Separating Assets After Divorce

Allen Fitzsimmons is the head of Talon Furniture Gallery as well as Transitioning Forward, a company in Belchertown, MA, that helps its clients move through life transitions like downsizing, moving, or divorce. In this role, Allen Fitzsimmons helps his clients sell their homes or items they no longer need in order to facilitate a life transition in a positive way.

Divorce is a common life transition that often comes with a high emotional toll. Moving to a smaller apartment and dividing personal belongings can be a very stressful and expensive process. Separate property, or property acquired by either individual before the marriage, can generally be easily redistributed. Anything the couple acquired during the marriage, however, is considered marital property, which can make things more complicated.

In some cases, separate property may lose its status if it was combined with marital property, such as adding a spouse’s name to a land deed during the marriage. Many couples don’t realize that when separate property (including real estate) increases in value, that monetary gain is considered marital property. Many divorcing couples can benefit from professional help during this process as it can include legal, financial, and real estate concerns.

Rochester Hosts International Baccalaureate World Student Conference

Since 2013, Allen Fitzsimmons has served as chief executive officer of Transitioning Forward, a Belchertown, MA-based company that appraises and sells assets for clients who are downsizing or settling estates. Allen Fitzsimmons comes to this role with a master’s degree in management from the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester, which hosted the sixth annual International Baccalaureate World Student Conference in August 2017. 

The sixth annual International Baccalaureate World Student Conference brought together more than 200 students who participate in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. The global pre-college program provides a challenging course of study that emphasizes critical thinking. Approximately 10 percent of incoming Rochester students come from IB schools, and Rochester was the first institution in the Northeast to offer scholarships to such students. 

At this year’s International Baccalaureate World Student Conference, the keynote speaker was John Harris, the co-founder of Politico and a native of Rochester, New York. Harris gave an address titled Change and Continuity in Media and Politics: A Survivor’s Guide to the Daily Madness. Students also enjoyed the opportunity to visit Niagara Falls and attend a game of the Rochester Red Wings, a minor league baseball team. Finally, the event served as a way for students to see the River Campus and consider making the University of Rochester part of their future.

USPTA Tiers of Professional Certification

In 2013, Allen Fitzsimmons founded Transitioning Forward, a Belchertown, MA company that assists clients through transitional periods by overseeing the appraisal, sale, and shipment of the client’s property or estate. Outside of his professional life, Allen Fitzsimmons is also a USPTA-certified tennis instructor.

The United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) certifies tennis instructors to teach as professionals. The USPTA includes three tiers of certified professional membership. To be a professional, instructors must be at least 18-years-old, pass the written and practical portions of the certification exam, and complete the first two stages of Coach Youth Tennis. Every three years, professionals must earn at least six continuing education credits to maintain their status as professionals. 

Elite professionals are at least 22-years-old, and have passed the elite written and practical exams. The elite exams include the written sport science, tennis mechanics, and business tests; a stroke analysis test; and an elite-level practical, on-court exam. Elites must also earn a minimum of six credits per three years to maintain their elite status. 

Master professional is the highest status offered by the USPTA. Applicants may only apply for master status after 10 years at the elite professional level. They must also satisfy requirements for service in the industry. Like other professionals, masters must continue to earn six credits per three year period to retain their master-level status. Master professional status is intended for those occupying high-level tennis careers, such as director of tennis or general manager.

In addition to its professional certification program, the USPTA provides membership and educational opportunities for recreational coaches, school coaches, and those interested in coaching wheelchair tennis players.

Estate Sales and Tag Sales May Bring Disappointing Results

Allen Fitzsimmons is the owner of Transitioning Forward. Allen Fitzsimmons, of Belchertown, MA, helps people by selling keepsakes, antiques, furniture and high-value items for them, so they don't have to deal with the details during moves and transitions. Some alternatives to Transitioning Forward are below.

Estate sales are one way to dispose of a family's accumulation of treasures and antiques when moving to a different location. It is often easier for the homeowner to leave the selling of the interior contents to someone outside of the family, like an estate agent.

Estate agents come in different varieties, but they all sell for a commission. There should be a contract that spells out the percentage of the family portion and the agent's portion of the proceeds of the sale. In an estate auction, every item is sold for the bid price, regardless of the presumed value. Auctioneers at the estate auction receive a percentage of the sale price and the owner of the item receives the remainder of the bid. 

Estate sales and estate auctions often bring a price much lower than the sellers anticipate. Estate agents charge fees as high as 40 percent and auctioneers will request 30 percent or more. 

Tag sales are a third source of funds from the sale of home furnishings. A tag sale agent also receives a commission. The tag sale may last up to three days, and the price will drop on the items each day.

The commission structure and ability to obtain market value make the services of Allen Fitzsimmons and Transitioning Forward a superior option for selling your valuable items.

Types of Tennis Rackets

Allen Fitzsimmons, an experienced sales and marketing professional, is the founder and principal of Transitioning Forward in Belchertown, MA. A graduate of the University of Rochester, from which he earned an MS in business management, Allen Fitzsimmons also enjoys playing competitive tennis and was a member of the University of Rochester’s team while in college.

A racket sport whose roots trace back for centuries, tennis in its modern incarnation originated in Birmingham, England in the mid-1800s. Tennis is also an Olympic sport and consists of players or teams who hit a ball back and forth over a net with a racket. The players attempt to score points by hitting a shot within play that the opposing player or team cannot return. Tennis rackets are the main piece of equipment used for the game and come in three primary types.

- Power rackets - also known as game improvement rackets, these are meant for players who need more power from their swing. Power rackets are light, long rackets with large racket heads.

- Control rackets - also known as players rackets, these are designed for skilled players who desire greater control and can provide their own racket power. Control rackets are generally heavier with a smaller racket head.

- Tweener rackets - These rackets include features of the other two racket types and are meant for mid-level players.

A Pele Auction Benefiting Charity Nets More than $5 Million

 

Allen Fitzsimmons leads Transitioning Forward in Belchertown, MA, as CEO. In this role, he

oversees an experienced team of appraisers and estate management professionals. Beyond

his professional obligations, he is a certified tennis instructor with the United StatesProfessional Tennis Association. Tennis players such as Allen Fitzsimmons can stay safe on

the court through an understanding of the importance of warmups.

Warming up before a tennis game can help players to stay safe and provides a number of

benefits on a physical and emotional level. Warmups help to prepare the muscles and body

tissue for the considerable strain that the sport puts on the joints due to the constant

stopping, starting, and rigorous body movements. Furthermore, warmups can help one’s

body to perform at an optimal level and reduce the likelihood of conditions such as tennis

elbow.

The ideal warmup takes approximately 10 to 20 minutes and includes dynamic stretches

that keep the body in motion, as opposed to static stretches that require players to hold a

stretch for several seconds. Dynamic stretches tend to improve the body’s range of motion,

enhance muscle performance, and increase body awareness. In addition, a dynamic

warmup does a more thorough job of activating the muscles used in tennis than a static

warmup. Areas that you should focus on during a warmup include the knees, rotator cuff,

hips, back, calves, hamstrings, and IT band.