Wealth Reports
Inflation: An Unfortunate Symptom of a Growing Economy
Even though COVID-19 remains a part of our lives and will likely be here for quite some time, many Americans have learned to live with the virus, and the economy has experienced a faster-than-expected recovery.
The New Infrastructure Bill Presents Opportunities For Investors
Congress recently passed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, including the largest transportation spending package in U.S. history.1 The legislation authorizes funding for a wide range of infrastructure projects, include updating and building new utility systems, electrical grids, transportation and energy projects, and even data infrastructure.
Year-End Tax Strategies: Gift It, Give It, Gain It, Lose It, Max It, Use It
In September, the White House published a report estimating that from 2010 to 2018, the 400 wealthiest households in the U.S. paid an average federal income tax rate of only 8.2%.1
What is Systematic Fixed-Income Investing?
Given the current environment of stubborn inflation and a frustrated labor market, the overall environment does not bode well for higher interest rates for fixed-income investors. In September, the Federal Reserve indicated that it wasn’t likely to raise the current 0.25% federal funds rate until 2022, and even then by only 25 basis points.1
Spotlight: Taxes and Your Retirement
Tax-minimizing strategies are available to everyone, not just billionaires. There are many ways to help reduce your tax bill on investment gains and income — all perfectly legal. It’s a matter of investing in specific types of holdings in specific types of accounts for specific types of goals.
Women and Work: The Path Forward
As U.S. employers desperately seek workers, millions of mothers remain on the sidelines due to health safety concerns, school quarantines and the fact that child care costs more than many of them earn. And while parents pay more than they can afford, child- care workers can’t live on what they’re paid.
Age-Induced Disability: Financial, Retirement & Estate Planning
Have you considered how the cost of paid caregiving services will impact your retirement savings? The older we live, the more our minds and bodies can wear down, so many people in their 80s and 90s need at least some help with things like driving/accompanying to medical appointments, monitoring medications, cleaning house, preparing meals, paying bills and making financial decisions, dressing, bathing and incontinence issues.
2021: Working Toward the Net-Zero Economy
Scientists attribute extreme weather events all over the world to a global warming trend. Since the late 19th century, the average global temperature has increased by 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius). To reverse this phenomenon, scientists say we must reduce and maintain the average global temperature increase to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) above pre-industrial levels.
2021: Cryptocurrencies: A Primer
On March 12, the price of Bitcoin cryptocurrency reached over $61,000, posting what amounts to a 300% annualized return over the past 10 years. The reality of this complex and largely misunderstood asset is that its value is consistently growing over time. In fact, by mid-August 2021, the combined market value of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies totaled more than $2 trillion.
However, digital currencies are subject to extreme volatility, and there is ongoing uncertainty about how to determine valuations.
2021: Are You Sure Your Assets Are Diversified?
The theory of diversification is that by spreading out invested assets among a wide variety of holdings, an investor can help reduce the chances of losing money when some of those investments drop in value. Not only can diversifying help manage risk, but it offers the opportunity for growth even when other portions of the portfolio decline.
2021: Using the HSA for Retirement, Not Just Health Care
Whether your health insurance is purchased from the individual market, including government exchanges, or sponsored by your employer, chances are good that one of your options is an HSAeligible plan. A health savings account, often referred to as an HSA, is a savings vehicle that can be paired with a high deductible health insurance plan (HDHP). It is designed to help you pay for out-ofpocket medical-related expenses with tax-free income.
2021: When Should You Retire?
The three record-setting market drops in March 2020 illustrated just how dangerous the notion of “sequence of returns risk” is for a retirement portfolio. This risk has to do with when you retire as it relates to recent stock market performance.
2021: The Beat Goes On
While the first quarter of 2021 was full of major news – including a new administration and the vaccine rollout – headlines in the second quarter were a bit tamer. Still, even without big headlines to push them upward, markets resolutely continued to heat up.
2021: Insights into the Fourth Industrial Revolution
From handling financial transactions to customer data to placing orders and tracking inventory to marketing and communications with a web footprint – very few businesses exist today without the benefit of technology.
