Turning Art into Cash without Selling

           Auction house Sotheby’s reports a surge in customers who are borrowing using their fine art or jewelry as collateral [www.sothebys.com/en/articles/creating-liquidity-from-art-during-challenging-times]. Many auctions necessarily have been postponed due to the pandemic, although that has been offset to some extent by a record number of online auctions conducted by Sotheby’s.                   One major reason for such borrowing […]

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2019 IRA Contribution Deadline Has Been Extended

Due to the coronavirus tax filing extension, there’s still time to make a regular IRA contribution for 2019. You have until your tax return due date (not including extensions) to contribute up to $6,000 for 2019 ($7,000 if you were age 50 or older on December 31, 2019). For most taxpayers, the contribution deadline for […]

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Retiree Confidence Drops in 2020, As Some Workers Worry

The Retirement Confidence Survey conducted each year by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) took a slightly different tack in 2020. After completing its initial outreach in January — the 30th in its annual series — EBRI decided to conduct a second survey in late March to gauge how the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic […]

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Coronavirus Affects Federal, State, and Local Deadlines

As a follow up to my previous article, Federal, state, and local governments have extended a number of deadlines amid the coronavirus pandemic. Here are just a few of the deadlines that have been affected. Federal and state income taxes The IRS has postponed the due date for filing federal income tax returns and making […]

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How to Not “Waste” a Crisis

Every cloud allegedly has a silver lining. Estate planners have discovered a potential silver lining in the current economic crisis. Estate planning strategies now may be implemented at a much-reduced tax cost, because asset values have fallen. At today’s lower asset values, much more may be transferred via gift before breaching the taxable threshold of […]

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Small Businesses Eligible for Numerous Relief Programs During COVID-19 Crisis

Throughout March 2020, as it became increasingly evident that the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic would be both profound and prolonged, Congress passed several pieces of legislation with provisions to help small businesses shore up their coffers and keep employees on the payroll. Within a few weeks, initial funding for the two cornerstone programs, […]

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Watch Out for Coronavirus Scams

Fraudsters and scam artists are always looking for new ways to prey on consumers. Now they are using the same tactics to take advantage of consumers’ heightened financial and health concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. Federal, state, and local law enforcement have begun issuing warnings on the surge of coronavirus scams and how consumers can […]

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CARES Act: Retirement Plan Relief Provisions

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020. This $2 trillion emergency relief package represents a bipartisan effort to assist both individuals and businesses in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and accompanying economic crisis. The CARES Act provisions for retirement plan relief for individuals under federal tax […]

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Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Information -APPLY NOW

Many TCK clients are business owners or it’s probably safe to say everyone knows a business owner who could use this information. Please follow the links to learn more about forgivable loans to small businesses (less than 500 employees) to pay their employees during the COVID-19 crisis. Business owners are encouraged to start a conversation […]

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The Trust Company of Kansas’ COVID-19 Response

The Trust Company of Kansas (TCK), like other businesses, is reacting to the rapidly evolving reality surrounding the COVID-19 global pandemic. TCK falls under the ‘essential business’ definition as a ‘financial institution’ under the stay-at-home orders currently affecting its office locations. TCK will continue to provide services to our clients and the communities we serve. […]

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