Staying Accountable with a Free Financial Coach

How a Free Financial Coach Helps You Stay on Track with Your Money Goals Throughout the Year

Beyond simply crunching numbers, a financial coach is someone who helps you develop healthy money habits and instills confidence in managing your finances. They serve as an accountability partner who keeps you motivated and on track toward achieving your desired financial outcomes. Whether you set a New Year’s resolution to save more money, pay down debt, or start building wealth, a free financial coach can help keep you on track along your journey to financial wellness.

GET HELP CREATING A PERSONALIZED BUDGET THAT ALIGNS WITH YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS AND LIFESTYLE CHOICES 

A financial coach understands that each individual has unique circumstances and priorities. They take the time to listen to your specific needs and help you create a budget that not only addresses your immediate concerns but also sets you up for long-term success.

One of the key benefits of working with a certified financial coach from Canopy is their ability to help you craft a budgeting strategy that you’ll actually stick to. They provide guidance and support throughout the process, making sure you understand the importance of tracking expenses, identifying areas where adjustments can be made, and finding creative solutions for saving more money.

Over time, you’ll learn to take control of your finances in a way that feels manageable and sustainable. With their guiding expertise at your side, you’ll have the tools necessary to make informed decisions about spending, saving, and ultimately achieving greater financial stability.

RECEIVE TIPS FOR MANAGING DEBT EFFECTIVELY TO ACHIEVE LONG-TERM FINANCIAL STABILITY 

In today’s fast-paced and often financially challenging world, managing debt can be a source of stress and anxiety for many individuals. However, there is a solution that can help alleviate this burden and pave the way towards long-term stability: working with a free financial coach.

A financial coach is not just someone who provides tips on managing debt; they are your ally in navigating the complex world of money management. They understand the unique challenges you may be facing and offer personalized guidance tailored to your specific situation.

One of the greatest benefits of working with a financial coach is the ability to reduce stress. Debt can weigh heavily on our minds, affecting our overall well-being and quality of life. A skilled coach will not only provide practical strategies for paying off debt but also offer empathy and compassionate support throughout the process.

Best of all, the financial coaches at Canopy Credit Union offer this service completely free of charge, to both members and non-members of the credit union. This means that anyone, regardless of their financial situation, can access expert advice regardless of how much is in their checking account. This service is an opportunity to gain valuable insights from professionals who genuinely care about helping you achieve your long-term financial goals.

LEARN STRATEGIES FOR SAVING MONEY AND BUILDING AN EMERGENCY FUND 

In uncertain times, having a solid emergency fund can bring a sense of Security and peace of mind. It serves as a financial cushion that can help navigate unexpected expenses or job loss. However, building an emergency fund requires discipline and strategic planning.

One of the most effective strategies for saving money and building an emergency fund is to create a budget that fits this consistent savings goal within its framework. By tracking your expenses and identifying areas where you can cut back, you can allocate more funds toward your savings. This may involve making small sacrifices in your daily spending habits, such as eating out less frequently or finding cost-effective alternatives for entertainment.

Automating your savings is another powerful strategy. Set up automatic transfers from your checking account to a separate savings account specifically designated for your emergency fund. This way, you won’t have to rely on willpower alone to save; it becomes a consistent habit that happens automatically.

It’s also important to explore ways to save more money in your everyday life. Look for opportunities to reduce Monthly bills by negotiating with service providers or switching to more affordable options. Additionally, consider embracing frugal habits such as couponing, buying in bulk, or opting for second-hand items when possible.

While saving is crucial, it’s equally important to maximize the growth of your emergency fund through smart investments. Explore high-yield savings accounts or CD/term share options that offer competitive interest rates. Remember that the goal is not only saving but also allowing your money to work for you over time.

Lastly, maintaining motivation and staying focused on the long-term benefits of having an emergency fund is essential throughout this process. Celebrate small milestones along the way and remind yourself of the security and freedom that comes with financial preparedness. Plus having a free financial coach at your side to guide you along the way will help you stick with your goals for the long term.

By implementing these strategies and consistently prioritizing saving, you can build an emergency fund that provides stability during unforeseen circumstances while also fostering healthy financial habits for the future. 

