Our business

Hiring: Manager of Office Operations

 in Our business  tagged hiring / our business by

ProsperiTea Planning is looking to expand our team! We are currently looking for a Manager of Office Operations, who will be responsible for multiple day to day office tasks. These tasks and at times special projects will have an overarching theme always to relieve and delight the clients of the firm. A strong attention to detail and follow through is needed to be successful in this role. Responsibilities include: Receives and processes pieces of paper […]

Wendy’s Vacation & Conference Schedule for 2024

 in Our business  tagged calendar by (updated 267 days ago)

Between two professional credentials that each need a lot of continuing education, plus family vacation time, you’ll find that Wendy works in weeks-long surges but is frequently out of the office in between. That’s okay, we’re planners, we’re good at this! Here’s how we put the Tea in Team: Wendy and Sam can both create trade proposals if you need to buy or sell things – but Gary can help you fetch money from your […]

Introducing Sam Plotkin, CFA, speaking on “Financial Markets and the Business of Providing Financial Advice”

 in Our business / ProsperiTea Planning  tagged financial advising / investing / our business / video by (updated 302 days ago)

We had such a lovely Open House! Sam Plotkin introduced himself with a presentation on his thoughts about the investment markets. Happily, Gary recorded it via Zoom so you can watch his very entertaining and informative 20 minute presentation here:

Hiring: Paraplanner

 in Our business  tagged business / hiring by (updated 358 days ago)

We are currently searching for a full-time Paraplanner to join our busy firm. As a Paraplanner at ProsperiTea Planning you will be responsible for assisting in nearly every aspect of running the business. Paraplanner Duties: Update Client Plans: Update Net Worth Statements in Excel using material provided by the clients. Update MoneyGuidePro with recent statements from clients, making sure asset allocation is coded approximately right.   Update rebalancing workpapers from MoneyGuidePro. Support Prospecting: Rank prospects according […]

Tax Season Receptionist (at least)

 in Our business  tagged business / hiring by

Entry-level tax season assistant needed. We hire at least a receptionist, but if someone has an interest in tax-prep data entry please apply and we’ll add duties and compensation to match.   Duties include: Seasonal Tax Prep Assistant duties: Answering phones using a flowchart to respond Receiving and scanning paperwork that comes in to a pre-set scanned file location Updating project workflows to report things you know happened Cover reception desk in person to keep […]

Wendy’s Vacation & Conference Schedule for 2023

 in Our business  tagged calendar by (updated 437 days ago)

Between two professional credentials that each need a lot of continuing education, plus family vacation time, you’ll find that Wendy works in weeks-long surges but is frequently out of the office in between. That’s okay, we’re planners, we’re good at this! Here’s how we put the Tea in Team: Wendy is the only one who can create trade proposals if you need to buy or sell things – but Gary can help you fetch money from […]

Our Take about the LastPass Incident

 in Our business  tagged security / Time_Sensitive by (updated 685 days ago)

We recommend the use of a password manager to improve the security of your access to online resources and generally recommend LastPass for this use.  Some of you may have received a notice of a recent security incident from LastPass, or have seen or heard about it in the news.     Summary:  if your LastPass master password is both strong and unique, you do not need to take any specific action in response to this […]

Wendy’s Vacation & Conference Schedule for 2022

 in Our business  tagged calendar by (updated 920 days ago)

Between two professional credentials that each need a lot of continuing education, plus family vacation time, you’ll find that Wendy works in weeks-long surges but is frequently out of the office in between. That’s okay, we’re planners, we’re good at this! Here’s how we put the Tea in Team: Wendy is the only one who can create trade proposals if you need to buy or sell things – but Gary can help you fetch money from […]

Wendy’s Vacation & Conference Schedule for 2021

 in Our business  tagged calendar by (updated 1398 days ago)

Between two professional credentials that each need a lot of continuing education, plus family vacation time, you’ll find that Wendy works in weeks-long surges but is frequently out of the office in between. That’s okay, we’re planners, we’re good at this! Here’s what happens: Wendy is the only one who can create trade proposals if you need to buy or sell things – but Gary can help you fetch money from your account if you […]

Monhegan Dawn

Wendy’s Vacation & Conference Schedule for 2020

 in Our business  tagged calendar by (updated 806 days ago)

Update: the most recent post, covering ’21 and early ’22, is here. February 5, 2020 *updated 11-5-2020 with bittersweet LOLs Between two professional credentials that each need a lot of continuing education, plus family vacation time, I’m on the road a lot when it’s not tax season.  Most of the time I’ll be able to get a voicemail/text/email and answer within a reasonable time frame, except for a week or two when I’m off the […]

Quoted in…

 in Our business  tagged press clippings by (updated 2148 days ago)

I write from time to time in various publications. I’ve been meaning to gather my press clippings into one file. I’ll put this here as a stub to add things to as I find/recall them. I’ve got some upcoming pieces going to Forbes, blogging about personal finance. That’s sort of a fun thing for me as I respect those writers a lot. My own blog (here!) is picked up in a couple of places, but […]

Wendy Marsden, CPA, CFP®

Are you ready for ProsperiTea?

 in Our business / ProsperiTea Planning / Tea T.I.M.E.  tagged new prospects by (updated 806 days ago)

Who should hire me? Meet four people, all amalgams, of people who are happy they did. Awesome Elder Alex is retired and wants to be off living a fun life. Alex wants a trustworthy person to do the money stuff, including designing a cash flow strategy, and keeping funds invested prudently. Wendy works as a retirement concierge, being the financial person on their team. Financially Free (or Retired Now) Fran doesn’t want financial planning, Fran […]

