Finance + Legal Services

Powering Small Business with Transparency

Katie Weber is Rewriting the Rules of Payroll in Connecticut Article by Brian Boyer | Photography by John Helmke When Katie Weber, Connecticut Agent for Lumina Payments, talks about merchant services, she doesn’t start with rates or terminals. She starts with relationships. “Small business owners don’t need another vendor. They need a partner who will pick up the phone when they need help .” As the local Connecticut representative for Lumina Payments, a fast-growing payments company focused...

Finance + Legal Services

Retirement Without Fear

Independent Fiduciary Advisor James Beyer Helps Investors Plan For Life’s Biggest Financial Transition Article by Eileen M. McNamara For many Americans, the final three to five years before retirement can feel like standing at the edge of a cliff — close enough to see what’s next, but uncertain about the landing. For Connecticut-based financial planner James T. Beyer, that stretch isn’t a danger zone. It’s a specialty. An independent fiduciary financial advisor with more than 14 years of...

Finance + Legal Services

Protecting What Matters Most

Independent Agent Coe Bancroft on the Value of Thoughtful Insurance Planning Article by Eileen M. McNamara | Photography by EB Taylor Photography Homes, cars, jewelry, health, even the ability to earn a living—modern life is filled with things worth protecting. Yet deciding what coverage is truly necessary can feel overwhelming. Coe Bancroft of State Farm Insurance in Glastonbury says the starting point is simpler than many people think: focus on the assets and income you couldn’t afford to...

Finance + Legal Services

Experts Espresso Corner

Cummings & Lockwood: Estate Planning for Executives, Justin Wolf, Update Your Landscape By Restoring Walkways and Patios Article by Justin Wolf, Cummings & Lockwood Cummings & Lockwood’s private clients attorneys understand that corporate executives have complex estate planning needs which change and evolve over the course of their careers and into retirement, requiring in-depth review and analysis and sophisticated solutions.   Corporate executives often structure their financial planning...

Finance + Legal Services

Finding Financial Confidence

Allegra Wealth Management Founder Jenny Bergeron Helps Clients Conquer Their Fear of Financial Planning Article by Eileen M. McNamara | Photography by Lynn Damon In an industry long shaped by sales targets and complex jargon, Jenny Bergeron is making investing feel natural. The founder and principal of Allegra Wealth Management, Jenny has built her practice around a simple idea: financial planning should help people live with more freedom and less fear. “Everybody worries about the same...

Finance + Legal Services

The Federal Tax Landscape For 2026

Tax Expert Jaye Subramanian of Consult Vera: The Top Marginal Rate Remains At 37 Percent Article by Jaye  Subramanian | Photography by Kaitlyn Casso This year the major federal tax rules in effect reflect extensions and modifications of policies originally enacted under President Trump, along with legislation passed afterward to prevent many provisions from expiring at the end of 2025. For individuals, lower income tax brackets that were scheduled to sunset remain. The top marginal rate is...

Life + Culture

House of Bread

The Nonprofit's Volunteers Have Powered A Legacy of Giving Decades Article by Brian Boyer For 46 years, the House of Bread has stood as a quiet force of compassion in Hartford—feeding the hungry, educating immigrants and refugees, providing housing to the underserved, and building community where it’s needed most.  Founded in 1980 by Sister Maureen Faenza, CSJ, and Sister Theresa Fonti, CSJ, the House of Bread started by serving coffee and day-old doughnuts to homeless men in the North End of...

Local Services

Experts Espresso Corner

Cummings & Lockwood: The Critical Role of a Trustee; Awning Place: Plan Now for Summer Comfort Article by Kelley Galica Peck Principal, Private Clients Group; Adam Beaulieu, Awing Place Hiring a Trustee Are you afraid to offend your children by naming a professional trustee? In reality, most people should appreciate being spared the burden of trusteeship.  A trustee takes on a fiduciary role that demands diligence, sound judgment, and unimpeachable integrity. A trustee understands and...

Real Estate

Christopher Algoo

A Trusted Advisor in Glastonbury Real Estate Article and Photography by Real estate is crowded with people who open doors. Christopher Algoo focuses on outcomes, protection, and long-term value. Serving Glastonbury and the greater Hartford County market, Christopher, a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, brings more than 20 years of real estate and transactional experience to his clients.  A bar-certified attorney licensed in Connecticut, as well as a broker licensed in both...

Home Services

M&G Landscaping

The American Dream, One Backyard At A Time Article and Photography by When M&G Landscaping was founded in 2015, it began with one truck, a few tools, and a clear point of view. Owner Pranav Dave—known simply as Dave to his customers—had spent years in the industry and noticed a recurring problem: a lack of caring on the part of the contractor.  Most focused on the bottom dollar, and not enough on the customer. Dave’s story mirrors the growth of the company itself. He came to the United...