FINALLY, DISCOVER HOW TO GROW WEALTH OVER TIME 

A financial coach understands that before you can start building wealth, it’s essential to address certain foundational elements. First comes debt management – they will assist you in creating a plan to pay off any outstanding debts efficiently. By managing your debt effectively, you can free up more resources to allocate towards building an emergency fund and putting resources towards wealth-building activities.
Throughout this journey, a compassionate financial coach recognizes that everyone’s situation is unique. They will listen attentively to your concerns and tailor their guidance accordingly. Their goal is not only to help you build wealth but also to empower you with financial literacy so that you can maintain long-term financial stability.

By working alongside a knowledgeable financial coach, individuals can gain the confidence necessary to make sound financial decisions throughout their lives. Together, they lay the Foundation for lasting wealth by addressing debt management, establishing an emergency fund, growing net worth, and harnessing the power of strategic investments.

By partnering with a free financial coach, you can stay accountable to your money goals throughout the year. Their guidance and support will help you navigate challenges, track progress, and make informed decisions that align with your long-term financial well-being. 

Schedule your first appointment and start working with one of Canopy’s free financial coaches today.

Canopy Credit Union

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Strengthening Safety Protocols in London: The Essential Role of Health and Safety AdvisersStrengthening Safety Protocols in London: The Essential Role of Health and Safety Advisers

In London’s bustling and rapidly-evolving landscape, health and safety consultants are indispensable in championing the well-being of both employees and the general public. With their profound knowledge encompassing risk evaluation, regulatory adherence, and the establishment of stringent safety measures, these professionals ensure the city’s myriad spaces — from towering office blocks to animated shopping locales — are places of safety. Their pivotal role underscores London’s unwavering dedication to health and safety benchmarks.

Expert Consultation and Hazard Evaluation: Across London’s diverse business sectors, health and safety advisers extend expert counsel and recommendations. They rigorously assess risks, pinpoint potential threats, and formulate holistic approaches to counter these hazards. Their specialist insights guarantee that business venues observe the pertinent laws, best practices, and specific industry regulations. By customising safety remedies for businesses, they not only avert mishaps but also foster a foundational ethos of safety.

Navigating Compliance Landscapes: For many London enterprises, deciphering the intricate weave of health and safety mandates can be daunting. Health and safety advisers, armed with a nuanced understanding of this regulatory structure, ensure organisations consistently meet these legal standards. Their role encompasses the creation of sturdy policies, facilitating audits, and spearheading inspections to discern and enhance areas of potential weakness. Their guidance, ensuring companies remain abreast of shifting regulations, diminishes legal vulnerabilities and champions a compliant and safe work milieu.

Bespoke Training Initiatives: Understanding the crucial role of informed employees, health and safety advisers devise customised training initiatives. These programmes empower individuals with the requisite know-how to recognise and counter potential threats, spanning topics from hazard detection to emergency protocols and effective utilisation of safety tools. By cultivating a workforce cognizant of safety, these advisers play an integral part in minimising mishaps and instilling a sense of collective responsibility.

Sector-Specific Expertise: The multifaceted business fabric of London encompasses varied sectors, each with distinct safety imperatives. Health and safety advisers, possessing sector-specific insights ranging from construction and manufacturing to hospitality and healthcare, are equipped to devise safety guidelines that address these unique challenges. Their nuanced understanding ensures the formulation of industry-tailored safety measures, safeguarding both workers and the broader public.

innovative Approaches and Ongoing Advancement: In the realm of safety, London’s advisers lead the charge in continuous enhancement and innovation. Keeping pace with nascent technological shifts and industry evolutions, they harness these developments to refine safety norms. Introducing groundbreaking instruments, including automated surveillance frameworks, virtual training, and analytical tools, they pinpoint risks and proactively counter them. Their embrace of modern Solutions results in more nuanced risk evaluation and heightened safety outcomes.

Synergised Efforts and Alliances: The crux of impactful health and safety endeavours lies in the collective efforts of advisers, businesses, and oversight bodies. London’s advisers foster collaborations, partnering with organisations to realise shared safety aspirations. They engage with multiple stakeholders, undertake exhaustive consultations, and render sustained assistance, ensuring safety becomes an integral facet of operational strategies. By nurturing these alliances, advisers accentuate a proactive, collective vision towards health and safety.