Seeking Seasonal Assistant

 in Our business  tagged business / hiring by (updated 806 days ago)

Are you interested in working for ProsperiTea Planning (formerly Tea & Taxes) during a tax season? Every year we hire at least one, and sometimes two assistants for our busy season. Duties include: Seasonal Tax Prep Assistant duties: Answering phones, taking messages Fielding emails, chasing down missing pieces Scanning and filing Data entry into tax software Updating project workflows as things change Client reception Handing out returns to clients Accepting payment from clients Software includes: The […]

College Savings Plans

Why use my Custodian?

 in Our business / ProsperiTea Planning / Thanksgiving Family Money Letter  tagged business / investing / new prospects / security by (updated 806 days ago)

There is an enormous difference between working on individual retail accounts and working with the tools a professional custodian gives me. Benefits to you include: Better access to institutional-class funds. Because of my fiduciary business model and professional credentials, I’m authorized to use DFA funds (Dimensional Fund Advisors). I can only access them through my professional custodian, though. These are generally acknowledged to be as good as (or better) than Vanguard funds. No-load access to otherwise-loaded mutual […]

 in Our business  tagged calendar by (updated 806 days ago) | Open »

March 12, 2017 (updated Sept. 26, 2017)

I’m on the road a lot when it’s not tax season for two reasons: continuing education and family vacations.  In 2017 I’m scheduled to go to:

  • AICPA Engage Conference in Las Vegas June 10-14
  • Alliance of Comprehensive Planners Annual Conference in San Antonio November 8-11
  • Western New England University Tax Institute – Wednesday November 11
  • At least 40 hours of tax updates on various days to be scheduled in the Fall, dates TBD

We also have family vacations:

  • Each April I take two week’s of vacation (one week-day for each week I worked without a day off in tax season) the moment tax season ends and am back by May 1st.
  • In late June I’ll go camping in Michigan with my dad – no cell service whatsoever there! This is a re-occurring trip: this year it’s scheduled for June 14-June 20th, so, yes, I’m flying straight from Las Vegas to a rural campsite. Packing will be challenging for this trip.
  • At some point each summer I’ll spend a week at Peaks Island – that time I’ll have my laptop and answer emails each day.  This year I’m tentatively scheduled to be there July 7-15.
  • Sammy will be heading off to college this year. I’ll probably take some time during the week around August 23st-August 30th to get him set up and delivered to college. I’ll be around all September, though, contemplating what the words “empty nest” means, and finishing extensions due October 15th.
  • Because I usually host Thanksgiving, I don’t work the Wednesday or Friday then, but I do work the week between Christmas and New Year for urgent last minute planning purposes.
  • There’s a trip planned from December 4th  to 12th to London. Helping my people reach their goals has inspired me with some of the YOLO spirit, too!

I also generally post what I’m up to on Facebook, too.

The Alliance of Comprehensive Planners – a short video from Seattle in November 2016

 in Our business / video  tagged ACP / new prospects / video by (updated 2559 days ago)

Knowledge workers need to gather together to share information on a regular basis. Fee-only fiduciary planners are a collaborative bunch and naturally want to help each other. The Alliance of Comprehensive Planners is the specific group I belong to. This video about us was shot in November, 2016. – Posted 12/20/2016  

Get on our mailing list

 in Our business / Thanksgiving Family Money Letter  tagged business / new prospects / Thanksgiving Family Money Letter / web by (updated 806 days ago)

We only do one mailing a month if you aren’t already a retainer, so this is a pretty low-traffic list to be on! The “Thanksgiving Family Money Letter” comes out on Thanksgiving, filled with tips to share with the family. First Name: Last Name: Email: Phone: City: State/Province: Notes about the inquiry Referral Spouse Updated 11.18.2017

Security

Some tips on data security, specifically touching on LastPass and ShareFile.

 in Financial wellness / Our business / Thanksgiving Family Money Letter  tagged emergency preparedness / financial wellness / security / Thanksgiving Family Money Letter / web by (updated 806 days ago)

As you get your finances organized you’re going to wish you had a secure place to keep all your online passwords to websites. There are several on the market, but I personally use a Chrome Extension on my web-browser to an app called “LastPass”. It’s free if you just use it on desktops, and a small subscription cost if you want to use it across mobile devices. https://lastpass.com/ Once you have a strong master password […]

What to Look For in a Financial Professional

 in CFP / Our business / ProsperiTea Planning / Thanksgiving Family Money Letter  tagged ACP / financial planning / Thanksgiving Family Money Letter by (updated 806 days ago)

Financial services is a young profession and there’s a lot of squabbling going on with regard to what designations are best. There are 100x as many salesmen out there as financial professionals, though, and a bunch of the designations were designed to give them credibility. Quite a lot of the credentials people have can be obtained with a week-end cram course. For tax prep the professionals are CPAs or lawyers, but you have to confirm […]

NAPFA

Thanksgiving Family Money Letter – 2015

 in CFP / Financial wellness / Our business / ProsperiTea Planning / Tax Updates / Tea & Taxes / Thanksgiving Family Money Letter  tagged book reviews / business / financial planning / taxes / Thanksgiving Family Money Letter by (updated 231 days ago)

  Happy Thanksgiving! The biggest payoff comes from being good at things that are absolutely under our control. That’s the lesson I’ve learned studying economics, finance, and investment theory. That includes saving for goals, being a judicious consumer, and maintaining your relationships, your health, and your emotional wellness. One of my new gurus, Bert Whitehead, wrote a book called Why Smart People Do Stupid Things with Money: Overcoming Financial Dysfunction. He says not to put too […]

Thanksgiving Money Letter