Find a Financial Advisor in Lehigh County

From cement and trucks to warehouses and hospitals: the Lehigh County economy

The county grew up around heavy industry. Portland cement was made here for generations, and the old kilns at Coplay still stand as a reminder. Mack Trucks has long been tied to Allentown, and PPL, the electric utility, is headquartered there. Those older employers shaped a workforce that expects pensions, union benefits and steady hours, and many retirees in the county still draw on them.

The present economy leans on health care, education, utilities, industrial gases and logistics. Air Products is based in the Upper Macungie area, Muhlenberg College and Cedar Crest College sit in Allentown, and big distribution buildings have gone up near Interstate 78 and the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Lehigh Valley International Airport in Hanover Township adds air freight and travel jobs.

For a household, that history means two groups sit side by side. One holds legacy pensions and paid-off rowhomes. The other is younger, renting or buying a first place, and paid through a warehouse, hospital or school district. Both benefit from advice, but the questions differ, so we start with which group you are in.

Pennsylvania rules that matter to Lehigh County households

Pennsylvania charges a flat personal income tax on wages, and most cities and townships add a local earned income tax on top, collected through a county tax office. Many also charge a small local services tax to people who work within their borders. Pay attention to where you live and where you work, because the two can differ and both affect take-home pay.

Retirement is friendlier. The state generally does not tax Social Security, and it generally exempts distributions from 401(k) plans, IRAs and pensions once you are past retirement age. It does have an inheritance tax, where the rate depends on how the heir is related to the person who died, and transfers to a spouse are treated most favorably. Real estate transfer tax applies when property is sold, split between the state and the local governments.

Pennsylvania also lets residents deduct contributions to its 529 plan from state taxable income, within limits. Because limits, rates and thresholds change, confirm current rules with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue or a tax professional. Our estate planning guide explains wills, trusts and beneficiary forms.

Lehigh County at a glance

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, Lehigh County has a median household income of $80,079, a per capita income of $43,088 and a median home value of $300,400. The median age is 39.6, and 17.7% of residents are 65 or older. About 65.6% of homes are owner occupied, 34.2% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, and unemployment is 5.9%. Median gross rent is $1,383 a month.

A home value near $300,000 is modest next to the New Jersey and New York suburbs, which is one reason buyers cross the state line. It also means a household can reach homeownership on a median income without stretching, if it keeps the rest of its plan in view.

Retirement planning in Lehigh County

With nearly one resident in five aged 65 or older, retirement is an everyday topic. The central questions are when to claim Social Security, how to turn savings into a paycheck, and how to cover health costs before and after Medicare begins at 65. Pennsylvania going easy on retirement income helps, but federal tax still applies, and large withdrawals can raise the share of Social Security that is taxed and the premiums you pay for Medicare.

People who spent a career at a manufacturer or utility may have a pension with a choice between a monthly payment and a lump sum. That decision is hard to reverse. Ask the plan for a written estimate of each option, ask what happens to a surviving spouse, and have a planner compare them against your other income. Our retirement planning guide covers the building blocks.

Teachers and school employees across the county’s districts generally belong to the state school employees retirement system, and their service years and final pay formula drive the plan. Ask for a benefit statement at least a few years before you expect to leave.

Life insurance in Lehigh County

Life insurance fits several jobs here. Young parents in the newer townships want a death benefit large enough to clear a mortgage and fund childcare. Older couples sometimes want money to pay the inheritance tax or to equalize what goes to children when one inherits a home. Business owners in the county’s many small manufacturers and trades want funds to buy out a partner.

Term coverage suits most temporary needs and costs far less than permanent policies. Ask any agent to show premiums for several term lengths, and compare health ratings, since a small difference in rating changes the price a lot. If you already own a policy, request an in-force illustration before you cancel or replace it. Our life insurance guide explains the main types.

Wealth management in Lehigh County

Wealth management is aimed at households with enough moving parts that coordination pays for itself. In this county, that often means a family that owns a small business, a doctor or specialist with an irregular income, a retiree with a pension, rental property and an IRA, or heirs of a farm or a long-held house.

Good wealth management turns those pieces into a single picture: which accounts to spend first, when to realize gains, how to give to children or charity, and which documents need updating. Ask whether the firm will work with your CPA and attorney, not around them. Ask also whether they would still recommend the same thing if they earned nothing from the product.

