Perfect Pitch: Supporting Local Non-Profit Agencies Led by Enthusiastic Women

Atlas was happy to help sponsor the 2022 Women United Perfect Pitch event powered by the United Way of the Greater Capital Region.  The ‘Shark Tank’ style program and event, held on December 7^th at the Revolution Hall in Troy, NY, offered four local non-profit agencies the opportunity to ‘pitch’ innovative ideas for their organizations. The winner, awarded a $10,000 grant and named as the Women United Premier Partner in 2023 was Schenectady Menstrual Health Coalition. Other important local non-profit agencies that highlighted their ideas included: Baby Institute, Connect Center, and Wellspring. To learn more about how you can get involved with Women United or support programming of the United Way of the Greater Capital Region visit Our Impact | United Way of the Greater Capital Region (unitedwaygcr.org).

Fresh Starts: Supporting Hope House, Inc., and their Mission

During the fall, Atlas associates collected lightly used professional clothing for Hope House, Inc. While the work that Hope House does supports the peace of mind and recovery services for their clients there are many facets to confidence and earning a fresh start. Looking and feeling good for an interview can go a long way to sustained recovery and achieving success. Hope House, Inc. has provided caring, compassionate, and experienced services for over 50 years in the Capital District of the State of New York. Their extensive therapy programs are fully immersed in caring and servicing the special needs of those struggling with addiction. For more information on Hope House, Inc. visit https://www.hopehouseinc.org/

The Atlas Open House was a Huge Success with Participation from Local Businesses

On October 19^th Atlas held its first Open House where we offered informational programing regarding cyber safety, expiring tax provisions, estate planning, and our independent schools financial planning service. We were ecstatic about the turnout from our clients and community. We worked with several local businesses that supplied our wine, beer, food, and confections for the evening.

• Frog Alley Brewing Company: For our beer enthusiasts, established in 2018, Frog Alley Brewing Company is the first brewery of its size in Schenectady, NY. Their story began in 1903 when the local baseball team, the Frog Alleys, gathered on State Street and were named after the swampy frog-filled lands where they played. Over a century later the name earned a second meaning and served as inspiration to the Frog Alley Brewing Company. You can learn more about Frog Alley and the full history of its name at https://frogalleybrewing.com/

• Thirsty Owl Saratoga: If you love wine, the Thirsty Owl Saratoga offers over twenty different wines including the region’s famed Rieslings, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and Chardonnay, as well as elegant reds like Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec & Meritage. They are a family-owned vineyard and winery based out of the shores of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes of NY. For more information about them or to set up a tasting experience you can visit https://www.thirstyowlsaratoga.com/

• Nelly’s Treats: Renel Turner, owner and operator of Nelly’s Treats, started her baking journey in 2010. With consistent experimentation and improvements, she turned her dream into a reality. To anyone with a sweet tooth you should stop by and visit Nelly’s Treats on Remsen Street in Cohoes, NY. To see her work, visit https://www.nellystreats.com/

• Remsen Street Dining: Started with a wine bar around 9 years ago on Remsen Street in Cohoes. The owner has since expanded to opening a local pub and an Italian restaurant where diners can experience an array of dishes. All these restaurants can be found near the historic Cohoes Music Hall.  To learn more, stop on over to 241 Remsen Street or visit https://www.remsenstreetdining.com/

In Case You Missed it…

Planning for the Sunset: A Look Ahead at the Expiring Tax Provisions Webinar

On November 8, 2022, Jolyn Sweet, Atlas’ Tax Director, reviewed some of the tax provisions of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 currently slated to expire or “sunset.” The webinar discussed points of consideration which may impact your future tax planning efforts in preparation for the sunset. View the webinar here.

Principles of Long-Term Investing Resilience Webinar

2022 has produced many challenges for investors.  In times like these it is crucial to keep this short-term volatility in long-term perspective. On December 8, 2022, the Atlas hosted webinar reviewed some key factors of market history, investor behavior, and how they relate to the current market conditions. Doug Orton, CRPC® and Vice President at MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., a subsidiary of MFS Investment Management® (MFS®) was the presenter. View the webinar here

Keeping the Bad Guys Away – Safeguarding Against Fraud Webinar

Con artists and their scams have evolved over the years into this modern and digital age. Lissa McNaughton, Director of Retirement Services at Atlas, discussed common scams and how to avoid them for all Open House participants on October 19, 2022. Lissa shares her cautionary tales and offers tips to help you stay safe in this recorded 15-minute webinar.

Estate Planning and Charitable Giving Webinar

For some high-level estate planning considerations and information on year-end charitable giving strategies, consider checking out this brief 9-minute webinar. Chris Aiello, Director of Trust and Estate Planning at Atlas, recorded a recap of key points that he discussed at the Atlas Open House on October 19, 2022.

You can find these and other webinar recordings at https://atlaspwm.com/category/webinars/

Atlas Team Member Updates

Kollin Allard, Sports & Entertainment Accredited Wealth Management Advisor ^SM

A warm congratulations to our team member Kollin, a Senior Vice President Wealth Management Advisor at Atlas, on obtaining his SE-AWMA.^SM

“I have always been passionate about sports. The coursework allowed me to better understand investment, business, tax, and estate planning techniques specific to athletes, entertainers, and other high net worth individuals. With collegiate and young athletes now able to financially benefit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL), plus the emergence of e-sports, streamers, and social media influencers, the athlete and entertainment industry is growing. Many of these newer areas may be underrepresented in their financial lives and in the need of guidance in turning their overnight success into lifetime wealth.”

CHARTERED RETIREMENT PLANNING COUNSELOR^SM, CRPC®, Sports & Entertainment Accredited Wealth Management Advisor^SM, and SE-AWMA^SM are trademarks or registered service marks of the College for Financial Planning in the United States and/or other countries.

The Atlas team continues to grow. Please join us in welcoming our newest team member…

Office Operations Coordinator, Lisa Britton-Chrysler, joined the firm and has the important role of assisting the COO in managing the overall office operations at Atlas. Lisa is one of the first people to greet you if you come to the Atlas office. Learn more about Lisa here.

Reminders:

• Get your copy of ‘My Personal Atlas.’ Use the address below to download a digital copy or request a paper copy be mailed to you. My Personal Atlas is a tool to help you centralize your vital information including key contacts, account information, and the location of your documents. https://info.atlaspwm.com/my-personal-atlas

• DocuSign and AdvicePay: DocuSign is available to allow clients the ability to conveniently sign most of our documents electronically. Don’t forget about AdvicePay; this tool offers an alternative to paper checks when paying for financial planning and/or tax preparation services.
  
• Document Shredding – Secure shredding services are available to our clients.  Bring your documents to the Albany office during normal business hours (M-F, 8am – 4:30pm) for complimentary shredding of your confidential information.
  
• Atlas Drop Box – In case you can’t get to the office during normal business hours (M-F, 8am – 4:30pm) and want to hand deliver a document, we continue to maintain a secure drop box outside of our office entrance for your convenience.

Don’t forget to find Atlas wherever you are… Never miss a beat or upcoming event announcement and follow us wherever you are. You can keep up with Atlas news and events on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.