Our gift to you this Valentine's Day is an idea that we think would be smart for you and your loved ones.  Did you know that it's possible to increase your retirement deferrals by 2% this year without decreasing your  take-home pay?  Congress recently passed legislation reducing the employee's portion of FICA taxes by 2%.  This allows you to add that 2% to your 401(k) or other retirement savings plan without missing the money on your paycheck.  Previously, the employee and employer were responsible for contributing 6.2% of your wages to the social security system. For 2011, Congress has lowered the employee's portion to 4.2%, while leaving the employer contribution the same. Instead of pocketing this "extra income," you can save it tax-deferred in your retirement plan, allowing you to continue to take home the same amount of pay as before. This not only increases your retirement savings, but also keeps you from getting dependent on that increase in pay. While this provision of the law is not permanent, our commitment to helping you make smart decisions with your money is permanent. 

Happy Valentines Day,

Gary and Corey Breneman