Financial planners in Lehigh County

A planner builds the map. You hand over income, debts, accounts and goals, and you receive a written plan with numbers behind it. That might be a one-time project for a couple in their thirties buying near Emmaus or Macungie, or an annual relationship for a pre-retiree in Whitehall.

Two checks help. First, find out whether the planner will review insurance and taxes, since a plan that skips them is incomplete. Second, ask how updates are handled when something changes, such as a layoff or an inheritance. Our budgeting and saving guide is useful preparation before your first meeting.

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Investment advisors in Lehigh County

An investment advisor chooses and monitors the funds, stocks or bonds in your accounts. Firms that offer this service register with the SEC or the state and publish a brochure called Form ADV. Read the fee page, the conflicts section and the disciplinary history before you speak with anyone.

Some clients want full management, others only want a second look at a portfolio they run themselves. Both are reasonable. What to avoid is a high-cost product sold as an investment strategy. Compare any proposal with a plain low-cost index fund mix and ask why the advisor’s version is worth the added cost. Our investing guide explains how fees compound over decades.

Financial advisors in Lehigh County: how they charge

Expect one of four models: an annual percentage of assets, a flat retainer, an hourly or project fee, or product commissions. Request the all-in figure in dollars for your own situation, including fund expenses, so you can compare firms on the same basis.

How to choose a financial advisor in Lehigh County

Interview at least two firms. Confirm how each is paid and whether they act as a fiduciary on every recommendation. Look them up on the SEC adviser search and FINRA BrokerCheck, and ask who actually holds your money, because it should be a separate custodian in your name. Talk to someone who has worked with a household like yours, such as a pensioner, a commuter or a business owner. Our financial advisors guide offers a longer list of questions.

Older homes, creek floods and winter

Many Allentown and nearby borough homes are a century old. Wiring, roofs and heating systems in older houses fail on their own schedule, so a repair fund of one to two percent of home value a year is a reasonable starting point. The Lehigh River and creeks such as the Little Lehigh and Jordan can flood after heavy rain, and standard homeowners policies exclude flood damage. Ask your insurer about a separate policy, particularly if you live near a waterway or have a finished basement.

Winter adds ice dams, burst pipes and heating costs. Radon is also common in Pennsylvania homes, and testing is cheap compared with the cost of ignoring it. These are small items, but they show why a plan needs a maintenance line next to savings.

Households with one foot in New Jersey or New York

Because Interstate 78 runs straight east, a meaningful share of residents commute, work remotely for out-of-state employers, or moved here from the New York area. Working in another state can create a nonresident return there and a credit on the Pennsylvania return, and the details depend on both states. A remote worker should confirm which state taxes the pay and whether the employer withholds correctly.

People who relocate from higher-cost areas often free up cash on housing and should decide deliberately where it goes: retirement accounts, a college fund, or paying down the mortgage. A planner can model each choice. Our college savings guide compares 529 plans with other tools.

Health care workers, teachers and small employers

The county has a large number of nurses, technicians, teachers and municipal workers. Many have access to a 403(b) or 457 plan alongside a pension, and those plans have rules that differ from a standard 401(k), including catch-up options late in a career. If you are in one of these jobs, ask a planner to look at how the pension and the voluntary account fit together instead of treating them as separate piles.

Owners of small shops, trades and family manufacturers have a different set of choices. A SEP or solo 401(k) can shelter more income than a plain IRA, and a plan for who takes over the business matters as much as the plan for the money. Owners who skip a succession plan often leave a spouse or children with a sale on a bad timeline.

A first-year checklist for new Lehigh County residents

If you have just moved to the county, a short list keeps things from slipping. Update your beneficiaries on every account. Check which local earned income tax rate applies to your new address and confirm that your employer is withholding it. Re-shop your auto and home insurance, since rates depend on location and bundling. Open or move a Pennsylvania 529 account if you have children. Build a cash reserve equal to a few months of core expenses before you invest beyond your workplace plan. Then book one planning session to tie these together, rather than waiting for a problem to force the conversation.

Areas we serve in Lehigh County

We connect residents across Lehigh County with advisors who work by phone or video. That includes Allentown and neighboring communities such as Whitehall, Emmaus, Macungie, Catasauqua, Coplay and Slatington, as well as the townships between them and the farmland to the north and west.

Frequently asked questions