For further details, consult Arinite.

In London’s vibrant heart, health and safety advisers are paramount in reinforcing safety standards and safeguarding countless lives. Their wealth of expertise, strategic counsel, and sector-specific knowledge aid enterprises in risk mitigation, regulatory compliance, and nurturing a vigilant safety culture. Their invaluable efforts resonate across sectors, ensuring London remains a beacon in health and safety protocols.

2024 IRMAA Brackets: Amounts and How to Forecast for Retirement2024 IRMAA Brackets: Amounts and How to Forecast for Retirement

What is IRMAA:

IRMAA is short for Medicare’s Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount which is according to the Code of Federal Regulations:

“An amount that you will pay for your Medicare Part B and D coverage when your modified adjusted gross income is above the certain thresholds.”

IRMAA is a tax on your income through Medicare Part B and Part D coverage if you have too much income while in retirement.

IRMAA - Medicare Logo

Will you actually enter IRMAA:

According to the 2022 Medicare Board of Trustees Report, currently, there are over 6.8 million people in IRMAA. These people in IRMAA make up 16.63% of all eligible Medicare beneficiaries.

By 2031, according to recent reports the number of people in IRMAA will double to 13.8 million eligible people in IRMAA.

IRMAA is a revenue generator for both the Medicare and Social Security programs.

For the Medicare Program, IRMAA is an added cost that the person in it must pay. This added cost provides more money each year for the program.

As for Social Security, according to Congress, all IRMAA costs are automatically deducted from any Social Security benefit a person is receiving. Thus, for those who enter IRMAA, Social Security has to pay out less to them which reduces that program’s obligation to pay benefits.

With both Medicare and Social Security projected by the government to be insolvent (unable to pay) in less than 8 years the easiest way to save these programs is to make sure more people are in IRMAA.

How do you reach an IRMAA bracket:

IRMAA is all about your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI).

The more of it you have the higher the chances that you have to reaching IRMAA while having less of an MAGI reduces the chance of you reaching IRMAA.

What counts towards your MAGI:

According to Social Security your MAGI is the total of your adjusted gross income (AGI) and any tax-exempt interest you may have.

Both of these can be found on lines 2a and 11 of your 2022 IRS tax form 1040.

Some examples of where your MAGI will come from are:

Taxable Social Security benefits Traditional 401(k) Withdrawals
Wages Traditional IRA Withdrawals
Pension & Rental Income Traditional 403(b) Withdrawals
Capital Gains Qualified Annuities
Dividends Interest

If you want to avoid IRMAA all together then the goal is to generate an income from financial instruments that do not count towards your MAGI and they are:

Roth Account Withdrawals
Life Insurance Loans
Non-Qualified Annuities*
Health Saving Account Withdrawals
401(h) Plans
Home Loans or Reverse Mortgages

*Non-Qualified Annuities – depending on certain factors a certain portion of all income you will receive from them can be completely tax free. Please see an IRMAA Certified Professional for more information on which Annuity is best for you.

For a complete list of what does and does not count towards IRMAA please click here.

How to File an Appeal

If you feel you shouldn’t be subject to IRMAA, you can file an appeal.  What you do comes down to how you want to appeal.

For Medicare enrollees with a qualifying life changing event:

All that needs to be done is for you to fill out the SSA-44 form by competing the first 3 pages and then submit it with your corresponding proof of your life changing event to your local SSA office.

You can find your local SSA office here.

Once the paperwork is submitted all correspondence about your appeal will be mailed to you from the SSA. If the result is not satisfactory you can request a hearing which can also be done through your local SSA office.

For Medicare enrollees without a qualifying life changing event but who want to appeal based on an updated tax-return or income discrepancy:

Appealing IRMAA is even simpler than have a qualifying life changing event as all that is needed to be done is for you to request an appeal at your local SSA office.

Explain to the local field Representative that you have a received an IRMAA notification and that you like to appeal based on updated tax information.

A case number will be assigned to you as well as Field Agent, which could be the person at your local office, so always be nice and any correspondence about your case ill be mailed to you by the SSA.

If the IRMAA result is not satisfactory you can always request a hearing at your local SSA office too.