2021: The Real Estate Market in 2021:
Challenges And Opportunities
In 2021, the real estate market features low housing inventory, continued price growth and higher expenses that have slowed the rate of new construction. It’s a perfect storm for sellers — as long you have another place to live.
2021: Bias in the News
It’s not unusual for political news coverage to present with a liberal or conservative bias. However, it wasn’t until the media began reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak that news industry analysts began to see a different type of bias: overtly negative.
2021: How Infrastructure Investments Help the Economy
The American Jobs Plan (AJP) recently proposed by President Biden is composed of $2.7 trillion in expenditures and $2.1 trillion in raised revenues over a 10-year budget window. The plan is widespread, including investments in broadband, clean water, the electric grid and high-quality housing.
2021: Sell in May and Go Away?
In the investment world, there is a catchy phrase that gets tossed around this time of year: Sell in May and go away. The tactic is based on the inclination for the stock market to take a bit of a breather during the summer months and either underperform or remain flat.
2021: Financial Advice For Expanding Families
Obviously, managing money as part of a partnership is vastly different than doing so for oneself. Even more challenging is the need to constantly adapt money skills for a growing family. Most people start out on their own, evolve into a partnership, and from there families grow in interesting ways — including complex relationships with exspouses, stepchildren, siblings, parents and in-laws.
2021: How Raising the Minimum Wage Could Affect the Economy
The legislatively mandated minimum wage is the lowest hourly compensation an employer can pay a worker. Originally, it was introduced in 1938 to prevent factories from exploiting workers by paying them low wages that would keep them in poverty.
2021: Stimulus, Part III: The Plan to
Rescue America
With widespread distribution of the
coronavirus vaccination in our crosshairs, this “American Rescue Plan” stimulus package is designed to jumpstart the economy at the tail end of the pandemic.
2021: Last Call For Roth IRA Conversions?
Are you thinking strategically about the possibility of higher taxes and their effect on your retirement assets?
Retail Trading Frenzy - Lessons from GameStop
Starting on Jan. 25, 2021, the stock market witnessed an extreme trading frenzy driven
by a relatively small number of stocks.
A Look At The Post-Pandemic Future
After the Great Recession more than a decade ago, things went back to “business as usual.”
Investment Scams On The Rise
In 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an alert regarding a significant increase in investment scams.
The Shape of Economic Recovery
Following the longest recorded economic expansion in history, the U.S.
hit its peak in monthly economic activity in February 2020.
What To Expect: A New Term In Washington
2020 brought a very powerful pair of crises: A worldwide pandemic and
the deepest recession since World War II.
Retirement Planning in the New Year
Regardless of which track you’re on, the steps are the same. However, if you believe your savings will be inadequate, use this time now to boost your nest egg.
Covid Outlook: Economy, Finances, Health
Compared to 2008, the current pandemic-induced recession is three times worse in terms of annualized gross domestic product (GDP) decline.
Year-End Guide To Financial Planning
As we head toward the end of 2020, deadlines are fast approaching to implement various tactics that have the potential to benefit your financial portfolio.
How to Pull Out of a Decline
According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Great Recession that began at the end of 2007 was considered the worst in U.S. history since the 1930s. That is, until the coronavirus hit our shores.
Holiday Spending
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to millions of lost jobs and a dramatic drop in GDP growth, with further anticipation of looming layoffs, evictions and foreclosures. Learn why.
The Problem with Partisanship
As we approach the upcoming presidential election, voters may wish
to examine the compatibility of their political beliefs with their personal financial goals. Learn why.
Articles Our Advisor Wrote
3 Dated Rules of Thumb Retirees Should Think Twice About
Wouldn’t it be great if following just a few “one-sizefits- all” financial formulas really could make planning a successful retirement less problematic?
Quarterly Market Talk
Slowing Market Climb
Despite hitting record highs well into August, markets were subdued throughout the third quarter, especially in comparison to the heady optimism experienced in the first half of 2021.
Scaling New Heights
After the shortest recession on record was wiped away in the third quarter, the upward momentum mostly continued throughout the last three months of 2020.
Upward Trajectory
The third quarter of 2020 continued building on the momentum from Q2, which began back in May as the country began slowly reopening and the federal government stimulus took hold. Learn why.
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