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Trusted Financial Guidance through Education.

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Trusted Financial Guidance through Education.

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At Menninger & Associates, our philosophy is based on the fundamentals of financial planning. We offer many financial planning services including Cash Management, Tax Planning, Insurance Planning, Investment Planning, Retirement Planning, and Estate Planning.
Contact: 610-422-3773

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Financial Planning Explained

Join us weekly as Mike interviews industry experts, business owners, and corporate executives to take a closer look at the 6 fundamentals of Financial Planning and creative ways to help improve your financial success!

Financial Planning Explained

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Join us each month for a unique "Trick of the Trade" to keep you ahead of the curve.

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Welcome to Menninger & Associates!

Our philosophy when working with clients is based on the fundamentals of financial planning which include tax planning, investment planning, retirement planning, insurance planning, and estate planning. Further, we strongly believe that education and knowledge are powerful, and we aim to teach our clients "WHY," in order to support the strategies and recommendations we provide. At Menninger & Associates we value family and strive to conduct multi-generational planning for our clients to help maximize efficiency of wealth transfer. Additionally, much like we recommend succession planning for our business-owning clients, our firm has established a business succession plan for employees that will help ensure financial planning continuity to our clients for generations to come. We know that the only way our clients will truly be happy working with us is if every team member is aligned on the same principles. With two easy-to-reach locations in the Greater Philadelphia area, contact us today for your introductory consultation where we will perform an extensive and detailed evaluation of your unique financial situation, and begin planning out your financial future for many years to come.
Contact Menninger & Associates
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Routinely track asset allocation and investment performance

Provide insight on wealth management, tax planning, insurance planning, investment planning, retirement planning, and estate planning

Answer questions and provide education to add clarity to your financial goals

Develop a more holistic plan to pursue your financial goals in the long term

Confidence knowing that your finances are being actively managed by qualified professionals

Get a Complimentary Consultation

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Certified Financial Planner in Feasterville & Norristown, PA

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Join us weekly as Mike interviews industry experts, business owners, and corporate executives to take a closer look at the 6 fundamentals of Financial Planning and creative ways to help improve your financial success! Financial Planning Explained Check out our weekly market recap to see how the market performed the prior week.

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The New Tax Law may affect your 2018 taxes. This is How!

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The New Tax Law may affect your 2018 taxes. This is How!

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People who previously itemized their deductions will now be able to take advantage of the increased standard deductions.

Check the Blog to find out more.

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Illustration: Sarah MacReading

It's difficult to say how the recent tax overhaul will affect you because your ultimate tax bill depends on so many factors. This means the 2019 filing season may be a grab bag of good and bad surprises for taxpayers.

With the large increase in the standard deduction, many people who previously itemized deductions will now find it more advantageous to claim the standard deduction.

Wray Rives, a certified public accountant with NeedaCPA, told us in an interview that "while this will probably please a lot of folks, some people will not like what the changes in itemized deductions do to their tax bill for 2018."

Who might feel the pain the most? Rives mentioned a few possibilities:

You're well-off and you live in a high-tax state: A high-tax state is one in which a larger percentage of your income goes to property, income, sales, and other taxes. If you live in a high-tax state such as California, Connecticut, New Jersey, or New York and you're a high earner (household income of $100,000 or more), you may lose a big share of your itemized deductions due to the new $10,000 limit on the SALT (state and local tax) deduction.

You own an expensive home: If you purchased a home valued at more than $750,000 in the past few years or if you have home equity debt that you didn't use for home improvements, you may be affected by (and unhappy with) the new limitations on mortgage interest deductions.

You have unreimbursed work expenses: "If you are a W-2 employee and your employer doesn't reimburse you for business expenses, the elimination of miscellaneous itemized deductions may be a very unwelcome surprise," Rives said.

You moved for work-related reasons: "Employers and employees need to renegotiate how employees get compensated for a work move," Rives said. You might want to ask for a higher salary or a signing bonus to cover those costs, or request a more generous relocation package, as any reimbursement will be taxable income.

