Special Report

Dec 27, 2021

Building a solid DEI foundation requires long-term commitment

Joseph Searles says building a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion foundation at one’s business or organization should be viewed as a journey, rather than a destination.   “It’s a long-term commitment,” says Searles, vice president and chief community engagement officer at Trillium Health. “There is no end point for this focus.”   At the start of the DEI process, […]

Dec 17, 2021

IRS issues tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2022

The Internal Revenue Service recently issued Revenue Procedure 2021-45 providing calendar year 2022 inflation adjustments for more than 60 tax provisions. Two of these adjustments are of particular interest to estate planners: the increase to the basic exclusion amount (the “BEA”) to $12,060,000 and the increase to the gift tax annual exclusion amount to $16,000[...]

Dec 16, 2021

Advantages and pitfalls of irrevocable trusts

When an earlier version of the Build Better Act — the $1.75 billion social spending bill being advanced by Democrats in Washington — proposed reducing the federal gift and estate tax exemption from $10 million to $5 million, local trust and estate professionals got a flurry of inquiries from concerned clients about setting up trusts.  While the spectra of changes to the […]

Dec 15, 2021

Holistic wealth management planning requires a cohesive team

A holistic wealth plan gives one a comprehensive financial strategy that includes the person’s values, goals, assets and family needs.

Dec 14, 2021

Finding the architecture in infrastructure

It’s probably not the right thing for an architect and business owner to admit, but by the time the new $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Bill passed I was too tired of all the discussion to actually take the time to understand what was in the bill and how our region might benefit. The endless spin cycle […]

Dec 13, 2021

2022 real estate forecast: Residential, calmer; commercial, tight; office, soft

Local residential real estate experts predict that the Monroe County real estate market will remain historically robust in 2022.

Dec 8, 2021

Construction company leaders weigh in on 2022 outlook

Inflation is back, a new variant of COVID threatens public safety, supplies and materials are hard to get and workers are hard to find.

Dec 6, 2021

Make the most of charitable giving with your IRA

When we think about leaving a charitable giving legacy, making a bequest from our estate naturally comes to mind.

Dec 3, 2021

Local banks focus on helping customers feel financially empowered

Financial service customers lately “have a financially disempowered feeling,” says Justin Bigham, executive vice president and chief community banking officer for Five Star Bank.

Dec 2, 2021

Financial industry embraces hybrid work model

Mark Kovaleski admits when he called staff into a meeting last March and told them to be patient for a few weeks as they rode out the COVID-19 pandemic he slightly missed the mark on how long the pandemic would last.

Nov 23, 2021

Racial, socioeconomic inequities extend to cancer care, too

Jeffrey Freeman admits to being somewhat taken aback when research showed that some disparities typically seen in many facets of everyday life extended to cancer care.

Nov 22, 2021

Health care systems, insurers offer value-based partnerships to cover costs

With increasing costs from cancer care, health insurers in the Rochester area and throughout the country have turned to reimbursement models based on providers showing “value” through controlling costs and improving health outcomes for patients.