At the point of request your local agent will be able to submit your appeal and a case number at that moment should be assigned to you. As your case is evolving you will have to provide documentation that disproves the information that the IRS has provided which can be a corrected or amended tax-return or even a more update one

Conclusion:

The 2024 IRMAA Brackets are, by law, going to increase, but the odds of you or someone you know reaching IRMAA at some point are also increasing.

5 Most Popular Plastic Surgery Procedures5 Most Popular Plastic Surgery Procedures

We discuss the most popular body procedures that patients ask about: Liposuction, Tummy Tuck, Mommy Makeover, Breast Enhancement and Lifts, and Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBL).

Liposuction

There are several different types of liposuction procedures. Advances in technology should mean the end of botched and poor results,but unfortunately,doctors use marginal techniques that disappoint patients and leave the body somewhat disfigured. When a patient trusts a doctor to do their liposuction procedure,they expect the promised results and not have to spend more money in the future to get their work corrected.

On our page about liposuction, we will discuss the different kinds and the pros and cons of each and the gold standard of state-of-the-art high definition liposuction so you can make a more informed decision. Great surgeons can do liposculpture, not just remove fat!

When you chose your surgeon, choose wisely. Price shopping can lead to liposuction revisions, which end up costing more than having a top plastic surgeon or cosmetic doctor do your liposuction right.

Tummy Tuck

There are two types of tummy tucks,a mini and full tuck. The mini tuck involves the upper portion of the abdomen,removal of excess skin,and liposuction done most of the time. A full tummy tuck addresses both the upper and lower part of the tummy and allows the surgeon to correct muscle separation,usually due to childbirth or excessive weight gain. An essential but often overlooked consideration is the surgical skill to keep the belly button looking natural and positioned atomically.

We recommend a plastic surgeon vs. a cosmetic surgeon as a rule for a full tummy tuck. See our page on tummy tucks for more in-depth information and determine which procedure is most likely to give you the desired outcome.

Rarely considered by doctors doing tummy tucks with lipo are waistline narrowing and abdominal etching. Now is the optimal time to “snatch” the waist in and create an hourglass shape.www.cosmeticplasticsurgeryinstitute.com

Mommy Makeover

A mommy makeover is a group of procedures that give women back their pre-pregnancy appearance and often give women balance and curves they did not have before having children. Wow,there is no single formula for a mommy makeover. As a rule,it entails a combination of the following procedures:

  • Liposuction
  • Full or mini tummy tuck
  • Breast enhancement
  • Breast lift
  • Depending on the surgeon’s experience and skill,the technique called 360 liposuction may be used at the same time to remove fat from the thighs,bra line,back area,and do what’s called waistline narrowing. This saves the patient from having multiple procedures and provides the surgeon with the opportunity to create 360 balance and beauty to a woman’s body.

Breast Enhancement and Lift

These popular surgeries have also undergone some advancements. Implants have become more and more natural when there is an appearance,and we now know that silicone implants are safe. Depending on your age,childbearing,and genetics,your surgeon may recommend that you have a breast lift. Implants need a firm tissue to support their weight,and if the doctor recommends a breast lift,he or she is ensuring that the result is not the “grapefruit in a sock” look.

There are now advanced types of liposuction that preserve fat rather than destroy it. Fat can be used to transplant into other parts of your body where it is more desired,like the breasts. Fat transfer to the breast has its limitations and is appropriate when no more than an extra cup size is desired but it adds a beautiful and natural look to your breasts.www.cosmeticplasticsurgeryinstitute.com

Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL)

The Brazilian butt lift is the fastest-growing cosmetic procedure today. Most people think the “Miami BBL” with very large very round bottoms when they think BBL,but many plastic and cosmetic surgeons are doing a BBL to create proportion and natural curves. Very few women want their bottom to be substantially more prominent,but they do want them to be rounder and have more projection.

A BBL is done in one of two ways. It can be done with an implant or with fat harvested with liposuction from another part of your body. Increasingly,surgeons are moving away from implants and using healthy fat,they harvest to sculpt the ideal shape. If you are considering having a BBL be sure and talk to a surgeon that has done many of them and look at their patient results. Although this is a fairly straightforward procedure,it takes an artistic eye and extreme caution to ensure the fat is placed correctly and safely. See our page on BBLs for questions to ask of the doctor you are considering for your BBL.Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Institute