Thomas J. Belisari

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  old.investmentadvisor.com/issues/2006_4/cover_story/618 - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 4/1/2006    Last Visited: 1/23/2008  

  Four Planners Who Get It: Tom BelisariPlanning for Everyone
  
  The best compliment,and referral,that Tom Belisari ever got came from the daughter of one of his clients.
  
  "She was speaking to a co-worker who had no idea where her money was going," says Belisari, owner of Key Financial Inc. in West Chester, Pennsylvania."So the daughter says to the woman, 'You need to get your own Tom.My mother just calls Tom, and he takes care of it.'" At the time, the mother had a $2,000 IRA account.Belisari says he was referred to one $750,000 portfolio and a separate $1 million portfolio from that one conversation.
  
  Belisari's philosophy is simple: there is no account too small to manage, and retirement planning should have started yesterday.That's why he sets no minimum amount on the accounts he takes on."Just because you're not going to make money doesn't mean you can't help somebody," Belisari says.
  
  Belisari has been a financial planner for 22 years and manages around $30 million for more than 300 clients at his practice, which he shares with Patti Brennan.About 15% of his revenue comes from fee-based planning.
  
  A representative of Royal Alliance and a CFP, Belisari estimates that about half of his business is devoted exclusively to retirement planning, although he wishes it were more."Unfortunately people get serious about their retirements too late," he says. Belisari has increased the life expectancy he uses in plans for his clients to 95."We use very, very conservative estimates," he says."But I say, 'Hey, if you can tell me the exact day you are going to die, I'll make sure that's the day you spend your last nickel.'"
  
  About one-third of Belisari's clients are in the distribution phase of their retirements and Belisari is noticing a more liberal approach to their investing than in years past."Twenty or so years ago, people didn't know what an international fund was," he says."A lot of older investors would say, 'I fought these guys in World War II, why invest in their country?' Nowadays, it's easier for the older generation to see investing as a global issue."
  
  Belisari is concerned, however, that the retirees of the next generation will need to battle rising medical costs and, in some cases, will need to add an unwanted element to their retirement plans.

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  www.keyfinancialinc.com/new/keyfinancialinc/content.asp - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 10/8/2008    Last Visited: 11/15/2007  

  Thomas Belisari, CFP
  
  An alumnus of both St. Joseph's and LaSalle Universities with a BS in Psychology and an MBA in Business, Tom has been a CFP since 1987 and served on the Board for the Delaware Valley Society of the Institute of Certified Financial Planners for seven years.As President, he oversaw the local merger of the ICFP and the IAFP into the Financial Planning Association of Greater Philadelphia.Tom was nominated and elected to the Financial Planning Association Leadership Council for three (3) years where he chaired the Communications Committee.He was a guest panelist speaking on Planning Retirement for the Intelligent Investor Conference sponsored by the Philadelphia Inquirer and Morningstar for three (3) years - 2000 - 2002.
  
  Tom has been featured and quoted in several publications including the Philadelphia Inquirer, American Way Magazine, Kiplinger.com, Chicago Tribune, Daily Local News, CBSMarketWatch.com, CNNFN and Investment Advisor Magazine.He has been the feature guest on the local NBC News.
  
  His areas of experience include Investments, Retirement Planning, Budgeting, Cash Flow Analysis and Long-Term Care.Tom works closely with individuals, families and business owners, and also designs retirement plans for individual corporations.

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  AT/YATChat/Determine Your Client's Risk Tolerance - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 10/1/2007    Last Visited: 7/3/2008  

  ,Thomas Belisari, CFP
  ...
  Thomas Belisari, CFP, an associate with Key Financial Inc. in West Chester, Penn., also learns from a client's current investments."Seeing how their 401(k) is set it up is often a mirror of their soul, and I ask if they made the investment choices or if someone else did it,'' he says.If they did it themselves, he says he can learn a lot about them.Belisari manages approximately $48 million in assets for clients who run the gamut from young to old, wealthy to not-so-wealthy.
  
  Step 2: Know your client. Life experiences impact how people feel about money.Growing up poor will yield one attitude, while being born with a silver spoon yields another.It's also important to understand a person's investment experiences.Belisari uses informal meetings to learn about clients so he can find something they relate to."Let them tell you in their words; that's the key," he says."I look at their personal circumstances and listen as they talk.''
  
  And never make assumptions.Belisari tells the story of one client who visits Las Vegas two or three times a year.You might think she's aggressive, but no.She plays nickel Keno, a game that you can play for a very long time without getting financially slaughtered.If her game was roulette, Belisari would use a very different approach.
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  Belisari uses another tactic.He asks clients about how their expenses, such as the cost of gasoline and food, have risen over the years.
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  With those, Belisari generally goes for a compromise.

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  Board of Directors - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 1/30/2002    Last Visited: 1/30/2002  

  Thomas J. Belisari, CFPChairperson(610) 429-4180Fax: (610) 429-0504tjbelisari@yahoo.com

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  FOX 61 WTIC-TV Connecticut | Changes mean 401(k) still... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 2/20/2004    Last Visited: 10/1/2004  

  "Companies are getting much tougher on plan providers because they now have the perspective of looking back on bad market years with negative returns as well as the good years," said Tom Belisari, certified financial planner with Key Financial Inc. (www.keyfinancialinc.com) in West Chester, Pa. "Mutual fund companies are cutting their fees and renegotiating compensation in hopes of keeping 401(k) money."
  
  Some of the most publicized offenders have been booted.
  
