Your Emergency Fund – How Much, Plus Why, How, and Where

It is times like these that stress the importance of planning a healthy savings strategy and how much of an emergency fund you should have. If you are experiencing your own personal recession amid these times of Social Distancing and are among the almost 40 million Americans that have filed for unemployment since March, this probably is not your top priority. Times of[...] Continue reading

How to Avoid Tax Penalties on Your 529 Refund

Did you or your child receive a refund from college?  If so, that refund could be subject to taxation and a 10% penalty. The IRS could consider this refund as no longer being used for Qualifying Education Expenses.  This refund would then be recharacterized as a taxable distribution. In order to avoid this, consider recontributing the refund back into the 529 plan. [...] Continue reading

Markets Don’t Wait

There were two distinct phases to the first quarter. The first was characterized by an equity market surging to all-time highs. This phase quickly faded into what seems like a distant memory following the emergence of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, largely shutting down the global economy. Financial markets were derailed as investors attempted to assess the extent and[...] Continue reading

Fort Pitt In the Community – Helping Pittsburgh’s First Responders

One of Fort Pitt Capital Group’s financial advisors is proud to sit on the board of directors for Pittsburgh Emergency Medicine Foundation (PEMF). PEMF’s was founded in 1985 with the mission to assist first responders. Now more than ever, it is dangerous for first responders (paramedics, EMT, police, firefighters, ER Doctors & nurses) to be in the field. COVID-19[...] Continue reading

The CARES Act: Questions & Answers

Right now, there are a lot of unknowns about COVID-19 and its ultimate impact, and we hope that you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy. With so many questions, we wanted to shed light on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and answer specific questions we’ve been getting in regard to the changes that are in effect due to this[...] Continue reading