You have a lot of dependents: Taxpayers with several children may not like losing the $4,050 personal exemption per dependent, especially if their dependents are in college and aren't eligible for the expanded Child Tax Credit.

But it's not all bad news: A lot of Americans will see their income tax rate go down. Many people may opt to take the higher standard deduction and greatly simplify their tax filing. Analysts from the nonpartisan think tank Tax Policy Center estimate the new law will cut taxes for 80% of households by an average of $1,600.

But if you work from a home office, you may get stung by lost deductions. If you live in a high-tax state such as California, you might not be able to deduct all of your mortgage interest.

Also, folks who need tax benefits the most may not see them: The Tax Policy Center found that 45% of low-income households will pay about the same amount of tax as they do today. Higher earners (household income of $308,000 and up) will receive the biggest benefits.

We'll walk you through what's new for the 2018 tax season and how your taxes may change under the new law.

Tax changes for most American taxpayers

Tax changes if you're self-employed or work from home

Doubled and expanded Child Tax Credit

One credit that can really help parents is the Child Tax Credit.

The new tax law doubles the credit amount from $1,000 to $2,000 for each qualifying child (the cutoff age of 17 remains the same) and significantly increases the income level at which you see your credit phased out. A tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the tax you owe, so a $1,000 tax credit, for instance, lowers your tax bill by $1,000 if you qualify.

Previously, a married couple that filed jointly would start to lose their deduction when their combined income reached $110,000.

It may be even better news for low-income families or families who owe little tax: It's a refundable credit, meaning that if the amount of the credit exceeds what you owe, you can have some of it paid out to you as part of your refund. The refundable portion for 2018 is $1,400.

The personal exemption is gone

In 2017, the personal exemption allowed taxpayers to subtract $4,050 per person from their taxable income for themselves, a spouse (if applicable), and each dependent. The more exemptions a taxpayer claims, the less taxable income they have. The new law eliminated the personal exemption to help offset the cost of nearly doubling the standard deduction.

If your dependent kids are 18 years or older, they're too old to qualify for the Child Tax Credit. As their parent, you lose the personal exemption and you don't have a credit to offset it.

Tax changes for homeowners

The new tax law: A mixed bag of changes

1. Wray Rives, CPA, owner of Rives CPA PLLC, email interview, November 18, 2018

2. Michael Menninger, CFP, president of Menninger & Associates, email interview, November 18, 2018

About your guide

When should you hire a CPA or tax preparer, and when can you do your taxes yourself? A look at the costs, advantages, and disadvantages of hiring a tax pro.

When should you hire a CPA or tax preparer, and when can you do your taxes yourself? A look at the costs, advantages, and disadvantages of hiring a tax pro.

Tax season can be stressful and time-consuming if you haven't prepared properly. Here are a few tried and tested tools that can help you get organized.

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How the New Tax Law May Affect Your 2018 Taxes

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It's difficult to say how the recent tax overhaul will affect you because your ultimate tax bill depends on so many factors. This means the 2019 filing season may be a grab bag of good and bad surprises for taxpayers.

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CDC Issues Updated Guidance for Schools on Maiello, Brungo and Maiello Attorneys on their latest Law Blog!

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On July 9 th, the CDC issued updated guidance with a preference for return to in-person instruction for K-12 schools. The key takeaway from this guidance is that school districts should to the greatest extent practicable, implement prevention and mitigation policies in line with the most up-to-date guidance from the CDC for the reopening and operation of school facilities. It is important to understand this information shared by the CDC is just guidance and does not have the force of law, especially since the Commonwealth rescinded its Universal Mask order effective June 28, 2021.

As of today, PDE has not issued separate guidance (expected within the week) apart from emphasizing that decisions on mitigation strategies are a Local Education Agency's (LEA) decision. LEAs should be guided by community transmission levels as to what mitigation strategies will be implemented in their respective schools. Masks are still recommended as the best mitigation strategy for individuals who are not vaccinated. Please note that under a Federal order issued in January 2021, the CDC requires face coverings, regardless of vaccination status, when on public transportation - this includes on school buses operated by public and private school systems.

