If you or your spouse were or are in the military and are considering divorce, there are several things unique to your situation that you should be aware of as they relate to divorce. Join Leah Jones as she interviews Kate Reese, a family law attorney at Reese law, about things people should know regarding military divorce.

Hightower Advisors, LLC is an SEC registered Investment advisor. Securities are offered through Hightower Securities, LLC, Member FINRA/SPIC.

In this episode, Leah Jones, Director of Financial Planning for Hightower Bethesda, speaks with Mike Zoller, Senior Investment Analysis for Hightower Bethesda. Mike and Leah conduct a mid-year check in, focusing on higher economic data and provide an update on the COVID-19 pandemic, both domestically and internationally. They talk about broad macro indicators, the U.S. stimulus and international markets, and they also address the topic of inflation.

“One thing I really want to emphasize is that the recovery we’re having today is not the 2009 recovery.” -Mike Zoller [09:46]

What You Will Learn:

• [01:04] An update on the COVID-19 pandemic
• [04:22] What broad macro indicators are telling us
• [07:28] How the American consumer is doing
• [12:30] Inflation risks and Hightower’s outlook on inflation
• [19:35] How the U.S. stimulus will play out in the future
• [22:52] How international markets are and will be affected by the pandemic

Our Contacts:

Website: bethesda.hightoweradvisors.com

LinkedIn: Hightower Bethesda

Facebook: HightowerBethesda

Twitter: @LeahPlans4You

Hightower Advisors, LLC is an SEC registered investment adviser. Securities are offered through Hightower Securities, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC.

In this episode, Leah Jones, Director of Financial Planning for Hightower Bethesda, talks to Michelle Winner, Director of Marketing for Maryland 529 plan, about using a 529 plan as a savings and investment plan for college costs specific to Maryland. They answer commonly asked questions about these types of plans.

“Adults can use the plan too. For example, maybe your child doesn’t need the money, but perhaps you want to go back to school. You could use the funds yourself to pay for your education expenses. So just something to think about too for those who are looking to maybe pursue a new career or a new trade.” -Michelle Winner [23:51]

What You Will Learn:

• [01:32] What is a 529 plan
• [02:08] The advantages of opening a 529 account vs a traditional savings account
• [05:30] Two different types of Maryland 529 plans
• [08:41] How to contact Maryland 529
• [09:23] What happens if the child choose an out-of-state school
• [14:23] What is a qualified higher education expense
• [18:44] If the funds can be used for anything other than college
• [23:37] Adults can use the Maryland 529 plan too
• [25:12] How 529 funds affects FAFSA
• [32:21] Options if the child doesn’t go to college
• [33:02] Contribution guidelines

Our Contacts:

Website: bethesda.hightoweradvisors.com

LinkedIn: Hightower Bethesda

Facebook: HightowerBethesda

Twitter: @LeahPlans4You

Meet Heather Hostetter, she is a family law attorney located in Bethesda Maryland with a long list of awards and a partner at Hostetter Strent. This is a domestic relations law that deals with divorce, property distribution, alimony, custody, and child support.

In this episode, Leah speaks with Heather about the process of property distribution during a divorce primarily with alimony and child support when the woman is the main breadwinner.

Listen in to learn the difference between alimony and child support and why they both exist. You will also learn why as a woman; you need to think hard before entering a legal marriage and what to consider before and during the marriage in terms of finances and support.

What you will learn:

• [2:28] The factors that come into play before the court awards alimony during a divorce and the types that exist.
• [6:29] She explains why it’s difficult for the fault to play part in alimony.
• [8:32] The factors that determine how the length of the marriage affects the alimony.
• [9:46] The difference between paying alimony and child support and how women breadwinners react to it.
• [20:58] She explains the legal consequences of an ending marriage and understanding them beforehand.
• [23:35] The alimony negotiations process and what the court has the power to do and not do.
• [26:04] How both women and men react to the issue of alimony during a divorce.
• [29:22] How child support is calculated and its relationship to alimony.
• [32:29] She explains how the child support money is divided to make sure it caters to children.
• [35:27] The importance of having a conversation before and during a marriage about the roles of both partners.
• [38:52] The purpose of thinking hard as a woman before getting married and understanding the consequences and whether you can live with them.

Hightower Advisors, LLC is an SEC registered Investment advisor. Securities are offered through Hightower Securities, LLC, Member FINRA/SPIC.

In this episode, we are going to tackle the hot topic of cryptocurrency. We’ll talk about what exactly it is, what the rational is for owning it, the differences between different types of cryptocurrencies and how they can fit into someone’s portfolio. We will also dive into why cryptocurrency is such a polarizing topic in the media and among celebrities like Elon Musk, and how a company like Grayscale does its due diligence when it comes to crypto.

Hightower Advisors, LLC is an SEC registered Investment advisor. Securities are offered through Hightower Securities, LLC, Member FINRA/SPIC.

In this episode, we discussed everything you need to know about Hedge Funds. You will leave the conversation informed about the basics of what they are, the differences amongst them, how the media portraits these types of investments, and when it makes sense to incorporate them in your portfolio.

Make sure you share the episode with those that might find it informative.

Hightower Advisors, LLC is an SEC registered Investment advisor. Securities are offered through Hightower Securities, LLC, Member FINRA/SPIC.

Robin Smith discusses taking the leap of faith at 40 to start a non-profit video production company and the factors that lead her to take that chance and lessons learned on keeping a business running for 30 years.

Hightower Advisors, LLC is an SEC registered Investment advisor. Securities are offered through Hightower Securities, LLC, Member FINRA/SPIC.

Leah Jones and Stephen Rosen, Managing Director and Partner of Hightower Bethesda discuss HTB's philosophy on use of alternative investments. Starting from the adoption of the philosophy, to the definition of alternatives and walking through thoughts on asset allocation and cash flow generation, incorporating the use of alternatives.

Hightower Advisors, LLC is an SEC registered Investment advisor. Securities are offered through Hightower Securities, LLC, Member FINRA/SPIC.