Wealth Management

Investments. Yeah, we said it.   You’re probably thinking “I don’t know much about investments. They’re scary, and maybe even a little boring”. Boring? What? No! We think investments are cool. They rank right up there with pocket protectors and dad jokes. The prospect of learning about investments doesn’t exactly scream “FUN!”, but we think it’s important to arm you with at least enough information to start a conversation. Give us an opportunity

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Tags: MUTUAL FUNDS

With a new year, comes new laws effective January 1, 2020. In December 2019, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) was signed into law making way for changes that have a real impact on retirement and estate planning. Here are some key takeaways and what they may mean for you: RMD delay to age 72. From 1975 to 2019, an individual was required to begin taking Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from their Traditional IRA, SEP IRA, Simple IRA, and 401k/403b

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Tags: SECURE ACT 2020

This month our team has been focusing on expanding knowledge surrounding estate planning. Contrary to what happens all too often, estate planning is not a “set it and forget it” activity. The reality is life plans and estate plans collide causing the need to review and update. Major life events such as marriage, birth, death, divorce, starting a new job or career, buying a home, starting college, illness or disability all impact our estate plans.   We get it. Talking about death

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Tags: Estate Planning

Our Trust Officers have spent considerable time the past few months learning about upcoming changes to the Iowa law regarding Guardianships and Conservatorships for adults and minors. As Corporate Fiduciaries, it is our responsibility to understand and follow changing laws and regulations when it comes to the administration of our accounts. This is one of the key differentiators between naming an individual, such as a family member, and a Corporate Fiduciary, in your legal documents. For those of

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Tags: IOWA CONSERVATORS

First Citizens Wealth Management is pleased to announce that Associate Investment Officer, Brad Dummett, successfully passed the Level I Chartered Financial Analyst (“CFA”) examination and is currently a Level II CFA candidate. The CFA designation is globally recognized and attests to a charterholder’s success in a rigorous and comprehensive study program in the field of investment management and research analysis. Brad has been with First Citizens for six years.   As part

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Tags: First Citizens Wealth Management

  Weekly Market Summaries is a feature in the Resources section under Wealth Management on our website. The summaries contain information on the Dow, S&P 500, NASDAQ, Russell 2000, Global Dow, Federal Funds interest rate, and 10-year Treasury yields as well as highlights of past and future economic data. Want to know what the market summaries are for this week? If so, click here. Products provided by First Citizens Wealth Management are not insured by the FDIC, are not deposits of

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First Citizens Wealth Management is pleased to announce that Trust Operations Specialists’ Amanda Berding, Teresa Shaw, Steve Rowlet and Cheryl Rottinghaus have completed the requirements to attain the Accredited Trust Operations Professional Designation awarded through Accutech University, a division of Accutech Systems Corporation, in cooperation with the Fiduciary Education Center. The coursework includes fiduciary law and administration; income and estate tax; operations functions; compliance

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Do you have all your ducks in a row with your estate plan? If you answer yes, let me ask you when the last time you reviewed it was? Are you clear on what happens when you die? Yes, I said it…when you die. There are few guarantees in life but one that I can guarantee you is that you will, in fact, die. Having practiced probate law myself, I have seen the negative impact of failing to accept that fact until it is too late. The widow sorting through stacks of documents trying to locate everything

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Tags: ESTATE PLANNING CONSULTATION

Many investors may be inclined to review their portfolios only when markets hit a rough patch, but careful planning is essential in all economic climates. So whether the markets are up or down, periodically reviewing your portfolio with your financial professional can be an excellent way to keep your investments on track, and midway through the year is a good time for a checkup. Here are three questions to consider. 1. How have my investments performed so far this year? Review a summary of your

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Tags: PORTFOLIO REVIEW

In the last Wealth Management blog post entitled "What Am I Really Paying for My Investments", we discussed various types of fees and expenses associated with investments. At the end of the day, building a solid investment strategy requires understanding not only the cost to do so but also your unique risk and reward preferences. Our team has been incorporating a cutting edge tool to assist demystifying the conversation around risk.   How does it work? Simply click here and you will run through

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Tags: INVESTMENT STRATEGY