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CARES Act Highlight for Individuals The recently passed and signed into law CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) has several initiatives meant to ease the current struggle Americans are experiencing during the Covid-19 pandemic. This article will highlight the provisions that are aimed at helping individuals. For more detailed information on how the act will directly impact you, please contact us.

Covid-19 Update II

COVID-19 UPDATE

Time to Buy? Time to Sell? Can you remember the last time the market dropped this much? How far back to we have to go to see markets this low? Answer those two questions in your head before you continue to read.

The IRS recently announced the annual changes to several dollar limitations that are adjusted annually. Here are some of the key figures that changed, showing the new amounts for 2020 and amounts for this year and last year:

The Markets (third quarter through September 30, 2019) The third quarter was full of ups and downs for stocks, much like the second quarter. Stock values moved in response to the rhetoric from the participants in the trade war between the United States and China. The Federal Reserve lowered interest rates two times during the quarter. More new jobs were added, but at a reduced rate, while wage growth continued. Manufacturing and industrial production remain muted, influenced, in part, by

As of August 14th, the United States and Europe have an inverted yield curve on Government debt, when comparing 2-year debt to 10-year debt. The last two times this yield curve has inverted were in 2000 and 2006, continuing into 2007. Yield is the amount of interest received on a debt instrument purchased by an investor.

It's common for many investors to want to get more conservative as they approach retirement. For decades financial professionals would advise clients to be invested primarily, if not in entirely, in bonds and cash equivalents (fixed income) when they retire. Another common rule was using your age for the allocation percentage to fixed income assets (A 30 year old would have a 30% bond allocation). These rules are not advisable

Understanding the Importance of Insurance: It's not uncommon to hear financial planners discuss the need for life insurance, disability insurance or long-term care. It is less common to hear them discuss homeowners insurance, auto insurance, fraud protection, or umbrella policies.The risk associated with being under insured in the latter category can be just as damaging to financial wellness as the lack of insurance in the prior. Being under insured for your

From the desk of a Financial Planner Roth or Traditional? A question we frequently are asked is Which is better, a Roth or a traditional IRA/401(k) Our typical answer is, It depends. There are several factors to consider when making the choice between a Roth investment and Traditional tax deferred investment.

Fight Back When you find yourself overwhelmed with rising costs and expenses, fight back. How do you do this? Well, a little easier than you think. Dividend reinvestment programs(called DRiP) are an excellent way to enter the investor class. It gives you a voice, when you have a company/ industry that is causing you concern (rising costs, changing products or services) investing in the company's stock, you now have entered a three- pronged attack:

A new Holiday for You - Beneficiary Day July 1st, from now on to be known as beneficiary day in your life.Set a calendar reminder every July 1st from now on, the day in which you will spend a few minutes to think about who you have listed as your beneficiaries. The first time you do this it may take a bit more time, but then every year after that will be easy. Too many of us have outdated beneficiary designations. A beneficiary designation legally transfers ownership of

Fees vs. Expenses: Understanding all the costs of investing Cost is a top priority when we consider most things in our life. We ask ourselves, Is this the best deal we can get?What is the cost of ownership after the initial cost? Does the cost change over time or stay consistent? However, finding the true cost is not always easy. This is true when it comes to investing. In this blog we will break down different costs associated with investing and

Increased Federal Estate Exclusion The 2018 tax act temporarily, but dramatically, increased the basic exclusion amount, the amount that can be transferred by an estate with no Federal estate tax liability. The 2019 basic exclusion amount is $11,400,000 per individual, or $22,800,000 for a married couple. This amount is increased by a mandated inflation factor each year, and is scheduled to be reduced by half in 2026. Historically, our estate tax planning has focused primarily on

Basis is a critical component in income tax. Generally, your basis in an asset is the purchase price of that asset, reduced by any depreciation or amortization if the property is used in a business or the property is rented. The importance of basis: Dan purchases 100 shares of X corporation in 2006 for $50 per share. Dan’s basis in the stock is $5,000. The fair market value of the stock today is $110, for a total of $11,000. If Dan sells the stock,

Volatility Investing becomes very emotional during volatile times in the market, like we are currently experiencing.  Not three months ago we were reviewing statements that were at all time highs.  The financial crisis is ten years in the rearview mirror and consumer confidence in the market had returned.  Seemingly overnight all that changed.  October brought the broad market down 10% from its high with many of the FAANG stocks declining closer to 20%.   

As financial planners, we support individuals on all kinds of planning. We believe most people think of a financial planner as a stock picker, however, we provide a much more important service than just investment selections. A financial planner spends years working for a client in order to help them achieve their personal and family goals. It is our obligation to understand our clients and provide them with solutions that meet all their needs.