Sam Gruer is a Managing Director in Mesirow Public Finance He specializes in serving Northeast and Southeast clients who issue general obligation and revenue-backed bonds  Additionally Sam serves as co-head of Mesirow’s Defeasance Solutions group Sam is a 30+ year veteran of the industry with broad experience as a banker municipal advisor and trader/structurer of both defeasance and derivative…

Sam Hershman is a Director in Mesirow Investment Banking He is responsible for leading the day-to-day transaction execution process in food beverage and agribusiness consumer and eCommerce business services and distribution and supply chain Sam began his career as an Analyst in Mesirow Investment Banking in 2013 where he worked in roles of increasing responsibility until 2018 He rejoined the…

Sam is a Senior Analyst in Mesirow CTL and Structured Debt Products He is responsible for supporting the team in research and analysis Prior to joining Mesirow in 2021 Sam worked at Ernst and Young within their structured product valuation practice Sam earned a Bachelor of Science in Management in finance and a Bachelor of Science in political economy from Tulane University He holds FINRA Series…

Sandra Amirtha is a Client Relationship Specialist in Mesirow Wealth Management She is responsible for day-to-day client service and communications including client portfolio analysis trade requests account processing and documentation Sandra joined the firm in 2023 and has 15 years of experience in the financial services profession Prior to joining Mesirow she served in various roles including…

Sandy Lackhouse is a Vice President and Client Relationship Specialist in Mesirow Wealth Management She is responsible for day-to-day client service and communications including client portfolio management trade requests account processing and documentations Sandy joined the firm in 1981 and has 43 years of experience She served as a member of the Wealth Management Client Experience Committee and…

Sarah Chodera is Mesirow Chief Marketing Officer In this capacity she leads the firm’s  marketing and communications strategy and execution across media channels Functional areas of responsibility include brand strategy and management marketing technology executive and corporate communications media relations thought leadership product marketing and events Prior to joining Mesirow in 2019 Sarah…

Saran Mishra is an Asset Allocation Research Specialist in Mesirow Fiduciary Solutions He is responsible for leading research initiatives in strategic asset allocation and capital market assumptions He develops and implements quantitative financial models and portfolio optimization techniques interacting with clients on specific research deliverables  Saran joined Mesirow in 2023 and has…

Congratulations you have been accepted, As high school seniors all over the country are sorting through their college acceptance letters their parents and grandparents are feeling trepidation about covering tuition room and board and other expenses for the next four years They are not alone With average tuition rates growing at 2–4% per year¹ the cost of college has become a daunting consideration Active early planning and some…, At Mesirow we work with families to create comprehensive financial plans across generations that help prepare for pivotal life events like college A 529 college funding plan is one example of a solution that we thought you might want to learn more about Created in 1996 529 plans have grown significantly in popularity and are a mainstay of funding college education expenses as well as a vehicle…, 529 plan overview, A 529 plan is a state-sponsored savings vehicle specifically aimed at covering qualified education expenses at post-secondary institutions from college through graduate school Each 529 plan has an owner (frequently the parents or grandparents and a beneficiary (the individual who will use the funds to cover “qualified education” expenses Contributions to a 529 plan are Made with after-tax dollars…, Qualified education expenses, Qualified education expenses include Tuition and fees Books supplies and equipment if required by the educational institution Computer or peripheral equipment computer software or internet access and related services are considered qualified education expenses “if it is to be used primarily by the beneficiary during any of the years the beneficiary is enrolled at an eligible educational…, State laws can impact your decision, Some states offer a state income tax benefit for contributing to the state-specific 529 plan For example Illinois allows residents to deduct up to $10000 annually for state income tax purposes by contributing to one of the two state-offered 529 plans ($20000 for a married couple, Benefits of a 529 plan versus an UTMA or UGMA, Custodial accounts established through the Uniform Gift to Minors Act (UGMA or the Uniform Transfer to Minors Act (UTMA can be very effective tools for passing assets to the next generation however they can have some unintended consequences that 529 plans do not have At the age of 18 or 21 depending on the state of residence the assets in an UTMA or UGMA pass directly and outright to the…, 529 plans and family college planning, 529 plans have unique characteristics that allow for dynamic family planning The owner of the 529 plan can reassign beneficiaries within the same family without any gift tax consequence For example if you open a 529 plan for three siblings and one gets a full scholarship to college you can change the beneficiary on his or her account to the other two siblings or even a first cousin to more fully…, Published in March 2025

Scott Blajszczak is a Vice President in Mesirow Fiduciary Solutions He provides extensive quantitative and qualitative investment research for the groups fiduciary partnership consulting institutional due diligence and other related engagements Scott has six years of experience in the financial services industry Prior to joining Mesirow in 2019 he was a Financial Analyst at Kemper Corporation In…