All LEAs seeking the third disbursement of grant funding through the ARP ESSER are required to submit Health & Safety Plans by July 30, 2021. Pursuant to the grant guidelines, LEAs are required to review the plans every 6 months and update/revise where necessary and place the revised plans on the LEA's website. Revised plans do not need to be shared with PDE.

Health and Safety Plans required LEAs to include the following components:

1. How the LEA will, to the greatest extent practicable, support prevention and mitigation policies in line with the most up-to-date guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the reopening and operation of school facilities to continuously and safely open and operate schools for in-person learning;

2. How the LEA will ensure continuity of services, including but not limited to services to address the students' academic needs, and students' and staff members' social, emotional, mental health, and other needs, which may include student health and food services;

3. How the LEA will maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff and the extent to which it has adopted policies, and a description of any such policy on each of the following safety recommendations established by the CDC:

1. Universal and correct wearing of masks;

2. Modifying facilities to allow for physical distancing (e.g., use of cohorts/podding);

3. Handwashing and respiratory etiquette;

4. Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, including improving ventilation;

5. Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, in collaboration with the State and local health departments;

6. Diagnostic and screening testing;

7. Efforts to provide vaccinations to school communities;

8. Appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities with respect to health and safety policies; and

9. Coordination with state and local health officials.

The CDC recommends if school administrators are considering whether and how to remove prevention strategies, they should remove one prevention strategy at a time and students, teachers, and staff should be closely monitored for any outbreaks or increases in COVID-19 cases.

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CDC Issues Updated Guidance for Schools - Maiello Brungo & Maiello

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On July 9 th, the CDC issued updated guidance with a preference for return to in-person instruction for K-12 schools. The key takeaway from this guidance is that school districts should to the greatest extent practicable, implement prevention and mitigation policies in line with the most up-to-date guidance from the CDC for the reopening and operation of school facilities.

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Built on Integrity, Proven by Performance.

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Built on Integrity, Proven by Performance.

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Whether you need legal counsel for personal or business purposes, MBM’s attorneys will work closely with you to resolve your legal concerns.  With a comprehensive knowledge of the law and or many areas of practice, our Pittsburgh law firm is prepared to aid you by providing legal analysis and support pertinent to your case.

Contact: 412-242-4400

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LEADING PITTSBURGH-BASED LAW FIRM, PROUDLY SERVING PENNSYLVANIA

At Maiello Brungo & Maiello Attorneys at Law (MBM Law), we have been providing families, businesses, and individuals with high-quality legal advice since 1972.

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, the attorneys at MBM Law strive to provide exceptional legal services to each of our clients and obtain optimal results. We offer comprehensive knowledge in a wide array of practice areas, ranging from real estate transactions and employment contracts to business startups & estate planning.

Our ability to provide such outstanding legal services starts with our hard-working staff and our passion for resolving and preventing legal disputes. We make it a priority to work closely and communicate consistently with our clients to gain a complete understanding of their desired outcomes. To provide the best counsel, our attorneys work collaboratively with each other to build a well-informed strategy for each case. This ensures that every legal issue is evaluated from different perspectives, that solutions are both practical and timely, and that our clients benefit from favorable results.

At Maiello Brungo & Maiello, our skilled team of attorneys feels privileged to serve a broad spectrum of clients, including public agencies, small businesses, and local individuals. Additionally, we pride ourselves in maintaining long-lasting relationships with many of our clients and working with them over the years to solve any issues that emerge. Nevertheless, we are always excited to work with new clients and explore new opportunities. We are happy to consult with individuals with legal questions in the following practice areas:

At Maiello Brungo & Maiello, our law firm focuses on providing expert, tailored legal advice and services to businesses and individuals. The depth of knowledge and experience of the attorneys at Maiello Brungo & Maiello not only allows us to provide you with sound legal advice, but also allows us to truly understand your goals. As a result, we are able to exceed our clients' expectations and instill in them the confidence that their interests will be protected. Every case is given individualized attention catered to fit your unique and individual needs.