  Putnam Investments has lost tens of billions of dollars in retirement assets, including $1.2 billion from the California Public Employees' Retirement System.
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  "Look at the options the past employer offers to see whether it's decent and then ask yourself how often you actually look at your account," said Belisari.

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  How to protect yourself against deluge of layoffs - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 11/27/2001    Last Visited: 11/27/2001  

  But if you are not immediately worried about losing your job and would like to try to save for an emergency fund and retirement, go ahead and split your savings between the two, said Thomas J. Belisari of Key Financial Advisors in West Chester.You may want to contribute to your 401(k) retirement plan up to the amount your employer matches, and put the rest in the emergency fund.
  
  Marshal your financial resources.Make a list of all your savings and investment accounts to get a sense of your options.If you have saved diligently, this will give you a sense of control over your future.If not, consider it a wake-up call, and create a savings and investment plan.
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  Belisari said he thinks you should take it because it gives you control over your money.To avoid tax penalties, you will need to roll it over directly into an IRA or your new employer's plan.
  
  Sue Stevens, director of financial planning for Chicago researcher Morningstar Inc., said she thinks some people may want to leave the money in their old employer's plan, however.
  
  "If you're not familiar with investing, it could be more harmful to invest it yourself or work with someone who may not be acting in your best interest," Stevens said."Most people are fairly distressed if they're in the situation of losing their jobs.If you can leave the money in the plan and just kind of defer that decision until later, psychologically it might be better."
  
  If you have company stock in your plan and you are 55 or older when you leave your job, you may want to consider rolling all investments, except for the company stock, into an IRA.A little-known tax benefit makes it attractive for some people to withdraw the company stock directly from their plans.

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  Inquirer Intelligent Investing Guide - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 10/10/1999    Last Visited: 8/12/2000  

  If you have got $ 100, 000 in a portfolio and 60 percent is in a couple of stocks, that be not proper diversification, says Tom Belisari, a certified financial planner with Key Financial Inc. in West Chester.

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  Key Financial, Inc. - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 9/20/2003    Last Visited: 1/3/2007  

  Thomas Belisari, CFP
  
  An alumnus of both St. Joseph's and LaSalle Universities with a BS in Psychology and an MBA in Business, Tom has been a CFP since 1987 and currently serves on the Board for the Financial Planning Association - Philadelphia Tri-State area chapter.Tom has been featured and quoted in local newspapers as well as interviewed by NBC10 and CNNfn.Recently he was a speaker for the Intelligent Investor Conference sponsored by the Philadelphia Inquirer and Morningstar.Tom has also been a featured panelist at the Leadership Conference for the ICFP.
  
  His areas of expertise include Investments, Retirement Planning and Long-Term Care.Tom works closely with individuals, families and business owners, and also designs retirement plans for individual corporations.
  
  Tom devotes considerable time and energy to organizations in and around Chester County.

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  Kiplinger.com: Columns: Financial Fitness - Planning... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 10/8/2008    Last Visited: 10/23/2002  

  A better course, if possible, is to take funds from taxable investments and leave tax-deferred accounts to grow as long as possible, says Thomas Belisari, a financial planner in West Chester, Pa. "You'll pay tax on the taxable assets whether or not you use them, so why not use them?"
  
  Pensions
  
  If either of you has a traditional defined benefit pension, consider carefully how to take payments.The law automatically gives your spouse survivor's benefits on your pension unless he or she signs away the right to them.Using that joint-and-survivor option permanently reduces your monthly checks, but your spouse will receive monthly checks after your death of about half of your benefit.
  
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  It boils down to a simple question, says Belisari."If the working spouse dies, can the retired spouse live without that income stream?"If the answer is no, then you need life and disability insurance on the working spouse.
  
  And as you each approach age 60, consider buying long-term-care insurance."It's like fire protection for your estate," says Belisari.
  
  Income taxes
  
  With only one spouse working, you might owe more income tax than you thought if you receive social security benefits or pension payments or tap tax-deferred accounts to supplement income.Or you may sell assets on which you will owe capital gains tax.So re-examine the amount your spouse is having withheld for taxes.You might have to start making quarterly estimated tax payments, too.

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  Press Center - E*TRADE Bank Information - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 12/18/2001    Last Visited: 12/30/2001  

  But if you are not immediately worried about losing your job and would like to try to save for an emergency fund and retirement, go ahead and split your savings between the two, said Thomas J. Belisari of Key Financial Advisors in West Chester.You may want to contribute to your 401(k) retirement plan up to the amount your employer matches, and put the rest in the emergency fund.
  
  Marshal your financial resources.Make a list of all your savings and investment accounts to get a sense of your options.If you have saved diligently, this will give you a sense of control over your future.If not, consider it a wake-up call, and create a savings and investment plan.
  ...
  Belisari said he thinks you should always take it because it gives you control over your money.To avoid tax penalties, you will need to roll it over directly into an individual retirement account or your new employer's plan.
  
  Sue Stevens, director of financial planning for Chicago researcher Morningstar Inc., said she thinks some people may want to leave the money in their old employer's plan, however.
  
  "If you're not familiar with investing, it could be more harmful to invest it yourself or work with someone who may not be acting in your best interest," Stevens said."Most people are fairly distressed if they're in the situation of losing their jobs.If you can leave the money in the plan and just kind of defer that decision until later, psychologically it might be better."
  
  If you have company stock in your plan and you are 55 or older when you leave your job, you may want to consider rolling all investments, except for the company stock, into an IRA.A little-known tax benefit makes it financially attractive for some people to withdraw the company stock directly from their plans.

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