accounts to compound for as long as possible. Unfortunately, this approach can potentially boost the retiree into a higher tax bracket if the account has grown too large. 

One way of mitigating this centers on taking out a certain amount of money from IRA accounts earlier than necessary. Taking out an amount such that the current tax bracket is unaffected, the total amount of the account is then reduced to a level where future withdrawals will not result in paying higher taxes. Through a blended approach, both taxable accounts and IRA distributions are taken out in tandem and the ideal mix of present and future taxes on account earnings is achieved.

Sunday, July 1, 2018

The Galápagos Islands’ Status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site


Robert M. Ryerson has worked professionally as an independent Certified Financial Fiduciary (CFF) for nearly three decades. Also an educator, Robert M. Ryerson teaches high-level courses for the Society of Financial Awareness outside of his responsibilities at New Century Planning in New Jersey.

Away from his work, Mr. Ryerson enjoys traveling, especially to the Andes Mountains, and the Galápagos Islands. Located west of Ecuador, the Galápagos is a Pacific Ocean cluster of small islands classified as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. UNESCO outlines several factors that justify this status.

Perhaps most importantly, the island is home to an incredible diversity of underwater wildlife that cannot be matched by any other location. Moreover, extensive biodiversity can also be found on the island chain itself that range from giant tortoises and land iguanas to flightless cormorants and Darwin’s finches. 

Outside of the biology present on the Galápagos, the geography of the region also has value. The Nazca, Cocos and Pacific tectonic plates all meet in the region at the bottom of the ocean, providing a continuum of geological and biological features from ocean floor to island surface.