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Maiello Brungo & Maiello (MBM Law) Firm in Pennsylvania

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Since 1972, Pittsburgh based Maiello Brungo & Maiello law firm has cultivated a reputationfor unmatched client service and legal expertise. MBM Law firm attorneys specialize in real estate, corporate,education, construction, employment, litigation, municipal, estate planning and tax law. Contact ustoday for legal advice or a consultation.

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Court Upholds Employee Termination for Violating Employer Media Policy

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Court Upholds Employee Termination for Violating Employer Media Policy

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News Update!!
Court Upholds Employee’s Termination for Violating Employer’s Social Media Policy. Read more on this blog.

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The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit recently decided the case of Ellis v. Bank of New York Mellon Corp., a case involving claims of racial discrimination brought by Lisa Ellis, a former senior control analyst for BNY Mellon. The case arose after BNY Mellon fired Ellis for social media posts she made on her personal Facebook account.

Specifically, on June 30, 2018, Ms. Ellis commented on a Facebook post related to a local news story involving a suburban Pittsburgh municipal council member who had been arrested for driving his car into a group of demonstrators protesting a police shooting. Ms. Ellis utilized her personal device to make the social media postings rather than a device owned or controlled by her employer. Ms. Ellis commented that the council member "should have taken a bus to plow thru" the protestors. Ms. Ellis's Facebook account was public, and the account identified her as a "vice-president for BNY Mellon." BNY Mellon indicated that it was inundated with complaints over the post.

Following publication of the post, Ms. Ellis was terminated for violating BNY Mellon's social media policy and code of conduct. Of particular interest is the fact that Ms. Ellis was terminated for making social media posts on her personal time, separate from her employment with BNY Mellon. After she was terminated, Ms. Ellis claimed that she was the victim of reverse race discrimination under Title VII. The District Court granted summary judgement to BNY Mellon, holding that Ms. Ellis introduced no evidence of discrimination. Ms. Ellis appealed this determination to the Third Circuit.

As part of her appeal, Ms. Ellis argued that the District Court ignored evidence that two other, non-white, BNY Mellon employees made controversial social media postings but were not terminated for same. The Circuit Court determined that the two comparator employees were not "similarly situated" to Ms. Ellis in that neither employee made comments as extreme as Ms. Ellis. The Circuit Court found that "[o]ne expressed frustration with a white co-worker but did not threaten that co-worker with violence, let alone serious bodily harm or death, [t]he other opined that men who hurt women should commit suicide." "Though inappropriate and ill-advised, neither post encouraged mass violence against protesters, as Ellis's did, [t]hus, no reasonable jury could find Ellis's conduct comparable to that of her former colleagues."

The Circuit Court further found that the two comparator employees "worked in different positions, in different departments, had different responsibilities, and reported to different supervisors than Ellis did." Although Ms. Ellis argued that this was not relevant, as all employees were bound by the same social media policy, the Court found that the social media policy did not outline standard punishments, but instead gave decision makers broad discretion over how to discipline employees. According to the Court, this left "open the possibility that Ellis's position, department, or responsibilities factored into BNY Mellon's decision to fire her, [a]nd it is Ellis's burden, not BNY Mellon's, to dispel this possibility and establish that the purported comparators are, in fact, comparable."

The decision in Ellis seems to suggest that it is more advantageous for a company to adopt broad policies regarding employee discipline which provide the employer with discretion in disciplining employees based on a number of factors. However, employers must be cognizant of the possibility that racial discrimination claims could be brought against them, and as a matter of best practice should document their rationale for adverse employment actions against employees. The Ellis decision does not foreclose discrimination actions, it merely reiterates the principle that the employee has the burden to prove discrimination and that the employee must show that a potential comparator is truly similarly situated.

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Court Upholds Employee Termination for Violating Employer Media Policy

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The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit recently decided the case of Ellis v. Bank of New York Mellon Corp., a case involving claims of racial discrimination brought by Lisa Ellis, a former senior control analyst for BNY Mellon.